A Brief History Of Hanoi Old Quarter

As a result, many skilled craftsmen gathered around this royal palace to sell their products, leading to the formation of clusters of villages, each specializing in a different type of craft. These specialized villages, or guilds, facilitated collaboration among craftsmen with similar skills and streamlined the transportation of products to designated streets. Over time, this collection of villages evolved into a vibrant trading center, especially flourishing during the French colonial period when it became a renowned marketplace for local goods as well as products from China, France, and India.

Moreover, a typical house in this area measures about 3 meters wide and 60 meters long, meaning that the length is approximately 20 times greater than the width. This unique design emerged because store owners were taxed based on the width of their storefronts. To minimize costs while maximizing storage space, they opted to lengthen their houses, resulting in the distinctively shaped buildings known as “tube houses.” Despite the passage of time and the devastation during the Vietnam War, much of this Quarter has retained its original state and architecture, solidifying its place as the very heart and soul of Hanoi.



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Featured Streets

Hang Thung - Street Of Buckets

Hang Thung - Street Of Buckets

0.6km (0.4 mi) from city center
Hang Bac - Street Of Silver

Hang Bac - Street Of Silver

0.8km (0.5 mi) from city center
Hang Dao

Hang Dao

0.8km (0.5 mi) from city center
Hang Ngang

Hang Ngang

1.0km (0.6 mi) from city center
Hang Tre - Street Of Bamboos

Hang Tre - Street Of Bamboos

0.7km (0.4 mi) from city center

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