The most famous attraction of Hanoi, the Old Quarter never cease to fascinate those who love to understand this one thousand year old city.
“The Old Quarter of Hanoi” implies the commercial area outside the Royal Citadel. It was formed since the city was founded by king Ly Thai To to be the capital of the Viet Kingdom in 1010 AD. However, most historical records concerning the “old town” (nickname of the Old Quarter by the local) date back no further than the Le Dynasty in the 15th century. By all accounts, the Old Quarter is famous for handicrafts and trading. Being the heart of the capital of the Viet Kingdom, it was also the most prosperous as well as important trading center of the kingdom. In the colonial era, it was home to dazzling economic activities. After the economic reform in 1986, the entrepreneur spirit of the Old Quarter has returned and the area again becomes the place of energetic business.
The Old Quarter is about one km2, located about the center of the modern day Hanoi. Tradition maintains that the Old Quarter has 36 streets but in reality the number of streets varies with time. It is well-known that most of the streets are named after the products or the trades of the guilds that dominated there: Hang Dao (silk), Hang Duong (sweets), Lo Ren (smithy), etc. The names are unchanged but few streets retain their original trades. However, the ancient custom that people who are of the same business flock together is still kept. Therefore, an Old Quarter street is more or less occupied by a particular trade just like the past. The streets are characteristically narrow with almost no pavement and their layout are (in)famous for irregularity with odd angles and maze-like crosses that will easily confuse a visitor.
Though the Old Quarter has a long history, few architectural structures of the time earlier than the 19th century survive to today. The oldest building is the Temple of the White Horse, one of Hanoi's four “patron” temples, dating back to the Ly Dynasty in the 11th century. There are also other temples of later days commemorating the founders of the trades and communal houses of the clans living in the area. All the residential houses in the Old Quarter are used for both living and business. A typical traditional house of the Old Quarter has 2 parts, the front for business and the back for living. The two parts are separated by a small courtyard. Because of lack of space and the imperial tax levied on the width of the shops, the old houses were built after the “tube house” model: the width is just 2 or 3 meters but the length can come up to 50 or 100 meters.
The Old Quarter is considered the best place to experience the spirit of the one thousand year old Hanoi. It has all the reputed good and bad qualities of the ancient capital of Vietnam: ancientness, prosperity, elegance as well as some “city vices” such as avarice, dishonesty and disorder. The people of the Old Quarter, especially those belong to the families that have been living there for quite a few generations, are known not only for shrewdness and eagerness in business but also for good taste in all matters of life. The Old Quarter is also home of genuine Hanoi specialties, something writers and scholars can not miss in their works about this city. Artists of all people love the Old Quarter for all of its uniqueness and complexities.
Reference:
Huu Ngoc and Lady Borton, “Hanoi's Old Quarter”, The Gioi Publisher.
Nguyen Vinh Phuc, Nguyen Thua Hy and Barbara Cohen, “Hanoi: Streets of the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake”, The Gioi Publisher
