Hanoi's Old Quarter Walking Tour (Self Guided), Hanoi

The Old Quarter (Vietnamese: Phố cổ Hà Nội) is the name commonly given to the historical civic urban core of the city, located outside the Imperial Citadel of Thăng Long in the northern half of Hoàn Kiếm District, renowned for its small street blocks and alleys, and a traditional Vietnamese atmosphere.

During the Lê dynasty (1428-1789), the area included several lakes and wetlands connected with the Hoàn Kiếm lake and the Red River. Another common name referring to approximately the same area is the 36 streets (Vietnamese: Hà Nội 36 phố phường), after the 36 streets or guilds that once made up the district. Each such street housed merchants specialized in a particular trade. The street names here still reflect these specializations, such as Hàng Bông (Cotton Street), Hàng Gai (Silk or Hemp Street) and so on.

More than six decades of French colonization, from the late 1800s until 1954, and centuries of socio-cultural influence from China are duly reflected in the designs of Old Quarter's houses. The Franco-Chinese hybrid architecture marries French-styled columns with Confucian scrolls, Taoist yin-yang signs and Buddhist lotus sculpture. Many local structures carry a great deal of French charm, with some of them closely resembling famous Parisian landmarks, like the Hanoi Opera House (resembling Palais Garnier) and St. Joseph Cathedral (resembling the Notre Dame de Paris).

The variety of entertainment options found in Hanoi is vast. A popular traditional form of entertainment, water puppetry, can be seen at the Thăng Long Water Puppet Theatre.

The Old Quarter of Hanoi is an intriguing neighborhood, home to a mix of everything – architecture, greenery, ancient shops and fresh-as-it-gets street food - all of which can be easily explored on foot. If you wish to get a first-hand experience of it yourself, take this self-guided walking tour.