Hanoi
neighbourhood
Hanoi Old Quarter
36 lantern-lit streets named after the crafts once sold there
Hanoi, Vietnam
A maze of narrow lanes north of Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter has been Hanoi's commercial heart for 1,000 years. Each street is named after the trade once practised on it — Hang Bac (silver), Hang Gai (silk), Hang Ma (paper offerings).
Come at dusk for pho ga at a plastic-stool stall, then walk the lanes as red lanterns flick on overhead.