Saturday, 4 May 2019

Top activities in Hanoi at night

Top activities in Hanoi at night
There is never a dull moment in Hanoi, especially at night. This vibrant city is teeming with fun activities once the sun has set, and only a few of those involve alcohol. Here are some of the best activities to do in Hanoi at night.

Explore the Old Quarter

Explore the Old Quarter
One of the best activities to do in Hanoi at night is to just stroll around the beautiful Old Quarter. Half of Hanoi seems to hang out here at night, making it a little hectic with so many motorbikes congesting the streets. Walk around the 16 streets, do some souvenir shopping, hop in and out of stores, snap some pictures and join a group of locals for a street side meal. It will be a great way to introduce yourself to the local culture, or even to end your journey in Hanoi.

Stroll Around Hoan Kiem Lake

Stroll Around Hoan Kiem Lake
Hoan Kiem Lake is just by the Old Quarter, and this is a fun place to walk around and snap some pictures at night. The lights on the buildings and houses surrounding the lake turn on after sunset and get reflected on the water surface, creating a colorful sight. In the center of the lake is an island on which Ngoc Son temple is built, connected by a scarlet bridge. Around the lake is a pedestrian path that becomes popular for health enthusiasts come sundown. You will find joggers and cyclists, and even some elderly using outdoor fitness equipment. It’s also a popular spot for a date — you will find more than a few young couples sneaking kisses on park benches when they think no one is watching.

Chug Beer at the Bia Hoi Junction

Chug Beer at the Bia Hoi Junction
The Bia Hoi Junction is in the center of the Old Quarter and is the absolute classic night time activity in Hanoi. Over here you’ll find several shophouses that have turned their entrances into street-side bars with plastic tables and stools spilling out onto the sidewalk. They serve fresh beer for as little as VND$10,000 (less than USD$1.00). Street vendors walk around selling steamed peanuts, beef jerky and other exotic snacks.

Dine at the West Lake

Dine at the West Lake
West Lake, called Ho Tay in Vietnamese, is a popular residential area for expats. This is also where you’ll find most embassy residences. Around the lake you get many high-end restaurants and bars catering to crowds looking for a nice night out. Depending where you are around the lake, you will get to see the stupa of Tran Quoc Pagoda standing tall at 50 feet (15 meters). It is the oldest temple in Hanoi, built in 544 by Emperor Ly Nam De.

Visit the Quang Ba Flower Market

Visit the Quang Ba Flower Market
We understand that finding a flower market as a night-time activity may be a little weird, but hear us out. Just like produce markets that supply restaurants, the Quang Ba Flower Market reaches its peak right after midnight, around 2am. This commercial market supplies all the floral shops and vendors of Hanoi, so to get the freshest flowers they can for the day, the owners enjoy browsing this market in the wee hours of the morning. There are so many colors and fragrances thanks to the many species of flowers sold here — it’s a little bit like walking into a giant outdoor garden, but at night.

See more: 5 cooking classes to attend in Hanoi
Source: theculturetrip

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
The Old Quarter of Ha Noi is a must-see place for anyone visiting Vietnam. It is located at the north of Hoan Kiem Lake and is where many economical hotels, tourist shops and cafes in Hanoi are concentrated at. In Ha Noi Old Quarter, there are about 36 streets, but the actual streets are up to 70. The number 36 has rooted from the 15th century when the streets developed from workshop area into streets. Each street has a different function and characteristic.

Busy 36 Streets

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
Interestingly, Old Quarter is also known as the ‘36 Streets’ because of the famous streets that make up the place, all named for the type of goods or service they were originally known for. There are streets which are named for selling silk, shoes, jewelries etc. Some of these streets still retain their original purpose so do not be surprised when you come across streets with most or all stores selling similar stuff or service.
Let explore most famous streets out of thirty-six to have a closer look at the Ha Noi Old Quarter.

Hang Bac

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
Bac means silver and till today, the street is still lined with silver shops, although some have expanded their wares to include jade bangles and other jewelleries. Although this is a street that is located near our hotel and we walked on it several times, we hardly patronise the jewellery shops here since we were not intending to buy any jewellery in Ha Noi.

Besides jewelleries, the shops are also known as a good ‘unofficial’ place for money exchange. However, with recent crackdowns, this might be less easy nowadays. Hotels and travel agencies have become the ‘legal’ money exchangers now instead.

Cau Go Street

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
Cau Go Street is a commercial street specializing in women’s accessories, and is situated just beside the huge eatery building that houses Thai Express, City View Cafe and Highlands Coffee, just to name a few.

Hang Be Street

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
In the mid-19 century, Hang Be street was the place where the craftsmen made bamboo rafts. Each raft consisted of 12 to 15 bamboo poles lashed by the bamboo bark. The bamboo poles were sold in Hang Tre street. Bamboo raft played an important role in the traveling and fishing of the residents because they could easily move through Ha Noi’s shallow river, swamps and lakes.

Hang Dao Street

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
Hang Dao street is one of the main streets in the Old Quarter running from the north to the south, dividing the quarter into two halves. “Dao” refers to the pink peach blossoms, the symbol of Tet in Vietnam. At that time, there was a huge demanding for this color, so the street was named after that story. In the past, the street was a center for silk products. On the first and sixth days of lunar months, there were fairs that people tried to try silk products for French and Ha Noi local people. When there was a turn from 19th to 20th century, the street sold not only silk but also western clothing products. Nowadays, this street is specializing in ready-made clothes.

Hang Mam Street

36 streets for 36 trades of Ha Noi Old Quarter
The name of Mam rooted from “fish sauces”, which is a kind of ingredients commonly used in Vietnam's dishes. The street was originally located on the riverside near the day’s catch. After the sauce was made, it was stored in barrels that were made on Hang Thung Street. From 1940, a ceramics industry including memorial stone etching, tombstone and coffin appeared and replaced the fish sauce business.

Read more: 5 homestays to find peace in the heart of Ha Noi

Source Internet