Hanoi’s Old Quarter, also known as the “36 guild streets”, is a historic urban district located on the eastern side of the Imperial Citadel of Thang Long. This area has long been the center of craft production and trade of Hanoi for more than a thousand years.
The Old Quarter is a captivating destination for those wishing to explore the history and culture of the capital city of Vietnam. You can enjoy the vibrant atmosphere, visiting old temples, traditional tube houses, French colonial architecture, and authentic street food.
In this article, I’ll share with you the best things to do in Hanoi Old Quarter, its thousand years of history, the famous 36 guide streets, as well as some of its attractions such as traditional houses, ancient temples, and pagodas.
The Old Quarter is quite a small area in the northern side of Hoan Kiem Lake, so you can easily explore on foot, by bicycle, and Grab/ GreenSM bike. But before getting into the list of what to do and see within Hanoi’s Old Quarter, let’s look into its history first.
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Overall history of Hanoi Old Quarter
The history highlight of the Old Quarter dates back to the 11th century when King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Thang Long (Hanoi). The statue of King Ly Thai To on the east side of Hoan Kiem lake was built in 2004 to commemorate the king who moved the capital to Thăng Long in 1010.
Following the movement of the King to Thang Long, skilled artisans and merchants from the craft villages from the Northern Delta Area gathered on the eastern side of the Thang Long Citadel to work and supply goods for the royals.
The Old Quarter gradually became a bustling residential and commercial area. Each group of artisan specialised in a single craft and formed specialized trade guilds. Each guild lived and worked together in one street and the street named after their trade. Many streets start with “Hàng” meaning “merchandise” or “goods sold in that street.
Hang Bac (Silver Street) for silversmiths, Hàng Bông (cotton), Hang Gai (Silk Street) for silk merchants, Hàng Gà (poultry), Hàng Thiếc (tin goods), Hàng Quạt (fans), and Hàng Lược (combs), Hang Ma (votive Street) for ceremonial decorations.
Today, some streets still continue to produce and sell traditional goods such as Hàng Thiếc, Lò Rèn, Hàng Đồng, Hàng Bạc, Lãn Ông, and Hàng Mã – while others have shifted to modern commerce.
These streets may no longer practice their traditional crafts, they remain hubs for specific types of goods, such as Hang Quat Street (worship items), Hang Buom Street (confectionery), and Ma May Street (tourism services).
Prior to the Thang Long period, the monarchs of Vietnam such as An Duong Vuong, the Trung Sisters, Ly Nam De, and Ngo Quyen, recognized this area as an important area and selected it as the site for their capitals and the foundation of national independence.
Why is it called “Hanoi 36 Guild Streets”?
According to historical records, the 36 wards were established during the Le dynasty to facilitate security and order. Each ward had an official in charge of patrolling and inspecting.
In reality, the Old Quarter has more than 50 streets beginning with the word “Hang” at the end of the 19th century (Nguyen Dynasty period), but the number 36 has become a familiar estimate in folklore and poetry.
Also according to folk beliefs, 36 is a good number, bringing much wealth and fortune. This is also part of the reason why the people of Hanoi in the past used 36 streets instead of another number.
The 36 guide streets was also known colloquially as “Kẻ Chợ” (Market Town) – a term used to describe places where trade was concentrated during the feudal period. It wasn’t until the 1990s that the name “Hanoi Old Quarter” gradually became popular.
The history of Hanoi from 1500 B.C. to 1010
The region of Hanoi was covered by the sea before the 2nd millennium B.C. The waters retracted and the Red sea delta formed around 1500 B.C. Over time, people settled here and began engaging in agriculture, livestock farming, and handicrafts.
In the 3rd century B.C., King An Duong Vuong founded Au Lac Kingdom and chose Co Loa as the capital, located 12km away from Hanoi center. The Old Quarter at the time was a small village called Long Do.
In 111 B.C., China subjugated the Âu Lạc kingdom, marking the beginning of the 1,000 year domination of Vietnam by Chinese dynasties. The Chinese rulers and their people arrived, bringing with them their culture, writing systems, Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism…
This migration was never sufficient to overwhelm the local population; the indigenous inhabitants remained the majority and were never assimilated.
Hanoi became the center of a new administrative unit called Tống Binh. Under China’s Tang Dynasty, Tổng Bình was the capital of the An Nam Chinese province. In 866 CE it was renamed Đại La.
In 938, Ngo Quyen defeated the Chinese, and the country regained its independence. The capital city was in Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) under Ngo, Dinh, and Tien Le dynasties from 938 to 1010. The new State had difficulty restructuring itself and dynasties and capitals succeeded each other.
Hanoi Old Quarter from the 11th to 16th century
In 1010, King Ly Cong Uan moved the capital from Hoa Lu (Ninh Binh) to Dai La, and changed the name to Thang Long. Thang Long means “ Rising Dragon”.
The King built Thang Long Citadel on the foundation of Dai La Citadel. It consisted of three layers. The outermost wall was the civil city called Kinh Thanh. The middle one was Hoang Thanh (royal citadel), which was the residence and workplace of the court officials. The innermost wall was Forbidden Purple City (Tu Cam Thanh), where the royal family lived.
The King established handicraft workshops to produce goods for the royal court. The finest artisans in the region were recruited to work there. At the same time, peasants in the Red River Delta also engaged in handicraft production during the agricultural off-season, selling their goods to merchants who would then transport them to the imperial capital for sale.
From the 11th century, four big markets were held at the gates of the citadel. As the imperial factories could not meet all needs, certain traders gradually settled in the quarter of the East gate to sell the products from their villages.
Under the Trần then the Lê dynasties (13rd – 16th century), a quarter composed of specialised craft workers and merchants’ guilds took form to the east of Thang Long citadel, to meet the needs of the royal court.
Hanoi Old Quarter from the 17th to 19th century
In the 17th century, under the rule of the Trinh Lords, who held actual power, the 36 streets gradually shed its dependence on the imperial capital. A series of events and policies fostered the development of the Commercial Quarter, such as the abolition of the centralized monarchy, the state’s withdrawal from trade control, tax reductions, and the unification of the monetary system.
There are more craftsmen and merchandise permanently settled in town. Foreign merchants also came to establish branches in this area, making the economy more dynamic. The 36 streets experienced its golden age during the 17th-18th centuries.
In 1802, the Nguyễn dynasty moved the capital to Hue in central Vietnam. Hanoi lost its status as the capital city but it was still the administrative capital of North Vietnam. The commercial quarter continued to prosper.
From the reign of Emperor Gia Long to that of Emperor Minh Mạng, numerous construction regulations were introduced for Hanoi. Residential houses were prohibited from being built higher than the height of an elephant palanquin and frontage taxes were levied according to the width of the street-facing façade.
The traditional tube house that you see today is primarily developed from the Nguyen Dynasties in the 19th century. The houses were built narrow in the front but deep in the length to minimize “facade taxes” and to maximize living and commercial space.
The houses are from 2-4 meters wide and extend up to 60-100 meters deep. The front of the house is used for shops and the back of the house is for living.
The Commercial Quarter During The French Colonial Period (1884-1954)
In 1902, the French wanted to transform Hanoi to the capital city of Indochina. They built the French Quarter with many French style buildings south of Hoan Kiem Lake and The Old Quarter. At the Old Quarter, they filled all lakes and canals, creating more streets and pavements. The gates separating the guild streets were removed.
Traditional Vietnamese tube houses were modified with French architecture style such as decorative facades, arched doorways, and plasterwork.
Some famous landmarks were built in the French Quarter including the Governor Place, St. Joseph’s Cathedral, Opera House, and Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi.
In 1945, the Vietnam Government directly managed the houses of families who had relocated or gone South Vietnam, and allocated the houses for families returning from the Viet Bac war zone. This led to the formation of many households living in the same house, creating alleyways, shared courtyards, shared toilets, and increasing overcrowding.
The Old Quarter During Wartime (1954-1986)
Following the Indochina war with France, North Vietnam rediscovered its independence in 1954 but then found itself in another war against South Vietnam and the United States until its reunification in 1975.
The commercial quarter was not directly affected by the American bombing that struck the city during the war time. However, its residence suffered from the war economy, restrictions and evacuation.
The government implemented a subsidised economy from 1976 to 1986. The economy was dominated by state-owned enterprises and private businesses were largely abolished. The state managed production and distributed essentials, such as rice and clothing, via tem phiếu (ration coupon) system and logbooks.
During this long period, the commercial quarter became a simple living quarter. Craftsmen and traders worked in cooperatives and State run shops.
The housing was nationalized and the traditional tube houses were subdivided to house multiple families. Many people squeeze in a small cramped space. The bicycle is the main transportation and the tram still works until 1991.
The Old Quarter From 1986 To Now
The state launched the Đối Mới 1 policy, the Old Quarter has experienced several big transformations. The state abolished the strict subsidy system and legalized private enterprise, encouraging foreign direct investment.
In 1995, the government redefined the boundaries of the Old Quarter. It covers an area of around 100ha and 76 streets on the north of Hoan Kiem Lake.
The Old Quarter is bounded by Hang Dau Street to the north; Phung Hung Street to the west; Hang Bong, Hang Gai, Cau Go, and Hang Thung streets to the south; and Tran Quang Khai and Tran Nhat Duat streets to the east.
The Old Quarter was awarded National Heritage Status in 2004. It underwent a huge restoration in 2012 when Hanoi celebrated its 1000th anniversary.
The city made strict regulations for new buildings to respect traditional architectural styles and protect the historic facades, craft streets, and communal houses.
Some popular streets in Hanoi’s 36 guild streets
Hang Ma Street
Historically, Hang Ma Street specialized in trading “vàng mã” (votive offerings) for worship such as spirit money and gold paper. It later expanded to include paper effigies of deities and miniature paper houses intended to be burned as offerings for the deceased.
Today, the street comes alive during festivals, particularly the Mid-Autumn Festival and the Lunar New Year, offering a wide variety of toys. It is also a hub for wedding decorations, featuring colorful foam cutouts of brides and grooms.
Lãn Ông Street
This street was originally called Phuc Kien in the 19th century, named after the Chinese merchants from Fujian Province who settled here and traded in bronze and iron goods. It was famous for its traditional Chinese medicine shops in the 20th century.
In 1949, the street was renamed Lan Ong. After 1958, only a few herbal shops remained, run as joint public-private enterprises. By the late 20th century, trade flourished again, selling everything from dried tangerine peel and lotus seeds to ginseng, lingzhi, and cordyceps.
Hang Bac Street
Hang Bac Street was founded when the King allowed Mr. Luu Xuan Tin to establish a workshop for casting silver ingots for the imperial court.
He brought relatives and fellow villagers from Trau Khe (Hai Duong Province) to the area to set up silver-casting guilds and establish a casting workshop at No. 58 Hang Bac.
In this street today, you can find many gold and silver shops located in old traditional Vietnamese tube houses with French colonial elements.
You can buy jewelry and accessories such as rings, bracelets, earrings. You can visit the ancient Kim Ngan temple dating back to the Hau Le’s dynasty (1428-1527).
Ta Hien street
This short street (only 300m long) is a popular nightlife destination for visitors and locals to enjoy beers and street food on low plastic stools.
You can enjoy the quiet atmosphere and admire the architecture during the daytime, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere and party at night. The houses in this area dated to the French colonial period, intended to be used as shops and residence places of French administration.
The name of the street under the French colonial name was Rue Géraud. Locals called it Quảng Lạc alley because it was the location of the theatre. After 1945, this street was renamed to Ta Hien after the national hero Tạ Quang Hiện, the leader of the Cần Vương movement.
Ma May street
Ma May street is 280m long, winding along a distinctive curved shape, unlike the other straight streets in the Old Quarter. It’s in the heart of Hanoi, a short walk from famous Ta Hien and Luong Ngoc Quyen street. The street is lined with tourist facilities such as hotels, travel agencies, spa services, and restaurants.
The highlight attraction in this street is the old house at 87 Ma May. You can pay a small ticket like 20k VND to go inside and explore what the traditional Vietnamese tube house looked like in the 19th century.
The house is narrow in width but long in depth. It has a wooden structure, 2 floors, with spacious courtyards with lots of natural light and ventilation. There is a living room in the center of the house, the ancestral Worship Room, as well as a kitchen and backyard area.
The name “Mã Mây” is a combination of two old craft streets: Hàng Mây (where woven rattan and bamboo products were sold) and Hàng Mã (where offerings and funeral ritual items were made).
Hàng Đào street
Hang Dao street is a 200m long street connecting Hoan Kiem Lake and Hang Ngang street. This street is known for its silk and clothing shops. It’s also a part of the location of the Hanoi Weekend night market from Friday Night to Sunday Night.
In the feudal period, this street is known for its fabric-dyeing workshops and households trading fabrics, silk, and textiles. Under the French colonial period, it was a bustling trading place for finished silk products and ready-made clothing.
Today, this street is home to many shops selling fashion items, fabrics, jewelry, and watches. It’s converted into pedestrian street on the weekend for the night market.
Hàng Gai Street
Hang Gai Street is a 200m long street located in the northern part of Hoan Kiem Lake. It’s home to many silk and clothing shops. As its name suggests, this street in the old days specialized in selling hemp and jute ropes, hammocks, and cords.
The Traditional Vietnamese Tube houses
The Old Quarter was founded from the 11th century, but the tube houses were only developed from the 19th century under the Nguyen Dynasty and French Colonial administrators.
The tube-houses (nhà ống in Vietnamese) were built to avoid the frontage tax of the Nguyen Dynasty. They have narrow frontages (2.5 – 5m) and great depth (25 – 60m).
They were composed of several buildings separated by courtyards, which allowed natural lighting and ventilation. It includes a commercial space or workshop in the front and the family living area in the back of the house.
Until the 19th century, most houses in Hanoi were built from wood or bamboo, with thatched or tiled roofs. In 1906, when the French colonial administration banned thatched roofs, masonry houses began to appear in the Commercial Quarter.
By the 1920s, brick tube houses with 2 – 3 floors, balconies, and façades in Western or Chinese styles became common. After 1954, many houses were shared by several families. From the 1990s onwards, 5-7 storey tube houses began to appear, transforming the traditional streetscape.
Temples and Communal Houses
Each street in Hanoi Old Quarter has its own temple and communal house to honor village deities or craft founders. Some famous temples in Hanoi Old Quarter are Kim Ngan temple, Ma May temple, Bach Ma temple.
Kim Ngan temple is a place dedicated to worshipping the founder of the goldsmithing and jewelry-making trade, located in Hang Bac street. It has Nguyễn Dynasty architecture and often hosts traditional cultural activities.
Bach Ma Temple, located on Hang Buom street, is One of the four sacred guardian temples of ancient Thăng Long, built during the Lý Dynasty to worship the deity Long Lịch.
10 Best Things to do in Hanoi Old Quarter
These are some of the top things to do within the Hanoi Old Quarter area. For larger Hanoi attractions, I recommend checking out this article 20 Best Things to Do in Hanoi.
1. Wandering around the old quarter street
Hanoi Old Quarter is a relatively small area in the north of Hoan Kiem lake. You can easily walk around the Old Quarter to explore different streets. The scenery is quite similar between streets with traditional tube houses, French architecture styles, cobblestone streets, shop houses, and temples and communal houses in each street.
From the old quarter you can walk up north to Long Bien Bridge and Long Bien Station, which were built from the French colonial period. The western end of the Old Quarter is the Phung Hung street and the Hanoi train station with colorful cafes and lanterns along this long street.
The south of the old Quarter is the famous Hoan Kiem lake, where you can walk around the lake and visit historical attractions such as The Huc temple, Turtle Tower, Ngoc Son Temple, King Le Thai To’s Temple, or Ba Kieu temple.
2. Visiting traditional ancient houses
Each street of the Old Quarter is lined with traditional tube houses with French elements such as wrought-iron balconies. It has a shop in the front and a living area for generations in the back.
I recommend visiting the ancient house at 87 Ma May Street in the Old Quarter to learn about the traditional house built in the late 19th century that still retains its original features. It has a small entrance ticket, only 20k VND.
3. Explore ancient temples and communal houses
Hanoi’s Old Quarter is home to many ancient communal houses and pagodas. These old buildings are often nestled among the bustling streets, serving as places of worship dedicated to local guardian deities, the Buddha, and revered scholars.
The primary function of the communal houses is to worship the Thành hoàng, or guardian deities who protect the local community.
Many communal houses also honor deities that were believed to have assisted Emperor Lý Thái Tổ in establishing the imperial capital and protecting the city such as the river deity – To Lich; the White Horse deity – Bạch Mã.
In addition, many communal houses were established to worship the craft’s ancestors. It served as gathering places for people from the same lineage, hometown, or village community, helping to strengthen kinship ties and community within the Old Quarter.
These communal houses (đình) reflect the historical character of an urban area with rural villages and agricultural origins.
I recommend visiting Kim Ngan Communal House, which is dedicated to the patron saint of the goldsmithing and jewelry-making craft. Bach Ma temple is also a good historical place to visit in the Old Quarter.
4. Try local authentic Vietnamese and Hanoi street food
There are hundreds of Vietnamese restaurants in Hanoi‘s Old Quarter offering Michelin star dishes and cheap street food. You can find restaurants that have been passed down through generations in this area.
Some restaurants are hidden deep inside the long narrow cobbled stones streets and to find them you need to pass the residential houses. You can eat like the locals and sit on a low plastic stool in the streets late at night.
I recommend trying pho (beef, chicken), Banh my, Ban cuon (steam rice roll with minced meat), Cha Ca Ha Noi (special dishes from Hanoi)…
5. Learn about the history of Hanoi’s Old Quarter at The Culture Exchange Center
Hanoi Old Quarter Culture Exchange Center is the hidden gem in the heart of the Old Quarter. I highly recommend visiting this place if you’re history buff. It’s a great place to learn the interesting history and architecture of Ha Noi’s Old Town.
The Culture Exchange Center is conveniently located at number 50 Dao Duy Tu street, so you can easily visit when staying at any hotel in the Old Quarter. The ticket is cheap, only 20k VND, and you can buy it at the entrance.
6. Explore Hanoi weekend night market
Hanoi weekend night market is the bustling destination to visit at night on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in the Old Quarter of Hanoi.
The market is located in several streets from Hoan Kiem Lake to Dong Xuan Market, from Hang Dao street, to Hang Ngang, Hang Duong, Dong Xuan street.
Here you can find bargaining products such as clothes, hats, accessories, watches, street foods, and traditional Vietnamese souvenirs.
7. Enjoy the vibrant nightlife around Ta Hien beer street
Ta Hien street is a great place to check out for parties, beers, nightlife, and street food. The place is very lively from late afternoon to late at night.
There are dozens of bars and beer places with chairs and tables and plastic stools outside on the streets. You can enjoy the drinks and street foods while watching people.
It’s a crowded and busy place at night, so if you don’t like to see so many people, I recommend avoiding it. But it’s still good to visit at least one to see what it’s like and take photos. During daytime, it’s very quiet and is a good time to admire the housing architecture in the street.
8. Shop for traditional Vietnamese souvenirs
The Old Quarter is packed with shops selling Vietnamese sounders and clothes. You can buy silk products, Bat Trang ceramic, silver jewelries, Handicrafts and Lacquer painting /artwork, and many traditional cute souvenirs to bring home for your friends and families.
9. Check out Hoan Kiem Lake
This lake is the heart of Hanoi, located next to the Old Quarter and the French Quarter. You’ll likely walk past this lake many times during your holiday in Hanoi. The lake is a popular meeting and hangout place for both locals and tourists.
There are plenty of historical attractions, shops, restaurants, cafes, and tourist services around the lake. You can take photos with Turtle Tower in the middle of the lake as well as the The Huc red bridge and Ngoc Son Temple.
On the street surrounding you can visit Le Thai To’s temple, Ly Thai To garden and statue, and shop at Trang Tien Plaza and Uniqlo.
10. Explore the French colonial attractions near the Old Quarter
There are plenty of attractions and buildings dating back to the French colonial period near the Old Quarter. I recommend exploring these places on foot, by cyclo, or using Grab and GreenSM Bike services.
I recommend checking out the St. Joseph’s Cathedral on the west side of the Hoan Kiem lake as well as exploring the French Quarter at the east and south side of Hoan Kiem Lake. Here you can find the Hanoi Opera House, Vietnam National Museum of History, Trang Tien Plaza, or the Vietnamese Women’s Museum.
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There you have it, the history of the Old Quarter of Hanoi with its famous streets, temples, pagodas, communal houses, and traditional tube houses with French colonial elements. It’s a bustling area packed with things to do and see and authentic street foods and a vibrant nightlife scene. It’s a popular place to stay in Hanoi for first-time visitors to the city.