Ha Noi Old Quarter, which is often referred to as the 36 streets, is located in an area covering 100 hectares in Hoan Kiem District. Today there are around 50 streets in the old quarter, most of them named after the merchandise originally produced by their residents, eg Hang Gai (silk), Hang Quat (fans), Hang Giay (shoes), Hang Bạc (silver), although comparatively few streets now specialise in any particular trade. The majority of the street names start with “Hang”, which means merchandise or shop.

To begin with, many foreign visitors feel scared whenever they get lost in the old, similarly-named streets, the pavements crammed with food stalls and the roads filled with traffic chaos. However, these feelings are gradually passing, deeply loving instead when they realize that life of Ha Noi people is full of bustling, vibrant, constantly moving but also very poetic and lyrical.

Chantrelle Nielson, an American who has lived in Ha Noi old quarter for the past year, said that, to begin with, she was afraid of walking on the pavements. “The streets are so jumbled up and the names are hard to remember. We would take short walks to find something to eat, and then we would get lost and spend an hour trying to find our way back to the hotel. It felt like trying to swim in a very fast river”, she said. However, Ha Noi is the liveliest place that Nielson has ever seen. She loves to go to one of the restaurants or coffee shops overlooking the streets in the area to sit and watch the traffic and life in the vine-covered buildings, the terraces with caged birds and the families going about their daily business.

Writer Carol Howland is the author of a book entitled “Dragons in the roof – one year in Vietnam”, and says that “Walking in the 36 old streets looks like finding paths in noodle soup”. She feels that each section of the old quarter contains a craft village where traditional handicraft techniques are passed from generation to the next.

Carol Payne, a US student said that getting lost in the old quarter is also fun because it is during those times that she experiences the infinity of the district. There is a richness of detail, in terms of the architecture, human life, the unexpected pagodas, street vendors, hidden alleys, market streets and sidewalk cafes. Carol thinks that the old quarter is very special. It resembles a giant department store, with a neighborhood of merchants and artisans engaged in the same trade. Apart from the buildings, replete with distinctive French architectural features and office buildings, there may also be a pagoda in the next small alley.

David Lowe, a 36 year-old English from Liverpool, confided “In Ha Noi, particularly in the old quarter, there is always so much going on. You can stop for five minutes and there is just so much to take in. It gives the area a lot of its character and makes it lively. It reminds you that you are in a real working city, with people going about the hustle and bustle of their daily lives, the sounds and the smells, the things to see. I love to sit down and just watch the world go by for 10-15 minutes. I think the old quarter gives Ha Noi a lot of its unique charm.”

Foreigners who visit Ha Noi have their tastebuds tantalised by many kinds of special food, such as bun cha (rice vermicelli and grilled chopped meat), pho (noodles served with beef, chicken, etc), chao ca (fish and rice gruel), bun ca (rice vermicelli and fish), trung vit lon (a fertilized duck egg), banh ran (glutinous rice doughnut), bun oc (rice vermicelli with fresh water snail) and mien cua tron (mixed vermicelli and crab). In addition, a wealth of luxury restaurants have appeared in the old streets to serve foreign visitors with Western or Asian food, such as French baguettes, Italian pizza and noodles, Japanese sushi, Thai curry and mixed soup and Korean salted vegetables.

According to David, the most significant feature of Ha Noi and what makes it such an appealing city to foreigners like him is the people. “I came here four years ago and was only here for a month, but I really enjoyed being in this vibrant, bustling, charming, unique place. However, without the people you bump into everyday, it is just buildings. You come here because you feel welcomed here” he said.

For Chantrelle, it is wonderful to be able to watch everything that is happening and enjoy the food. She thinks everything in Ha Noi was a result of the energy that coming from the development of the economy.

Ha Noi Old Quarter is not only a precious heritage should be preserved and promoted in the modern life, but also a mirror of history, architecture and urban life in Ha Noi during periods. Gotten much love from visitors, the old quarter of Ha Noi is becoming a popular destination for those who want to learn about Ha Noi.