A Glimpse of the Old Quarter, Hanoi, Vietnam

© Photographer: Duckingforks | Agency: Dreamstime.com

By Dwight Zimpel

Hanoi, Vietnam is a popular travel destination in itself as well as a "jumping off point" for other tourist attractions in the North. The two premier attractions outside of Hanoi are Halong Bay and Sapa in the mountains near the China border.

The city of Hanoi is located in the Delta of the Red River. Experienced travelers pay attention the weather at their destination. Hanoi is exposed to tropical monsoons consisting of a dry monsoon and wet monsoon. The dry season (or dry monsoon) is between October and April, during this period from January to March, the weather is cold with some light rain. The rainy season (or wet monsoon) is from May to September- it is hot with heavy rains and storms.

Travelers are advised to plan their itineraries with these conditions in mind.

Hanoi has many traditional tourist attractions, some of the more famous are the One Pillar Pagoda, the Temple of Literature, Hanoi Citadel, Hanoi Opera House, President Ho Chi Minh's Mausoleum. Hanoi contains some stunning lakes such as Hoan Kiem Lake and Truc Bach Lake.

The Old Quarter is located (roughly) in the area north of Hoan Kiem Lake, Phng Hung Street on the west and the Red River dikes on the east - kind of a triangle. Walking or hiring a cyclo will allow the average person to see much of the Old Quarter with no problem.

Originally, The Old Quarter was crossed by a series of 36 streets, each of which was dedicated to the sale of a single product or service. Hang Duong - Sugar Street, Hang Bac - Silversmith Street, Hang Huong - Insense Street, etc. Today the streets are crowded by various vendors of goods and services for locals and travelers.

The buildings are narrow on the street side and long - originally built in this style to reduce taxes. Taxes were levied on the width of the house facing the street. This tradition carries over into today's buildings through-out Vietnam.

Travelers to Hanoi should set aside one day to walk through the Old Quarter when visiting the Hanoi - the Capital of Vietnam. Be sure to get a restaurant recommendation from your hotel or keep an eye on the menus placed in the windows, and enjoy some of Hanoi's food for sure!

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Dwight Zimpel, Your Vietnam Tour Guide, is a Vietnam Veteran and has made 7 recent trips to Vietnam. He has lived in the Middle East and traveled the world for the past 20 years. Your Vietnam Tour Guide
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