Hanoi Old Quarter, or Hanoi 36 streets as known to Vietnamese, is an interesting destination for all tourists to Hanoi.

Arguably formed by Chinese as a business area 400 years ago, Hanoi Old Quarter used to be a handicraft complex for all artisans, each street was dedicated to one special ware and start with "Hang" such as Hang Bac (Silver shops), Hang Duong (sugar shops), Hang Dong (bronze shops), Hang Non (conical hat shops), Hang Giay (shoe street), however over time most streets have changed their business from the original names.

Streets in the Old Quarter are busy from early morning until late at night, the streets are narrow and short, with thousands of shops side by side. when tourism came to Vietnam in early 1990s, Old Quarter has become an attraction for all travellers, many hotels and restaurants have been built in the area, most of them are family mini hotels for budget travellers.

One of the highlights for foreigners coming to Hanoi is a cyclo or ricksaw tour in the Old Quarter, with a camera in hand they can enjoy the atmostphere of a busy typical Hanoi.

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