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Ha Noi- A little more
Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, is an ancient and cultural city. As with anywhere, tourists touch just the surface: the Old Quarter with its French colonial architecture; legendary Turtle Tower in Hoan Kiem Lake; the One Pillar Pagoda – an historic Buddhist temple built on a single stone pillar; the Temple of Literature – a Confucian temple and Vietnam’s first national university; and the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum – where former president Ho Chi Minh read Vietnam’s Declaration of Independence and where his embalmed body now rests. These are the top destinations in Hanoi – but here I want to introduce a little more.
The Old Quarter
Visiting Hanoi for the first time, people see a hectic and bustling city – the scary swarm of motorbikes buzzing down its roads, the chaos of life lived on the street, the very rich bypassing the very poor.
This impression comes first for most in the Old Quarter, where most of the houses now focus on business. Here, it can be hard to reconcile pictures of an ancient city with the ones you see now. Instead, the houses are shop-houses, with the ground floor used for retail and above for residence. Nevertheless, visitors can still see the old architecture on higher floors or explore the real life of those who live in the Old Quarter. The alleys accessing most houses are so narrow that you can only walk down them. Life in those houses in the Old Quarter contrasts with the one you see outside. People live in cramped rooms with a shared bathroom. It isn’t the jostling life that we see on the street – it’s a dank life hidden from the sun kissed clatter outside. It’s also a gentle life – at 5am in the morning, when many, often elderly, residents rise to experience precious moments of peace
Chinese Chess
One interesting pastime for people in Hanoi is outdoor Chinese chess. Wandering the streets of Hanoi, you will often encounter groups of four or five people – usually older men – huddled around a chessboard, surrounded by a handful of spectators peering over the heads. Chinese chess used to be played in cafés, but nowadays it’s mostly played on the street. It’s played not only to relax but to develop patience as well. Every move needs to be thought through carefully if a player wants to win the game.
Tea drinking
It’s rare to find a cup of piping hot tea in Hanoi, especially and understandably in summer. You will find iced tea sold on the sidewalk instead. Walking around the centre of Hanoi, especially in the streets around the cathedral, you can easily find iced tea sellers. It’s not certain when this drink became popular in Hanoi, but now the young often gather to have iced tea and chat with each other. People still enjoy hot tea in the early morning before going to work or in the late evening, particularly in the winter as a way to feel warm.
Hanoi Cuisine
Hanoian people often prefer to have their meals on the street or at home rather than in restaurants. Maybe it’s a simple matter of cost, but one certain thing is that the street dishes are simple and good enough to satisfy most locals. Walking along almost any road, you will find the famous pho (pronounced fur), which is eaten for breakfast. It’s a noodle soup, cooked with beef or chicken, into which people dip batter fingers called quay (pronounced kway). Spring rolls are another favourite and there are many different types. They can be fried or fresh and normally include pork, crab or chicken, with mushrooms, vermicelli, eggs and herbs. Wrapped in rice paper, spring rolls come with various dipping sauces. Fried spring rolls are often eaten with bun cha (pronounced boon char) – grilled pork with noodles – or as a special dish for family occasions and, above all, as part of a Lunar New Year feast.
This article was written by Horizon Viet Nam Travel.
HORIZON VIETNAM TRAVEL - VIET NAM TRAVELING
Hot mail: (0084) 987 986 158
Email: info@wayto-vietnamindochina.com
The Old Quarter
Visiting Hanoi for the first time, people see a hectic and bustling city – the scary swarm of motorbikes buzzing down its roads, the chaos of life lived on the street, the very rich bypassing the very poor.
This impression comes first for most in the Old Quarter, where most of the houses now focus on business. Here, it can be hard to reconcile pictures of an ancient city with the ones you see now. Instead, the houses are shop-houses, with the ground floor used for retail and above for residence. Nevertheless, visitors can still see the old architecture on higher floors or explore the real life of those who live in the Old Quarter. The alleys accessing most houses are so narrow that you can only walk down them. Life in those houses in the Old Quarter contrasts with the one you see outside. People live in cramped rooms with a shared bathroom. It isn’t the jostling life that we see on the street – it’s a dank life hidden from the sun kissed clatter outside. It’s also a gentle life – at 5am in the morning, when many, often elderly, residents rise to experience precious moments of peace
Chinese Chess
One interesting pastime for people in Hanoi is outdoor Chinese chess. Wandering the streets of Hanoi, you will often encounter groups of four or five people – usually older men – huddled around a chessboard, surrounded by a handful of spectators peering over the heads. Chinese chess used to be played in cafés, but nowadays it’s mostly played on the street. It’s played not only to relax but to develop patience as well. Every move needs to be thought through carefully if a player wants to win the game.
Tea drinking
It’s rare to find a cup of piping hot tea in Hanoi, especially and understandably in summer. You will find iced tea sold on the sidewalk instead. Walking around the centre of Hanoi, especially in the streets around the cathedral, you can easily find iced tea sellers. It’s not certain when this drink became popular in Hanoi, but now the young often gather to have iced tea and chat with each other. People still enjoy hot tea in the early morning before going to work or in the late evening, particularly in the winter as a way to feel warm.
Hanoi Cuisine
Hanoian people often prefer to have their meals on the street or at home rather than in restaurants. Maybe it’s a simple matter of cost, but one certain thing is that the street dishes are simple and good enough to satisfy most locals. Walking along almost any road, you will find the famous pho (pronounced fur), which is eaten for breakfast. It’s a noodle soup, cooked with beef or chicken, into which people dip batter fingers called quay (pronounced kway). Spring rolls are another favourite and there are many different types. They can be fried or fresh and normally include pork, crab or chicken, with mushrooms, vermicelli, eggs and herbs. Wrapped in rice paper, spring rolls come with various dipping sauces. Fried spring rolls are often eaten with bun cha (pronounced boon char) – grilled pork with noodles – or as a special dish for family occasions and, above all, as part of a Lunar New Year feast.
This article was written by Horizon Viet Nam Travel.
HORIZON VIETNAM TRAVEL - VIET NAM TRAVELING
Hot mail: (0084) 987 986 158
Email: info@wayto-vietnamindochina.com
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