Hanoi removes 1800 households from Old Quarter

Hanoi's deputies worry about Hanoi's future

Hanoi's Old Quarter streets not slated for UNESCO

Residents' co-operation vital in efforts to preserve Old Quarter

The untidy pavement of a street in the Old Quarter.

To encourage the people to move to Viet Hung, the local government will allow them to buy apartments on installment plans with soft interest rates or to lease apartments at low prices. Hoan Kiem district asked the city to build high-rise buildings on 11 hectares of land in Viet Hung to serve these people.

Families that voluntarily move from the Old Quarter can sell their rooms to the remaining families living in the same house.

For the Old Quarter, after 1800 households are moved, the city will reallocate land to ensure per capita area up to its plan.

At present, the population density in the Old Quarter is over 84,000 per one square kilometer. The Old Quarter has nearly 900 buildings and other structures of cultural, historical and religious significance, including 245 houses built many centuries ago, as well as the relatively undamaged remains of Thang Long, the imperial city of long ago.

The Ancient City Management Board says much has been done to safeguard the old quarter in recent years, but damage is still occurring.

More than 15,000 households inhabit the area in question, 63 percent of them in very old houses and 12 percent in condemned buildings, and the infrastructure of the area is way too primitive for an expanding population.

To solve the overpopulation problem, the city plans to move many of these households to Viet Hung new residential area. The management board is keen on the idea as the residents will be able to live in safe, unpolluted conditions and the old city's preservation will be a simpler task.

However, many residents are angry and afraid about having to move to a new place as they have a strong attachment to the area where their families have lived for generations.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter in graffiti

LookAtVietnam - An old apartment block in Long Bien district, Hanoi, has become a destination for graffiti artists to offer paintings about the Old Quarter.

Hanoi - Old streets and traditional trades

Hanoi’s Old Quarter looks untidy as millennial anniversary approaches

Hanoi “renews” the Old Quarter

 

 

Local people don’t prohibit youngsters from painting on the wall.

Hang Be Street with electric wires.

Hang Ga Street with tile-roofed houses.

Hang Bo Street with garment materials.

Hang Ma Street with lanterns and unicorn heads.

A corner of Hang Thiec Street.

The water tower on Hang Dau street, the oldest of its kind in Hanoi.

The old bridge of Long Bien.

Hoan Kiem Lake and Turtoise Tower.

This playground is about to be broken down to build a new residential area.

Source: VNE

Sights and Sounds of Viet Nam

If you've been there, and you watch this wonderful, soothing succession of slides, you'll be nodding in agreement as you recognize all the things you've seen, tasted and experienced. If you haven't been there, you'll want to board the first plane out!
Enjoy...

You'll catch a glimpse of the Museum of Ethnography...have I got a story and pictures for you...coming soon.

La Restaurant in HaNoi

I will venture to claim that while in Viet Nam, I cannot think of any meal I had that was not good. Some were exquisite, others were not so exquisite, but on the whole, it's really hard to find anything that isn't tasty.

Another interesting fact is that during both trips to Viet Nam, the majority of restaurants we went to were random. In fact, I recommend that you do the same. Just walk around, and when hunger strikes, stop and you're bound to find yourself not too far from an eatery.

We are now on Ly Quoc Su Street, in Ha Noi's old quarter, and there's construction going on around the sidewalk. It's hot as usual, and restaurants give you an opportunity to cool off and re-energize. We went into "La Restaurant" because it looked pretty from the outside. And it was just as pretty on the inside. It has an amber like atmosphere which came from the color of the walls, on which were hung all sorts of interesting art pieces. From the entrance, one can spot a well stocked bar over which they have hung the ubiquitous "Merry Christmas". It's quiet. A server appears almost immediately, and shows us to one of the empty tables. I love the settings!! Colorful, square plates, covered with crimson linen napkins, and the thoughtful combination of a fork and chopsticks reveals that we can expect a fusion menu. Small, ebony black vases hold fresh roses! 

We are looking at stuffed crepes, and they were ethereal. The photos will give you an idea, but it's impossible to describe the lightness of the crepe. In one of them, it is reminiscent of fluffy beaten egg whites, and the other is somewhat pasty, rice pasty, but extremely light. They stuff them with a combination of meats or fish with subtle spicing (I'm sure ngoc mam figures in there somewhere, as it does in most VN dishes), and though I am chewing very slowly, the crepe is disappearing too fast. 

By Viet Namese standards, the prices are a bit higher than normal. We actually snacked on appetizers for the cost of dinner. An excellent dinner with drinks for two should run about VDN300,000 (divide by 16,000). The menu is not very long, however, it seems that they have emphasized quality over quantity. Did I mention that they serve real butter? 


I have learned since I came back that the man responsible for that amazing atmosphere of "calm and soothing" and excellence in food is called Wayne Sjothun. The absence of screaming TV or very loud music is welcome. You can retreat to La Restaurant and let them pamper you for all it's worth. 

La Restaurant & Bar
Address: 25 Ly Quoc Su Street
Tel: (84-4) 9288933
Hours: 8am - 11pm (kitchen closes)
Prices: VND40,000 - 150,000
General comment: Gourmet dining in a relaxed atmosphere.

Around Ha Noi's Old Quarter

If you make the trip to Viet Nam, and you opt to stay at one of the luxury Western Hotels, you will have forsaken the intrinsic value of the cultural impact of the country. These luxurious hotels are not in the Old Quarter, but the ones that are will leave an indelible mark on your experience. The first time we came, we stayed at the Lucky Hotel I, and believe me, I would not have hesitated for a second to return. But, we would have then missed the seduction of the Hong Ngoc Hotel, - another gem in the Old Quarter. There is a difference between the "Old Quarter" and the "French Quarter", though they are relatively close to one another.

paper goods of all kinds are sold in this area

The Old Quarter (also referred to as the Hoan Kiem District due to its proximity to the lake of the same name) is famous for its 36 streets, which you will read and learn about in every guide book you pick up. History claims the genesis of this district around the early 13th century, when skilled craftsmen and guildworkers migrated to the area and set up shop in clusters, selling similar products. This is also reminiscent for me, of the cooperative, or prefecture set up of Japanese paper craftsmen, but not as "primitive". Each street was home to a specific type of product and thus was named accordingly.

The names have not changed but do keep in mind that Hang Gai Street is the main drag. It also made its claim to fame through the purveyors of silk and silver which set up shop there. One can also find stunning lacquerware, embroidered prints (of which we bought several).

very narrow
shops

From an architectural standpoint, one is struck immediately by the unusually narrowness of the shops; this trait seems to also translate to the apartments and homes in most of the country. This was due in part to taxation which was determined by the width of the store front. As for the housing, it seemed more economical to build vertically than horizontally (another similarity to Japan, where real estate has gone wild). Thus, with each succeeding generation, the house would acquire a new floor.

notice the vertical character of the housing

Artists are everywhere in the Old Quarter; most are busy at work forging famous paintings from renown masters. Where else in the world can you get a Klimt for US$75 unframed? The framing cost more than the artwork, but it was worth every dong (VN currency). Yes, you can find original Viet Namese art, some of it falling into the "naif" category. It has still not made a name for itself, but it's a matter of time.

pagoda and banyan tree fight

for real estate

Don't fight the fact that street names may change after a block or two; it is simply a reflection of what they are peddling. I also didn't think it terribly important to remember which street is named for what, as we both take tremendous pleasure in losing ourselves on these crowded sidewalks, and literally continuously taking mental snapshots of everything and anything that appears.

Shoe Street?

As you may have guessed, walking is the most intimate and magical way to discover the treasures of the Old Quarter. If you get tired, hop a cyclo (seekloh) to your next destination. If it's brutally hot, take a cab; it will cost you peanuts...However, you might miss a splendid, sprawling banyan tree that may be cutting across the wires which are criss crossing above head just about everywhere. Each street will most likely also offer a pagoda or the remnants of one. The Viet Namese are not terribly religious people, but they are spiritual and most worship their ancestors. They do make their prayers in front of Buddha normally, but within the pagodas, there may be photos of martyred monks with offerings and incense on the side of their likenesses.

You will see a lot of red flags with a yellow star, accompanied by matching T-shirts, hats, and other "souvenir-like" items. Yes, this is communist Viet Nam, but you'd hardly know it.

It is impossible to have a bad meal in this city, or any other city in Viet Nam for that matter. We found more exotic fare this time around, but you are never left wanting for anything here. There is a definite fusion of Asian and French flavors which the chefs here make their own. Béchamel sauce in Ha Noi? You bet! and it's outstanding. Life is literally on the streets, and you either fall in step with everyone else, or you'll be left behind. And that would be a pity.

it's sheer madness on every single street