Hanoi Old Quarter is made up of 36 market streets that made up the ancient trading centre of the old Thang Long – the ancient capital. Not much remains of old Thang Long but there are still vestiges of ancient temples and old life if you’re paying attention. Wander down alley ways where old temples and ancient trees still remain amidst the chaos. The Old Quarter, formerly known as “Kẻ Chợ” was a burstling trading town that supplied luxury goods for the consumption of the elites at the royal court. Each street is named after a particular goods that was traded on the street. “Hàng Bạc” for instance was and still is to some extent, where silver smiths traded their wares. The energy of a capital trading town attracted all sorts of unsavoury characters that the word “Kẻ Chợ” became a derogatory term for those who live at the market. Nowadays, the Old Quarter is the most expensive realestate in Vietnam and possibly all of South East Asia.
