Snapshots from Hanoi’s Old Quarter

The grid of streets found just north of Hoàn Kiếm Lake is Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Once home to merchants and craft guilds, this section of town is now firmly in the hands of tourism. But if you can block out the thousands of travel agencies advertising Sapa Tours, and ignore the constant sales pitches of the cyclo drivers, it’s possible to get a sense of how the Old Quarter must have felt in… well… the old days.

The 36 Streets

The Old Quarter is also known as the “36 Streets”, each of which bea...