Đồng Xuân Market

You are standing in front of Đồng Xuân Market, the largest covered market in Hanoi. Traders from half of northern Vietnam shop here for fabrics, toys, kitchenware, spices, flowers and food.

1Two markets become one

At the end of the 19th century the Old Quarter had two large open-air markets. In 1889 the French administration closed them and built this one in their place, with iron roofs and five great halls. Its five-arched façade, one arch per hall, became a familiar image of the city.

2War and fire

In February 1947, at the start of the Indochina War, the market saw fierce fighting between the Việt Minh and French troops. A memorial near the entrance recalls it. In 1994 a huge fire destroyed much of the building and its stock. It was rebuilt keeping the original façade, the one in front of you.

The market sells wholesale, so at many stalls you'll get curious looks if you only want a single item.

3The guild streets

Around you begins the Old Quarter, the quarter of the "36 streets". The number is symbolic, since there are many more, but it reflects how each street specialised in a trade: Hàng Đường sold sugar, Hàng Bạc silver and Hàng Mã paper offerings. On weekend evenings, the street running down to the lake becomes pedestrian-only and fills with stalls.

4What to look for

• The five arches of the façade, what remains of the 1889 market.
• The memorial to the fighters of 1947.
• The porters hauling enormous loads on motorbikes and bicycles.