Long Bien Market

Spread beneath and around the historic Long Bien Bridge, this wholesale market is one of the busiest in the capital, coming alive in the small hours as trucks and porters move mountains of fruit, vegetables and flowers. For much of the night the lanes are a crush of vendors, hand-carts and buyers stocking the city's shops and restaurants. Though gritty and chaotic, it offers an unvarnished glimpse of the commerce that sustains Hanoi, and its riverside location near the old iron bridge rewards early risers.