Old Quarter, Hanoi

The ancient trading heart of the capital. The Old Quarter of Hanoi is the historic commercial core of the city, a warren of narrow streets north of Hoan Kiem Lake that has served as a centre of trade and craft for centuries. Traditionally known as the "36 streets," it grew up around the guilds that clustered along particular lanes, each once devoted to a single trade such as silk, silver, tin, paper, bamboo or herbal medicine.

Streets named for their wares. Many street names still begin with the word "Hang," meaning merchandise, followed by the goods once sold there, and some lanes keep their old specialities to this day. The result is a living map of the city's economic history, where shops selling shoes, votive paper, toys or ironmongery still cluster together, block by block, amid a constant swirl of motorbikes and pedestrians.

Architecture and atmosphere. The quarter is characterised by narrow "tube houses," deep and slim to reduce street-frontage taxes, along with faded French-colonial shophouses, small temples, communal houses and market halls. Tangled overhead wires, pavement kitchens, tea stalls and vendors with shoulder-pole baskets give the streets an intensity and texture that make simply walking through them a highlight.

Visiting. The Old Quarter lies immediately north of Hoan Kiem Lake and its temples, and is best explored slowly on foot, allowing for getting pleasantly lost. There is no admission; costs are low, and the district is famous for street food, from pho and bun cha to egg coffee. At weekends surrounding streets become a pedestrian night market. Traffic is relentless, so cross with care, and come hungry to sample the food on almost every corner. Hidden temples, communal houses and tucked-away courtyards reward those who venture off the main shopping lanes.