An exhibition in Hanoi is taking visitors into the history of the capital’s famous 36 streets, revealing how their names, traditional trades and crafts helped shape the Old Quarter.
As part of the second Thang Long-Hanoi Festival, the Temple of Literature, a special national heritage site in the Vietnamese capital, has opened the Net Kinh Ky program, an exhibition exploring a Hanoi deeply rooted in history and culture while continuing to evolve in contemporary life.
Images of the historic 36 streets are displayed alongside related materials, recreating a glimpse of what the old capital once looked like.
Beyond the photographs, the exhibition provides information about the history of individual streets, the origins of their names and the traditional crafts and trades that once flourished along them.
Visitors can also experience traditional crafts with artisans from some of Vietnam’s notable craft villages, including Bat Trang and Bo Bat pottery, embroidery and lacework, Kim Son sedge weaving and Phong Khe do paper making.
“Net Kinh Ky shows that heritage does not belong solely to the past. It can remain present, interactive and inspirational in contemporary life,” said Le Xuan Kieu, director of the Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities at the Temple of Literature.
Visitors learn about the origins of Hanoi’s historic street names at the exhibition.Hang Gai is one of Hanoi’s oldest streets. Once a bustling center of the silk trade, it reflects the transformation of a traditional craft community into a distinctive cultural symbol of the historic capital.Hang Dao, one of the central streets of Hanoi’s Old Quarter, has long been known for its silk trade. The roughly 260-meter street runs north to south near Hoan Kiem Lake and forms a major artery through the historic 36 streets.Hang Dau runs 272 meters from Tran Nhat Duat Street to Van Xuan Garden and is one of the distinctive streets of Hanoi’s historic quarter. With roots in the capital’s thousand-year history, it once served as a busy trading gateway north of the old citadel.Hang Khoai stretches 320 meters from Hang Luoc Street to Tran Nhat Duat Street. Located beside Dong Xuan Market and the Long Bien wholesale market, it has long been a busy hub for trade and the movement of goods in historic Thang Long, the former name of Hanoi.Hang Dieu runs about 286 meters from the Hang Ga intersection to Duong Thanh Street. Its name comes from the traditional craftspeople and merchants who once made and sold various types of pipes used for smoking Vietnamese pipe tobacco.Hang Hom, about 120 meters long, connects Hang Quat and Hang Gai streets. In the mid-19th century, craftspeople from Ha Vi Village in Hanoi’s Thuong Tin area settled here, bringing their skills in making wooden objects finished with traditional Vietnamese lacquer, including boxes, caskets and ceremonial furniture.Hang Chieu stretches 276 meters from the historic O Quan Chuong Gate to the Hang Duong-Hang Ma intersection. Once a center for the traditional sedge-mat trade, the street also bears memories of wartime Hanoi and served as a command center during the opening days of the nationwide resistance.Hang Duong is one of the oldest streets in Hanoi’s historic quarter. Its name reflects the development of traditional crafts and commerce that shaped the old capital over generations.
Vietnamnet.vn
Podcast
.svg){kind=icon}
