VietNamNet Bridge – The Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH) will host a walking tour on May 12 to discover Nguyen Cong Tru Street and surrounding areas.

Walking wonders: The National Institute of Hygiene & Epidemiology (originally the Pasteur Institute) is among the destinations of the FVH walking tour on May 12. — Photo forumvi.com

Starting at 9.30am, the walk begins from the house number 5D Ham Long Street, where the first Communist Party cell of Hanoi was established. The tour then will go along Lo Duc Street to the Pasteur gardens, and outside the National Institute of Hygiene & Epidemiology (originally the Pasteur Institute), before back to Lo Duc and into Nguyen Cong Tru Street. The tour guide will mention some of the buildings from the French era, which sadly have been pulled down to make way for various developments. It will carry on to Hai Ba Trung Lake and the next door temple complex where the tour will touch on the Hai Ba Trung sisters’ era and their contribution to Vietnamese history.

For the final part of the walk, the tour group will meander the lanes and alleys of sky market Cho Gioi (or Hoa Binh Market), one of Hanoi’s huge and intriguing city markets specialised in one genre of goods.

This eclectic walk touches on a number of influences that shaped Hanoi’s life. From the communist party to medical Hanoi, from Hebrard’s Indochinese architectural style to the alcohol industry, from the Hai Ba Trung sisters and worship to the best market where you can find every possible type of tool and spare car parts.

Max 12 people. Email Stella at stella@fvheritage.org to register. Cost: VND70,000.

Source: VNS