The Old Quarter of Hanoi

The Old Quarter of Hoan Kiem – the "36 streets and corporations" quarter – has been the historic heart of the old trading city for nearly 1,000 years.
The neighbourhood bears the traces of its history. The street names always recall the goods that were produced there or that still are so today: the street of silk, the street of cotton, the street of iron, the street of sugar, etc.
The urban fabric reflects the historic urban organisation in 36 hamlets of corporations. This spatial and social organisation is reflected in the presence of an outstanding immaterial heritage, with the exercise of the historic crafts and the presence of a large number of traditional local activities in the streets.
Thus, the urban space is very much alive : craftsmen work or sell out on the street, small restaurants, sellers of goods and shop displays occupy the pavements.

Furthermore, a rich architectural heritage lives on. A large number of the historic buildings bear witness to this, with dwellings of great value, communal houses, temples and pagodas. The architecture of the neighbourhood is especially marked by three styles : traditional Vietnamese and Chinese constructions, French colonial architecture and the art-deco style.

++ The Old Quarter today and Restoration

Nowadays, the Old Quarter is profiting from economic development and the arrival of an increasing number of tourists : cafés, restaurants, craft souvenir boutiques and small hotels have emerged. Some trades, like the silk and jewellery crafts, have experienced new expansion.

The people of Hanoi are attached to the history of their city and their heritage that is now deteriorating due to a rapidly changing economic context. In order to preserve the heritage of the Old Quarter, the Vietnamese Construction Ministry decided as from 1995 on the principle of conservation and restoration of the Old Quarter.

Occupying the upper floor of the restored ’tube house’ 38 Hàng Đào, Board the Hà Nội Old Quarter Management Board is charged with responsibility for: advising and implementing decisions of the Hà Nội Capital People’s Committee relating to the preservation, conservation and development of the Old Quarter, 840 of whose 4,341 houses have been listed as ’ancient’; developing plans and regulations relating to preservation and development of the Old Quarter; reporting on and monitoring the activities of all investment and development projects concerned the Old Quarter with a view to ensuring strict observance of conservation laws; collaborating with other agencies both in Việt Nam and overseas with a view to the preservation of the Old Quarter; restoring and developing a number of old buildings as showhouses; keeping dossiers on architectural works in the Old Quarter; collecting and disseminating information regarding research and restoration/preservation projects concerning the Old Quarter; and presenting exhibitions and information about projects to restore the old streets of Ha Nội. Supported financially by the Conseil Municipal de Toulouse, the Board’s immediate aims are to restore the facades of old buildings, to improve residents’ living standards and infrastructure and to thin out the local population. Furthermore, under a pedestrianisation project, nine streets are to be closed to traffic. The Board has an information centre which contains documents relating to restoration and preservation projects in the Old Quarter and is open to researchers on request. In addition to the house at 38 Hàng Đào, the Board also runs 87 Mã Mây.

The Old Quarter was classified as National Historic Heritage by the Vietnamese Ministry for Culture and Information on 5 April 2004.

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