The renowned Dong Xuan Market in downtown Hanoi has long been a
favorite, a busy trade center that attracted buyers from many other
places ...
Dong Xuan Market, or Cho Dong Xuan, is the oldest and largest market in
Hanoi. It is located at Dong Xuan Street, at the end of Hang Dao Street,
on the northern part of the Old Quarters. The original building was
constructed in 1889, on the site of one of Hanoi's lakes. It is a street
market spreading over a surface of 600 square meters, occupying half of
the street. Approximately fifty businesses are operating the forty
stands selling food, artifacts, souvenirs and tour packages among
others.
If you want to shop and at the same time peeping into the corridors of
history, then Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi is the place for you. This large
multi- storied market sells anything and everything. From fresh foods
to home appliances, you will have it all here. But, what is more
fascinating about this market is its historical significance which you
still can experience if you visit this place. It witnessed fierce battle
between the Vietnamese resistance units and the French. Dong Xuan
Market is also a historical place where there was a combat of soldiers
of “Quyết tử quân” (“Deciding to die”) against the French attack to the
heroic zone I, in February 1947. Being the biggest market and locating
in the downtown, Dong Xuan Market is a crowded and bustling exchanging,
tracsaction, business place of the capital.
It was built in 1889, in the basis of combination and removal of two
markets, Cau Dong and Bach Ma on the shore of To River. It was
positioned in area of Dong Xuan Ward with 5 vault-like roofs, steel
frames; each frame is 52m long, 19m high supplying area for hundreds of
goods.
Typical characteristics
Unlike other Hanoi night markets selling agricultural products in Long
Bien and Quang Ba, Dong Xuan Market has been mainly created for
tourists. With its eleven stalls, the brightly-lit food zone is the most
animated, serving late night guests until early morning. There are
numerous kinds of goods and products selling in the market. The crowded
and dense situation of Dong Xuan Market was highly praised in many old
folk song of Hanoi. This large three-story market to the north of
Hanoi's Old Quarter offers a varied cornucopia of goods of all sorts.
Hundreds of stalls, with thousands of workers, trade extremely fresh
produce, dried foods, household goods, appliances and more. The market
has an interesting history. It saw fierce fighting between Vietnamese
resistance units and the French. Later, in 1994, the market was
destroyed in a fire that resulted in the death of five people and the
loss of an estimated USD4.5 million in stock.
River networks formed the economic hub of Hanoi by providing a system of
waterways which fed the city and markets. Located at the confluence of
the To Lich and Red Rivers, the Dong Xuan Market was once one of the
busiest urban areas in Southeast Asia.
You might have your curiosity and appetite titillated as you try to
choose from a wide selection of exotic Hanoi dishes: fried frog or fish
meat pastes, rice and duck meat soup, fried rice, tiet canh (duck blood
uncooked, only if you have a brave heart and strong stomach!), rice
vermicelli and beef cooked in the south Vietnamese style and even just
beefsteak and bread. Here you can find real Hanoi food, as favored by
true-blue Hanoians. The dishes might cost a little more than elsewhere
but, you have to taste it to believe it, they are truly delicious, such
as a steamy hot dish of pho cuon (beef wrapped in long wispy strips of
rice vermicelli, served with aromatic herbs and spicy sweet-sour fish
sauce).
In artifact shops on Dong Xuan Street you will find traditional Dong Ho
drawings, Bat Trang ceramics. Binh Da embroideries and laces, and sand
paintings, the new craze of Hanoi’s young people. For a modest sum, you
can choose one of those ‘raw’ pictures with different designs and
patterns.
The trend...
Like other markets such as Sapa’s Cho Tinh, Nam Dinh’s Cho Vieng, Lang
Son’s Cho Ky Lua and Can Tho’s Cho Tay Do, Dong Xuan Market has been set
up to meet the needs of locals and tourists. With the advantage of
having long history of culture, traditions and being located in the
community of ancient quarter of Hanoi, Dong Xuan Market is one of
attractive tourist destinations of the capital and is the only one of
Hanoi’ s many efforts to develop tourism and attract international
visitors.
To advertise the image of Dong Xuan Market, creating favorable
conditions for citizens to sell and buy products (consumer products and
handicrafts), Dong Xuan JSC is now organizing to exploit tours at the
market. Currently, Dong Xuan travel is now establishing tours to exploit
potentials of tourism of the market to develop the tourism of culture,
research for development of tourist products. From 2010 on wards, the
company will build up Dong Xuan Market to archive the standards of
tourist destination of the city; research development of services and
accommodations of visitors.
How to get to Dong Xuan Market
From the north bank of the Ho Hoan Kiem, take Hang Dao Street. Along the
way, it changes name to Hang Ngang Steet and then Hang Duong Street.
Eventually it becomes Dong Xuan Street. You will see Dong Xuan Market on
the right side of the road. The distance is about 400 meters.
Where to stay
Hanoi Victory hotel is your best choice. Hanoi Victory Hotel is one of the greatest three stars
hotels in Hanoi
which is hightly appreciated for the comfort and luxury. If you are
going to Hanoi Vietnam in order to find out about Hanoi beauty, culture
values, or simply want to have a happy and useful Hanoi tour – Welcome
to Hanoi Victory hotel, the best hotel in hanoi, where you can rest most comfortably with perfect services.
HANOI VICTORY HOTEL INFORMATION
Address: 3 Hang Quat street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Tel: + 84 4 3938 2666
Website: http://www.hanoivictoryhotel.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/victoryhotelhanoi
Blog: http://www.hanoivictoryhotel.blogspot.com
Google map: Hanoi Victory Hotel - hotel in hanoi
Hang
Da is a great place to pick up one-off clothing items including skirts,
dresses and coats and some of the best buys are stylish second-hand
clothes which are pretty much all in perfect condition.
Bargaining
is not only advised but absolutely expected when shopping at Hang Da.
As a rule, start at around 50% of the starting price but do not accept
any lower than 25%. Hang Da is located on 1 Pho Hang Da at the
intersection with Yen Thai. There is also a large shop lined with bamboo
cages which are filled with exotic birds on the north corner where Hang
Da meets Hang Dieu, which is also worth a look.
