Hanoi (Hà Nÿi) Shopping

Years ago, each of the Old Quarter’s 36 streets had its own specialty trade. Today, the legacy continues on some streets, although many stores carry a larger variety of goods. Hàng D<u specializes in cheap shoes (though many of them are exported to Europe, so larger sizes are hard to find) while funeral stones are made on its continuation, Hàng Bè. Electronics manufacture is concentrated on L• Nam Dˆ, though cheaper pawn shops also sell electronics on Dng Dung. Also popular are the silk shops on Hàng Gai and L™£ng Vn Can, which sell ready-made and tailored clothing of varying quality. Phùng Kh c Khoan, a few blocks south from Hoàn Ki\m Lake, sells much cheaper fabric and has several tailors, but don’t expect Hÿi An prices or one-day service. Hà Trung sells leather products; Hàng Quåt peddles colorful funeral flags and religious objects; Hàng Mã specializes in paper products, including votive candles burned for ancestors; Lãn Ông exudes the sweet scent of medicinal herbs; Hàng Båc is home to silver jewelry; Hàng ào features clothing; and Hàng Ngang has a huge selection of watches. Ch ·ng Xuñn (·ng Xuñn Market) is a night marketplace in the northern part of the Old Quarter, off the extension of Hàng ào, selling a variety of wholesale goods including inexpensive cotton and linen fabric in the daytime and fruits, vegetables, and flowers from midnight onwards, when the market moves east onto Tr<n Nhñt Duñt. North of the market, on Hàng Khoai, are many small eating stands—the perfect place for a late-night snack. On the western side of ·ng Xuñn market (on Hàng ào), stands open up after 10pm for  glitter drawing, a favorite for Vietnamese couples. Shower bright-colored glitter over sticky paper to fill in cute (if somewhat cheesy) drawings. Sticky paper drawings go for 5000-10,000—be sure to ask for a plastic cover afterward. After you’ve shopped till you dropped, recover with a coffee in one of Hà Nÿi’s coffee shops on Hàng Hanh or Nhà Th (also known as Church Street, east of St. Joseph Cathedral), or have ice cream either on Ph# Tráng Tiˆn or at the evening street vendors on the northern shore of Hoàn Ki\m Lake.

Keep in mind that prices in the touristy Old Quarter tend to be higher than those in other districts. For those trying to find real bargains, venture out into the shops and markets of the Hai Bà Tr™ng and Ba ình districts. The help of a friendly local can make finding the right products for the right prices a lot easier, as tourists are likely to get tourist prices even outside the Old Quarter. Locals will rarely bargain for you, but they should be able to tell you which places charge fair prices.