Beyond the clichés
Temples: beautiful. Cuisine: excellent. The railway line as just another street in the city center: surprising. The French Quarter: pleasant. The Old Quarter: always lively. The lakes: relaxing…
This is the Hanoi we all know, that we all visit, that we all carry in our memories and on our phones or cameras.
But when we delve a little deeper into the city’s authentic life, we can encounter truly rewarding moments and situations.
Night begins in Hanoi
In the cities of northern Vietnam, street stalls called Bia Hoi are plentiful. These are modest establishments with plastic chairs, usually occupying the sidewalks, where families or coworkers gather in the evening.
There, they eat delicious dishes like Bun Cha or Pho and, above all, share beers (yes, plural, because they don’t just have one, two, or three). Literally, Bia Hoi means “fresh beer.” It’s a homemade beer made without preservatives and meant to be consumed the same day. And, yes, they do.
It’s wonderful to see how, after each sip, following a toast, everyone shakes hands enthusiastically in a seemingly endless ritual, as sometimes the tables seat more than 14 people. And every two or three sips of beer, they take a shot of a strong liquor, like white pomace brandy, which further fuels their desire to shake hands.
6.5 million scooters is a lot of scooters
Walking through the old quarter without a set route is fun and surprising; it helps you understand this peculiar country with its hyper-capitalist economy and old-school communist regime.
The streets tend to group identical shops together, all selling the same things. The doors, often left open, allow you to decipher the local way of life. And always, taking over the streets, are dozens upon dozens of motorcycles locked in an indescribable choreography. The city has no fewer than six and a half million scooters, and it feels like every single one of them is on the exact same street as you, at the very moment you are there.
The night market that tourists don’t visit
Every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday night, a section of the old town transforms into a lively night market. It is essentially a tourist market where, besides souvenirs, people buy knockoffs of North Face, Adidas, and the country’s current footwear sensation: Crocs. (Yes, Crocs; apparently, some people are willing to wear them—and even fake versions of them. Anyway).
However, once 11 p.m. hits, it’s better—decidedly better—to head north to the flower night market. It is a visual spectacle of color and life. Trucks full of flowers roll in, while motorcycles emerge impossibly loaded with thousands of blossoms, each more beautiful than the last. A free visual feast, visible every day from 11 p.m. until dawn.”
Walking across the Long Bien iron bridge or exploring the bunkers beneath the Imperial Citadel are just a few more items to add to your list for that lesser-known Hanoi, the one that is truly worth discovering
R. Blasco
