The Old Quarter, Hanoi

Mar 18, 2020, 02:11 PM

"Hanoi has a unique tradition of walking through the ancient streets such as Hang Dao, Hang Ngang, Hang Duong and Dong Xuan. These extraordinary ancient streets are located at the heart of the city, the Hanoi Old Quarter. 

This is a vast urban area where the streets are aligned to support small-scale business and offer commercial trade, attracting travellers from around the world. To this day you can still see how certain streets are faithful to their ancestors and only sell the unique goods particular to that street. 

On these streets you can experience the locals chaotic way of life as you get lost among roads jammed with bicycles, cars, mopeds, vendors and locals crossing from all angles. 

Crossing the crowded streets while facing unstoppable honking and incoming traffic may be traumatic for visitors, but clearly not a big problem for the street vendors who move around dauntlessly with their loots, creating a very unique soundscape throughout this binaural aural experience."

Recorded in Hanoi, Vietnam by Rafael Diogo.

Part of the Hanoi city sound guide in our City Sound Guides series - see https://citiesandmemory.com/city-sound-guides/ for more details and to listen to other cities.