Hanoi's unique architecture

According to historical sources, the ancient streets have been the true core of Thang Long-Hanoi since its foundation over a thousand years ago.

Ancient architecture

The ancient streets form a triangle, with the top at Hang Than street and the base on the axis of Hang Bong, Hang Gai, and Cau Go streets; the eastern side is a section of the Red River Dyke and the eastern side runs along Hang Cot, Hang Dieu, and Hang Da streets.

Before the French colonial period, all these streets looked the same and were laid out in an order similar to that of a chessboard and most of them were named after the goods manufactured or sold there. For example, Hang Duong means Sugar Street, Hang Bac - Silver Street, and Hang Bo is Bamboo Basket Street.

The tube houses along these streets are very long and narrow and sometimes connected to another street at the back. All of them are arranged similarly with their front rooms serving as a shop leading to a small open courtyard, which is usually decorated with ornamental rocks, little goldfish ponds, potted plants and flowers. The back rooms are the living quarters with a dining room and the bedrooms. Most of these houses are covered with small tiles which have the characteristic feature of: two walls of the gable being built so that they are higher than the roof, resembling a staircase with two funny pinnacles.

Ancient houses in Hang Dao street

Most of these houses are single-storeyed and windowless-some have very small windows according to the rules of past dynasties that stated the inhabitants were forbidden to look at the king, especially from a higher place, if he happened to pass their houses,.

The shops in these ancient streets are open all day long, even well into the evening, so the quarter is always interesting to walk around.

Among these ancient houses, pagodas and temples provide places of worship for the ancient villages and guilds. For instance, the temple situated at 38 Hang Duong Street, serves the inhabitants of Duc Mon village who used to occupy part of the street..These architectural sites also reflect the origin of Hanoi's inhabitants, most of whom came from other parts of the country.

The existence of these pagodas and temples also testifies to the spiritual life of the inhabitants of the old Hanoi, who lived in harmony with nature, society and the spiritual world. Today the city’s material world coexists with a sacred, legendary world, and the present and the past intermingle, creating a long lasting strength.

The ancient streets have undergone some alterations as a result of historical upheavals, social adaptation and the appearance of new construction, but they still remain virtually unchanged. This area, with its small tunnel houses, crowded streets, and pagodas and temples, with curved roofs and green trees, retains the unique original beauty of Hanoi.

Since the end of the 1980s when the renewal process began, living conditions have improved but many of the ancient houses have been demolished, repaired or rebuilt and the Old Quarter has gradually been losing the beauty of its traditional architecture.

In order to preserve the unique characteristics of Hanoi's architecture, the city’s administration is now studying the feasibility of renovating this ancient area.

French-style architecture

Hanoi Opera House

In 1886, the French colonialist administration designed a master plan for the city’s development. The Hoan Kiem (Returned Sword) Lake area was reconstructed first. In the second stage of reconstruction, ponds, lakes and waterways, including the To Lich River were filled in, and the ancient citadel, together with its earthen enclosure, were destroyed (1894 - 1896). The streets were straightened and new infrastructure was added. Some of the old houses were reconstructed respecting their original architectural style, while others were replaced with new two or three storey Western style houses.

The palaces and buildings in the old citadel area, as well as Phan Dinh Phung, Hung Vuong, Hoang Dieu, Dien Bien Phu, Le Hong Phong, Chu Van An, and Tran Phu streets, were demolished and new construction rapidly appeared. This area is now characterized by its long, wide boulevards, bordered with green trees. The Governor General of Indochina's Palace, now the Presidential Palace, built between 1900 and 1902, is quite majestic. Most of the villas in the area were built in the style of northern France, where most of their owners came from, and feature sloping roofs and decorative elements over the doors and on the roofs.

To the south of Hoan Kiem Lake, between Trang Thi, Trang Tien and Tran Hung Dao Streets, renovations were also taking place at the same time, but they were slower because it took a long time to move the many villages in the area before construction could start. The Municipal Theatre (Opera House) was built between 1902 and 1911 in the style of the Paris Opera House. Most of the houses in this area were built like those in the south of France.

The streets constructed during this period contribute to the architectural richness of Hanoi, a city of harmonious beauty enhanced by its natural landscape and cultural heritage and still retaining original features and characteristics that have disappeared or are fading away in other cities around the world.

Modern architecture

Vincom City Tower

Hanoi is now experiencing a construction boom with a wide range of architectural styles, and scaffolding and construction machinery are everywhere. The high-rise blocks and other new buildings are changing the face of Hanoi. In the near future, a lot of new urban development is being planned for the areas south and north of the Thang Long Bridge and the West Lake tourist area, with the increasing investment cooperation from foreign companies.