Accessible by land and by boat, the marketplace of Thang Long has long been a hub of craftsmen. In the early thirteenth century, villages grew up outside the walls of the Royal City. Attracting craftsmen, these grew into highly organized cooperatives. Over time, these villages grew together, forming a solid trading district. Traditionally this market area is called 36 Pho Phuong, meaning thirty six guilds, though at one time there may have been more. Another interpretation of the 36 is that the number 9 means plenty and that 9 times the 4 directions equals 36, a good omen for prospective businesses.

Each area was separated by gates. The market stalls fronted the street, with storage and living quarters behind the shops, and alleyways connecting the backs of the buildings. Businesses were taxed based on their street frontage, so most businesses built back from the street with as narrow a front as possible. These long, narrow buildings were called tube houses. Most of the streets housed a temple, as each guild had its own patron saint.

Many of the streets in this old quarter still begin with the word hang, which means shop or merchandise. The second word in the street name denotes the product made or sold there, and/or the village from which the entrepreneurs originated.


Sources:
The History of Hanoi's Old Quarter
Hanoi Information
Main image by Brian Snelson, used under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.5 License