Many foreign visitors are impressed by Hanoi’s nightlife where almost any typical afterwork activity can be seen on the streets.

Hanoi at night brings especially peaceful feelings during autumn and winter. However, even on hot summer nights the city is bustling and eventful.

Busy streets near Hoan Kiem lake

During warmer weather, Hanoi’s “bia hoi” (fresh beer) becomes many tourists' first choice of refreshment. They can easily find street-side beer vendor selling a glass of the crisp fluid for as little as 25c, or go to a nightclub where they can make friends and get to know the lifestyle of Vietnamese youngsters.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter is considered an ideal place for foreign tourists who want to see both ancient and modern architectures, lifestyle and eating habits of Hanoians. Visiting craft streets in the Old Quarter, tourists can enjoy a rich cooking culture and understand more about the history of the capital city that dates back over a millennium.

One of Hanoi’s most common sights is that the streets are packed with motorbikes and the pavements always crowded, even outside normal shopping hours. There are numerous sidewalk vendors selling goods, mostly food, vegetables and fruits, at a very cheap price.

Fruits sold on the pavement

Foreign visitors to Hanoi should not miss the chance to go to Dong Xuan night market in the Old Quarter held during the weekends. The market spreads along Hang Ngang and Hang Dao Streets, creating a pedestrian-only mall where all vehicles are temporarily prohibited.

There are all sorts of products, including diversified handicrafts, in the Hanoi night market. Here, people can find almost anything and everything they need for their daily lives, such as clothes, sweets, salted dry fruits, decorations, toys, souvenirs and much, much more.

The night market really draws a colorful snapshot of Hanoi’s nightlife, where children play excitedly with sand pictures or paint statues while their parents are busy with shopping, enjoying every moment of happiness. Couples go by hand in hand with knowing smiles on their faces.

Many foreign tourists join local in taking photographs, or bargaining for their goods. Products at the night market typically cost less than elsewhere, as long as they can pick up a really good bargain.

It’s also interesting to go to the night market to enjoy food coming from almost all provinces and cities nationwide, from shrimp cakes in the north, traditional rice cakes in the central region, and fried cakes in the south. Hotpots in particular are a popular and sociable meal for young people, especially in cooler weather. Hotpots can be found not only in restaurants, but also on the street pavements where visitors can feel an air of excitement around them.

Visitors to Hanoi are often surprised at the busy lifestyle of local people during daytime and also at night, which, they say, can satisfy even the most demanding tourists.

Ruby Tran