Experience the hustle and bustle of Hanoi’s largest market.
The Dong Xuan covered market-hall was built by French colonialists in the 19th century and remains Hanoi’s biggest market today. There is an enormous range of wares on offer here: everything from traditional Vietnamese crafts and beautiful fabrics to electrical appliances and cheap plastic toys for children.Visiting Dong Xuan Market is an experience in its own right. In fact, apart from a few souvenir stalls, there is probably not that much of special interest to the foreign visitor, and most of the stalls are aimed at locals. But its virtue lies in the atmosphere of a lively market-place: narrow alleys lined with goods, stallholders advertising their wares at the tops of their voices, locals meeting up and chatting.One thing to watch out for as you browse the clothes stalls is that, despite what they may try and tell you, there are a lot of counterfeit goods here. Beware of buying any Western labels as there is a very large chance that they’re fake. The same goes for jewellery. And another thing not to forget: bartering is the norm if there are no prices indicated, so put on your best smile and get involved! You can pick up some surprisingly good deals sometimes.The market is mainly tailored to locals rather than tourists, and a large proportion of the stalls sell everyday goods. There are some stalls where you might be able to find souvenirs to take home, but a better hunting ground would be the night markets which take place on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays within the marketplace and in all the streets surrounding it too. These also provide a great opportunity to try some North Vietnamese food.There is no admission charge to Dong Xuan Market, and it is situated in Hanoi's Old Quarter, which is easy to get to by bus or taxi. You can go there at any time of day, but be warned that some stalls close down for lunch. When the weekend night markets are on, getting there by taxi can be difficult so it’s advisable to arrive on foot if possible.
