The Buoi (Pomelo) Market in Yen Thai village. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
Images of Dong Xuan and Buoi markets, the Lunar New Year flower market and street vendors on Hanoi's streets from the 19th to early 20th centuries are featured in 'Ky Uc Cho Xua' (Memories of Ancient Markets).
The exhibition is organized by the National Archives Center I and the State Records Management and Archives Department of Vietnam.
A market on Hue Street in December 1926. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
The Thang Long Citadel used to have Ke Cho, a gathering point for the entire region, including markets in the old quarter and adjacent districts.
In 1883 Paul Bourde, a French journalist for a Tonkin newspaper, described Hanoi as a big open-air market.
"There is a market every six days. Traders and craftsmen of all kinds come from the surrounding villages and the street is full of people".
A woman sells 'canh long lon' (pork offal soup) at Dong Xuan Market in 1925. Photo courtesy of French School of the Far East
"On the small rough roads, the enthusiasm, high enough on weekdays, is significantly greater on the days the market is formed," Bourde wrote.
A small market near a temple. In the past people used baskets to sell goods and leaves to wrap them. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
Street vendors on sidewalks. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
Baron, a British tourist to Hanoi in the 17th century, said: "Thang Long Citadel has many markets, but there are still street vendors and they sell their own products".
Street sellers were not regulated much by the government.
When Hanoi became a French concession in 1888, the government began to control society based on French laws.
During this period taxes on goods and merchants brought in the most money, and the city council voted to increase the number of market days, slap a daily charge on street vendors and ban them from selling on sidewalks.
A pho stall near Hoan Kiem Lake. Huc Bridge leading to Ngoc Son Temple can be seen in the distance. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
After street vendors were forbidden to sell on the sidewalks, they would often run away from patrols.
Reporter Charles Labarthe once wrote: "Suddenly at the beginning of the street, following the steady footsteps of two soldiers in red uniforms, all noise ceased. The sellers of fruit, pork and goods disappeared miraculously. People squeezed into the surrounding houses. Those who couldn't find a place to hide got down on their knees with a terrified look on their face."
A man with a pho stall. He has a pot of broth on one side of the shoulder pole and bowls and spoons placed neatly in a basket on the other. Photo courtesy of French School of the Far East
A flower market near Hoan Kiem Lake. Women from the flower village of Ngoc Ha sit in rows on its bank. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
Bidding for seats in the floral store at the corner of Dinh Tien Hoang Boulevard and Anh Quoc Street began in 1952. There were 22 seats available, with each costing VND400 ($0.01) a month.
Dong Xuan Market with a facade bearing French architecture.
The French colonial government abolished small markets and gathered traders in larger and more convenient ones such as Dong Xuan Market.
Dong Xuan was built in 1890 in the heart of Hanoi’s old quarter by combining Bach Ma and Cau Dong markets, and was one of the largest at that time. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
Dong Xuan Market is packed with people and vendors during Lunar New Year in 1955. Initially the market only opened every two days, but as the economy and trade developed, the market opened every day. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
A woman sells chrysanthemum at Dong Xuan Market. Photo courtesy of the Institute of Social Science Information
