Buzz
Hải Phòng is not only known for its famous coastal tourist destinations like Đồ Sơn and Cát Bà, but it's also one of the earliest-developed coastal urban centers in the country. Traces still linger on the unique ancient streets right in the heart of the city.
Exploring the unique charm of Hải Phòng's ancient streets
The journey to explore the ancient streets amidst Hải Phòng's city center starts from the foot of Lạc Long Bridge – where stands a centuries-old venerable building. Constructed by the French in 1885, this building, situated at the beginning of Nguyễn Tri Phương Street, now serves as the headquarters of the State Bank of Vietnam, Hải Phòng branch. The uniqueness of the structure lies in its entire foundation and walls built of tens of thousands of meticulously carved and cut square-shaped green stones, with a thickness of 0.4-0.45 meters, creating a distinctive feature for the building.
Opposite this building are two ancient streets closely associated with the formation and development of Hải Phòng's urban area. Winding along the romantic Tam Bạc River, Tam Bạc Street was once bustling with busy docks and boats. Rarely has any street been so favorably depicted by the artistic community as Tam Bạc Street. Oil paintings, poems depicting life in that ancient corner have deeply touched people's hearts. Hải Phòng used to have many riverside streets leading straight to the docks, convenient for trade and commerce, such as Quang Trung, Nguyễn Đức Cảnh (along the Lấp River back then), Lạch Tray (along the Lạch Tray River)... However, due to urbanization, only Tam Bạc Street retains some semblance of the old landscape, reminiscent of the time 'on the dock, under the boat'
Running parallel to Tam Bạc Street, Lý Thường Kiệt Street still retains many ancient architectural features. Houses here stretch from Lý Thường Kiệt Street to Tam Bạc Street. The yellowed walls of time, the narrow and tall wooden doors of the tube houses with tiled roofs following the Yin-Yang architectural style of ancient China (formerly this street was called Khách Street because many Chinese people came here to live and trade) intermingle with the French Gothic-style villas built from the early 20th century with small windows perched on arched roofs, creating a unique East-West architectural beauty for the street. No. 14 Gạo Alley (now Alley 61) used to be an important liaison station for the Communist Party of Vietnam before the August Revolution.
The area at the end of Lý Thường Kiệt Street and Tam Bạc Street comprises dozens of rows of cross and longitudinal streets. Each street has a name, but even the locals of Hải Phòng rarely remember all the names of these streets. These include streets like Trạng Trình, Ký Con, Hoàng Ngân… This area is commonly referred to as the Đổ Market (Tam Bạc Market). Tam Bạc Market is one of the earliest and busiest markets in the city to this day. The bustling market area sells a wide variety of wholesale goods. The market spreads across many crossroads, weaving through the streets like a chessboard. Within the market, there is a memorial plaque commemorating the atrocities committed by the Americans in 1972 during the bombing that completely destroyed the bustling market area (since then, Tam Bạc Market has also been called Đổ Market).
Another ancient street that almost everyone visiting Hải Phòng passes through is Cầu Đất Street. During the French colonial period, this place was known as the 'destination district.' Cầu Đất was once considered the wealthiest street in Hải Phòng, boasting many renowned handicrafts from the colonial era such as leather shoes, cotton quilts, pastries, restaurants, grocery stores, photography studios, gold and silver shops... Today, Cầu Đất Street is not only a bustling commercial area but also retains a unique charm as the traditional pastry street of Hải Phòng, similar to Hàng Đường Street in Hanoi. Each traditional pastry shop like Đông Phương, Thanh Lịch, Như Ý, Song Kim… with their secret recipes creates special pastries and sweets with the flavor of the Port city, always bustling with buyers, especially during the Mid-Autumn Festival, holidays, and Tet. Cầu Đất fried cakes with thin, crispy, fragrant crusts and smooth fillings are also favored by many.
Hải Phòng not only has bustling streets but also 'gentle corners' like Hoàng Văn Thụ, Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Hồ Xuân Hương… Although located in the bustling city center, life on these ancient streets is always tranquil and serene with ancient villas, moss-covered, built according to architectural styles from a hundred years ago. It seems that everyone passing through these quiet streets under the shade of ancient trees slows down to leisurely enjoy the slow, peaceful pace of life amidst the hustle and bustle of modern times.
Strolling through the bustling trading streets, sipping hot coffee and enjoying the tranquility at sidewalk cafes or savoring affordable snacks with hot tea on the unique ancient streets on cold winter days in the heart of the Port city will surely bring many interesting experiences for every traveler.
According to Dulichvn
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Reference: Mytour Travel Guide
MytourJanuary 12, 2017
