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The
396m-long Street of Hang Trong is located in Hang Trong Ward, Hoan Kiem
District of Hanoi. The Street was named Hang Theu in the early
20th century and Jules Ferry during
the time of French colonialism. After 1945 it was once again renamed to
its moniker.
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A corner ofHang Trong
Street.
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nbsp;Painting workshops
on the Street attract much attention from tourists.
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A lantern-selling shop on the
Street.
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Locals on Hang Trong
Street
play chess during their free
time.
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A shop on the Street displays a
lot of portraits.
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The Street was once famous
for the traditional crafts of making folk paintings, drums for festivals
and worshiping rituals, parasols, trunks, pennons, palanquins and
embroidery. Apart from local residents, many talented artisans who came
from every corner of the country settled down on the street or worked in
painting and printing workshops. They brought with them their skills in
making traditional handicrafts, such as making drums from the people of
Lieu Thuong (present-day Yen My District, Hai Duong Province), making
parasols from Dao Xa (present-day Thuong Tin – Hanoi) and creating
paintings from Tu Thap. Over the years Hang Trong painting has been known
as one of the most typical folk paintings in Thang Long-Hanoi in
particular and Vietnam in general. Differing
from the Dong Ho folk painting genre, Hang Trong paintings are created
with very refined dark and light hues that is due to the combination of
printing strokes with black colour by woodblocks and using soft brushes to
apply colours to the paintings. The paintings, mainly on the themes of
daily life, ancient tales and worshipping rites, are usually printed on
Do (poonah) or large-sized papers.
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Hang
Trong Street
today is the hub of painting workshops and luxurious galleries displaying
various paintings of different genres, such as lacquer paintings, Quat
Dong embroidered paintings and Hang Trong paintings which have become
traditional and cultural products of the Street. Apart from paintings,
souvenir items such as brocade bags, wooden and stone statues, bamboo and
rattan-woven products are also available.
The Street
now still preserves some historical relics, including Dong Huong Communal
House, also known as Hang Trong Pagoda where a geisha is worshipped, and
Nam Huong Pagoda which is dedicated to the spirits of Bach Ma and Linh
Lang.
With its cultural and
historical values, Hang Trong is a must-visit destination for any visitor
to the old quarter of Hanoi.
Story: Huu
Tuan
Photos: Hoang
Giap |