Hang Ma (Paper Offerings) Street in Hanoi’s old quarter has been flooded by visitors. The street is dyed in red by lanterns, flowers, flags and toys. Hang Ma Street has been one of Hanoi’s typically frenetic commercial areas since the medieval times. On the occasions of traditional festivities, the street becomes filled with sounds, colors and light, bearing the imprints of the spiritual life of Orientals.

 

The street is one of Hanoi’s 36 ancient streets. It offers various commodities and is one of the favorite destinations of tourists, domestic and foreign as well. Hang Ma Street is also known for its tube and gable-roofed houses typical of Hanoi. Tube houses were built long and thin with a storefront and the worshipping, producing and living space in the rear. Even in these tunnel-like houses, ancient Hanoians still managed to have some space for nature.

 

Inhabitants of Hang Ma Street were the Tan Khai villagers who nowadays still earn a living by selling such paper decorations as paper flowers and lanterns, as well as paper offerings including the Soil Genie hats and votive-paper gold.

 

This year, the main toys for kids at the Mid-autumn Festival are lanterns, with all sizes, materials and colors. Besides traditional lanterns, shops also offer lanterns featuring favorite cartoon characters, like Poroko penguin, Tom and Jerry, etc. These products are priced from VND25,000 to VND50,000 (USD1.2-2.4).Kids can also choose other toys like drums, paintings, rabbit-ear hats, angel wings. Young people from Hanoi’s neighboring areas also come to Hang Ma Street to see and buy toys for the upcoming Mid-autumn Festival, which is coming in over a week.