HÀ NỘI — The Friends of Vietnam Heritage (FVH) will host a walking tour on May 12 to discover Nguyễn Công Trứ Street and surrounding areas.

Starting at 9.30am, the walk begins from the house number 5D Hàm Long Street, where the first Communist Party cell of Hà Nội  was established. The tour then will go along Lò Đúc Street to the Pasteur gardens, and outside the National Institute of Hygiene & Epidemiology (originally the Pasteur Institute), before back to Lò Đúc and into Nguyễn Công Trứ Street. The tour guide will mention some of the buildings from the French era, which sadly have been pulled down to make way for various developments. It will carry on to Hai Bà Trưng Lake and the next door temple complex where the tour will touch on the Hai Bà Trưng sisters’ era and their contribution to Vietnamese history.

For the final part of the walk, the tour group will meander the lanes and alleys of sky market Chợ Giời (or Hòa Bình Market), one of Hà Nội’s huge and intriguing city markets specialised in one genre of goods.

This eclectic walk touches on a number of influences that shaped Hà Nội’s life. From the communist party to medical Hà Nội, from Hebrard’s Indochinese architectural style to the alcohol industry, from the Hai Bà Trưng sisters and worship to the best market where you can find every possible type of tool and spare car parts.

Max 12 people. Email Stella at stella@fvheritage.org to register. Cost: VNĐ70,000. — VNS