Shopping in Hanoi
It seems like every major city in Asia has shopping areas which all tend to be very similar. Cho Dong Xuan is no different. Like most streets in Hanoi the streets in the Dong Xuan area were narrow but the densely packed stores (along with the usual swarms of motorcycles traffic) made this area a little more crowded. It took only a few minutes to get to Dong Xuan from Hoan Kiem lake which is the primary lake in Hanoi.
The shops sold a wide variety of items from T-shirts to umbrellas, to fabrics to toys and everything you could think of. I would say a very large percentage of the shops were selling stuff most people would consider junk. The prices seemed to be a lot more fair than Saigon specifically Ben Thanh Market but again it obviously depends on what you’re looking. If you’re the type of shopper like me who is either looking to buy a specific item or not going to buy anything I would be willing to bet that you would likely buy nothing at Cho Dong Xuan.
Overall Impression
Since I live in Bangkok where I’m somewhat familiar to the process of shopping it seems kind of pointless to shop in Vietnam or anywhere else for that matter where I can get the sam stuff with less hassle. The areas
As I mentioned in the overview of Hanoi, the people were far friendlier, less annoying and more polite in Hanoi and it made shopping a lot more relaxing than in the hustle of Ho Chi Minh City. I would recommend Dong Xuan market and the area for anyone looking to buy cheap Vietnamese handicrafts, knock-0ffs and clothes but if you’re looking for something high-end, top quality or very nice you’re probably better off looking elsewhere.
Looks like its Tme to Shop at Cho Dong Xuan
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