The 30-minute "Stories of Hang Streets" live performance tour at the Ma May Ancient House in the Old Quarter offers visitors an immersive cultural experience with two shows every Saturday and Sunday evening.

Attempts to bring the past back to life

A scene from 'Story of Hanoi Streets' - A happy family performed in the Old Quarter. Photo: Hanoimoi

"Everyone... come and watch the 'Story of Hang Streets'!"

"My family has been practicing traditional medicine for four generations. My father is almost 80 years old and is known all over town for his pulse checks and prescriptions."

"This is my eldest son, the eldest grandson of the family, who doesn't care about the traditional trade..."

The old evocative space of the old house at 87 Ma May Street in Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi, was once the home of a middle-class family practicing herbalism. The graceful old Hanoi way left no room for noise and disorder. Even though it was an Oriental medicine store filled with patients, there were only barely audible whispers and the faint scent of dried herbs mixed with the smoke of freshly burned pomelo peel and tea leaves.

Meritorious Artist Le Anh Tuyet gives an introduction to the reality show. Photo: Vietnam Travel

"A clean house makes for cool air, a clean bowl makes for delicious meals," as the Vietnamese proverb goes. The quaint custom of Hanoi households was to encourage each other to take care of the family and carry on the traditional trade.

Every visitor to "The Story of Hang Street" leaves with profound feelings as a result of the vibrant cultural flame that burns in this modest space. Meritorious artist Le Anh Tuyet, co-author and director of the show, has put a lot of passion and effort into making it a unique work of memory.

"Hanoi is pervaded by the epic atmosphere of the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the capital. To be the one to bring the "Story of Hang Streets" program to life on this momentous occasion makes me feel incredibly honored and proud. In my opinion, culture is always beautiful, and Hanoi's culture is an even more significant aspect of the nation's historical flow," she said.

"To visualize culture in a work of art is a task that we, the artists and performers, are always concerned about. The cultural characteristics of old Hanoi are highlighted in the most subtle way in the old house at 87 Ma May Street; it's not ostentatious, but rather quite charming. I hope 'Story of Hang Streets' can draw many foreign tourists for one reason only: we want to promote the culture and beauty of the capital's people's way of life," she added.

A man practises traditional medicine in the Old Quarter.

Vividly narrating the tales of old Hanoi

“Story of Hang Street” is a realistic-scene tour exploring Northern Vietnamese culture, centered on a middle-class family with four generations of herbalists. Held at the Heritage House at 87 Ma May Street, the performance is part of a series of activities to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the liberation of the capital (October 10, 1954-2024), organized by the Hoan Kiem Lake and Hanoi Old Quarter Management Board in collaboration with artists from the Youth Theater of Vietnam.

Notably, the seven major cultural events on this occasion include the photo exhibition “Hanoi in My Heart”, the display “Memories of Hanoi - 70 Years”, the thematic exhibit and realistic-scene tour “Story of Hang Street”, the photo exhibition “Hanoi on the Takeover Day”, photo exhibition “Hanoi - A Time to Remember”, traditional music performance “Tonkin Ancient Music”, and online exhibition “Dear Compatriots in the Capital.”

The realistic-scene tour takes visitors "back in time" to the 1940s and 1950s of the last century to witness a longtime medical family going about their daily lives. It depicts the routines of the family members and their interactions with each other, outsiders, and their environment.

The show's audience is taken back in time to the 40s and 50s of the last century.

Seemingly a story of adversity, the script ends with a brighter future for the characters, from the father-in-law and daughter-in-law to the eldest grandson and "the girl." The acceptance and bonding of the couple in the family relationships draws the audience in and makes them feel as if they are living the story themselves.

Outside the gate of the ancient house, a crowd of local and foreign tourists have been waiting since the afternoon to see the performance. According to Cao Quoc Trung, Branch Manager of Vidotour Indochina Travel, foreign tourists are particularly interested in Vietnamese culture.

“Foreigners are very enthusiastic about Vietnamese culture. They especially love to experience cultural forms such as watching realistic-scene shows, visiting craft villages, listening to folk music, and so on. Vietnamese culture also has distinctive variations and developments in each region, making the lifestyles and traditions more diverse. Most tourists will not miss such cultural tours,” noted Trung.

A scene from a reality show.

Meritorious Artist Le Anh Tuyet went on to say that the "Story of Hang Street" tour will be charged to foreign guests in the near future and will continue. This will have a more favorable result and increase the value of the show. Instead of taking a casual attitude and assuming that it is a free service, tourists will be more receptive. In addition, the payment will serve as a token of appreciation to the performers and to those who are committed to promoting culture.

The show tells the daily life stories of a family with a longtime herbalist.  The interior of the ancient house with the kitchen and the place to dry, roll, grind, and sift the herbs.