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Hanoi

Yen Thai, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

During the French colonial times, roads were widened in Hanoi, but there is an alley between Hang Manh and Duong Thanh streets that stayed pretty much untouched. Named after the hamlet that once made home here, the 140-meter Yen Thai Alley has remained only wide enough for a rickshaw to pass through. Its residents were once the working class – craftsmen and rickshaw pullers.

Today, locals still come to pay respects to Le Cong Hanh, the ancestor of embroidery, at Tu Dinh Thi temple. At the corner with Tam Thuong Alley stands a shrine dedicated to the Lady Y Lan (later Empress Mother Linh Nhan) – the imperial concubine of King Ly Thanh Tong, twice Vietnamese regent, and one of the leading ladies of Vietnamese history. To experience the traditional way of life that still lingers in the air, visit the local fresh air market that sets up in this alley. 
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