Explore the Lifestyle of Old Hanoians through the Tour "Chuyen Pho Hang"

Tourists visiting Hanoi in October will have the opportunity to discover the lifestyle of Hanoi's residents nearly 100 years ago in the ancient house located at 87 Ma May Street, Hanoi, through the circuit-show "Chuyen pho Hang."

Written by Linh Yang (Local expert)

Updated on Oct 11, 2024

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This program is part of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the capital Hanoi (10/10/1954 - 10/10/2024). The goal is to recreate the daily life of a pharmacist family in the capital between 1930 and 1945.

*The play takes place in an Eastern medicine family in Hanoi.*

The authors of the program drew the idea for this visit from the fact that the ancient house at 87 Ma May is well-known and visited by many tourists. They aim to revitalize a traditional space by recreating the life of a former Hanoian family, thus offering visitors the opportunity to dive into the flow of time and discover unique Vietnamese architecture.

*The ancient house at 87 Ma May is carefully preserved and retains its traditional architecture.*

The house is classified as a national heritage site of Vietnam. It was restored starting in late 1998, with the work completed in October 1999. It is open to visitors daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, and until 10 PM on the last three days of the week. About 100 visitors come each day.

The house features typical characteristics of traditional houses in the old quarter, with a "tube" structure, narrow in the facade but very deep, with inner courtyards separating the different parts of the house. The front part, facing the street, is an open commercial space with no walls, where goods were displayed and guests welcomed.

On the upper floor, there is a family altar and a bedroom. Plants are arranged in the inner courtyards, creating a nature-like atmosphere.

*The second floor of the ancient house features a traditional three-sided bed.*

In this immersive tour, visitors will be introduced to the lifestyle and activities of traditional medicine sales from the former owner. They will have the chance to participate directly in some production steps, such as grinding herbs, shaping pills, or using mugwort for therapeutic care. They will also be able to taste simple traditional dishes from northern Vietnam. After a general introduction to traditional medicine, visitors will watch the play "Chuyen pho Hang."

*One scene shows the family's son practicing mugwort-based care on a patient.*

The play takes place almost without dialogue, relying mainly on body language so that foreign visitors can easily understand the plot.

The staging was developed in consultation with experts in traditional medicine and history, respecting historical accuracy. Some ancient objects, such as knives for cutting medicinal plants, are used to faithfully recreate life in the ancient house at 87 Ma May.

*The scene shows an actress using a knife to slice medicinal plants into thin strips.*

The interior of the house is reserved for medicine preparation activities.

*An actress illustrates the traditional method of grinding plants using feet, employing a millstone to reduce dried herbs to powder.*

*A medicinal plant garden has also been recreated on the main stage.*

The circuit-show "Chuyen pho Hang" will officially launch on October 9 at the ancient house 87, Ma May Street, Hanoi. Initially, it will be offered only on weekends with a limited group of 36 people per visit. Each day, two evening tours will be organized, lasting 45 minutes, with 30 minutes dedicated to the play. The ticket price has not yet been announced.

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