Dumplings and mopeds; Hanoi marks 1,000 years

Vietnam's government and animal rights activists are campaigning against such traditional beliefs and there are heavy fines for anyone caught selling these potions but corruption and bribery mean the business continues to flourish.

Nearby a shop called No Nong sells strong Vietnamese coffee. It costs 40 cents per espresso cup and is served with a shot of sweet condensed milk. Though it cannot compare to the French colonial atmosphere of cafes elsewhere in the city, the shop does have its own unique charm.

Vietnam's French colonial past has left its mark on the country's language. The Vietnamese word for cheese, Pho Ma, has its origins in the French word fromage and cake is Ga To, which comes from gateau.

Hanoi's alleyways are full of tasty things to try out. One unimposing shop in Hang Giay (Shoe Alley) sells the sweet dumpling Banh Troi made from rice starch with sesame seeds and a coconut filling served in a light ginger sauce. A portion costs just 40 cents.

But even a thousand-year-old city such as Hanoi cannot resist change and everywhere old shops are making way for bars, restaurants, hotels and designer label stores. Souvenirs for tourists can be found on every corner including silk scarves, lacquered goods or even works of art. “Rembrandts by the square meter,” is what Christian Oster calls this business. “Vietnamese take the word copyright literally: they think they have a right to copy.”

The old heart of Hanoi is hopelessly overpopulated with 90,000 people living in a space that is just 10 hectares in size. Most houses are just two or three meters wide but very long for all that.

The tunnel-like houses are quite stuffy as ventilation is poor. Hanoi's authorities have announced several times plans to clean up the old city but residents have strongly resisted attempts to move them to the outskirts.

You rarely get to see an elderly person in Hanoi's side streets as 70 percent of the population is under the age of 30. “Young Vietnamese have three priorities,” says Oster. “Money, wealth and prosperity.”

Anyone who has managed to make something of themselves ─whether with or without the aid of their parents ─ has an upmarket moped so they can speed from one smart boutique to the next.

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