Street · Hanoi
Hàng Mã (Paper Goods Street)Phố Hàng Mã
Come in daylight or early evening for the lanterns and paper offerings, especially in the weeks before Mid-Autumn Festival and Tết, when the street is at its most colorful and most crowded. Out of season it is a 20-minute look on the way to Đồng Xuân market.
Map to the start
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Length
350 m0.2 mi
approximate
Walk end to end
5 min
without stops
Traffic
Open to traffic
Best time
16:00–20:00; the busiest and brightest weeks are before Mid-Autumn Festival (August–September) and before Tết (January–February)4:00 PM–8:00 PM; the busiest and brightest weeks are before Mid-Autumn Festival (August–September) and before Tết (January–February)
At a glance
- Length
- 350 m0.2 mi
- Start
- East end at Hàng Đường, near Đồng Xuân market
- End
- West end at Hàng Cót
- Traffic
- Open to traffic
- Currency
- VND
Decide
What the street is for, and when to be there
At a glance
The Old Quarter street of paper goods: lanterns, festival decorations, and votive paper offerings (money, clothes, houses) that families burn for their ancestors.
Getting there
No metro nearby. It is 10–15 minutes' walk north of Hoàn Kiếm Lake; a car or motorbike taxi can drop you at either end.
Traffic and walking hours
Open to traffic. A normal traffic street with motorbikes and some cars, and sidewalks taken over by displays. The Old Quarter weekend walking-street area and night market run along nearby streets such as Hàng Đường, not Hàng Mã itself; on peak festival evenings police may restrict traffic (check).
Hours change for events and holidays: check locally.
Reading the address
Morning, afternoon, night
Best time: 16:00–20:00; the busiest and brightest weeks are before Mid-Autumn Festival (August–September) and before Tết (January–February)
05:00–11:005:00 AM–11:00 AM local time
Shops open from about 08:00; wholesale buying and deliveries fill the sidewalks.
Best time: 16:00–20:00; the busiest and brightest weeks are before Mid-Autumn Festival (August–September) and before Tết (January–February)
See & do
The stops in walking order, then where to shop and what to eat
Walk this street
↓ about 2 min · 150 m490 ft
↓ about 3 min · 230 m0.1 mi
Minutes are walking time at an easy 5 km/h3 mph with a margin for crowds; add time for shops. The GPX opens in Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google My Maps.
Where to shop and what it costs
- Lantern shopsPaper, silk and plastic lanterns hung floor to ceiling; the biggest range before Mid-Autumn FestivalAsk the price first; bargain gently for several₫20,000–300,000 (≈ US$1–12) / piecePrice check →
- Votive paper (vàng mã) shopsPaper money, clothes, houses and motorbikes made to be burned as offerings₫10,000–500,000 (≈ US$1–20) / itemPrice check →
- Festival and party supply shopsTết and Christmas decorations, red envelopes, stickers, balloons and wedding decorations₫5,000–200,000 (≈ US$1–8) / itemPrice check →
Typical buys
- Star lantern (đèn ông sao)₫20,000–80,000 (≈ US$1–4) / piecePrice check →
- Silk or fabric lanternFolding ones pack flat₫50,000–300,000 (≈ US$2–12) / piecePrice check →
- Mid-Autumn paper mask or toy₫15,000–60,000 (≈ US$1–3) / piecePrice check →
- Tết decorations (red envelopes, hanging ornaments)₫10,000–150,000 (≈ US$1–6) / packPrice check →
- Votive paper offeringsFor ritual use, not souvenirs₫10,000–200,000 (≈ US$1–8) / setPrice check →
Ranges, not quotes: prices move with season and exchange rates; the equivalent in your currency is approximate. Checked Sep 2026.
Eat on or near it
- Phở Gia Truyền Bát ĐànWell-known phở shop about 5 minutes' walk south; expect a line at breakfast.
- Xôi YếnSticky rice with toppings, about 15 minutes' walk south-east.
- Street snacks around Đồng XuânStalls and small eateries around the market at the east end.
Sights on the street
- Đồng Xuân marketThe Old Quarter's biggest covered market, a minute from the east end.
- Quán Thánh TempleTaoist temple about 15 minutes' walk north-west.
- Hàng LượcThe cross street also fills with lanterns and flowers before Mid-Autumn Festival and Tết.
Practical
Getting a ride there, what goes wrong, and access
Show the driver
Show the driver
Cho tôi xuống ở đầu phố Hàng Mã, gần chợ Đồng Xuân, phường Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội.
Please drop me at the start of Hàng Mã Street, near Đồng Xuân market, Hoàn Kiếm ward, Hanoi.
Before Mid-Autumn Festival traffic is very slow; get out nearby and walk.
Safety, traffic and scams
Motorbikes on a street with no usable sidewalk medium
Pickpockets in festival crowds medium
Scams and traps
- Prices for foreigners can start two or three times higher; ask several shops before buying and settle the price before the item is wrapped.
- Change handed back in the wrong notes (₫20,000 vs ₫200,000 look similar): count it.
Accessibility
- Sidewalks are blocked by displays and parked motorbikes, so you walk in the road; hard going with a wheelchair or stroller.
- Very crowded and noisy on evenings before Mid-Autumn Festival.
Photo tips
- Shoot the lantern-covered shopfronts at dusk when they are lit but there is still some light in the sky.
- Ask before photographing shopkeepers up close, and step out of the way of customers.
A line of history
The name means 'street of paper goods': since the old guild days of Hanoi's 36 streets it has sold paper votive objects burned as offerings to ancestors. Lanterns, toys and festival decorations were added over the 20th century.
Combine with
- Tạ HiệnBeer Street is about 10 minutes' walk south-east; go after the lantern shops close.
- Old Quarter weekend night marketRuns along Hàng Đào and Hàng Đường to Đồng Xuân on Friday to Sunday evenings (check).
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Hàng Mã?
The two to three weeks before Mid-Autumn Festival (15th day of the 8th lunar month, usually September) and before Tết, when lanterns and decorations fill the street.
Can I buy votive paper as a souvenir?
You can, but it is made to be burned for the dead; lanterns and festival decorations are better souvenirs.
Deep dive
Sources; hours, rules and prices change, so check before you go