The rhythm of 1000-year-old city

A statue in a public park

What makes the rhythm of a city? Cultural essence, behavioral patterns, architecture, urbanisation, spatial environment… all of them contribute to a city with a clear identity and it has its own rhythm. 

From the centre of the city, there are numerous relics with asian human-shape building, the temple, the pagoda and the church, which is a historical witness from the beginning of 20th. Contrast with the indigenous architectural patterns, buildings created by French used the Art Deco, Neo-Gothic concept. They stay right beside the small grid of streets where plebeian culture thrived throughout a thousand years. It includes The Big Church and an amount of manors. They standstill after a series of changes and renovation of Hanoi, especially the Reforms. That is the main reason why it has the rhythm of a nursery rhyme, but in chaotic symphony of breakcore style. 

The water beauty Tô is sleeping, 

The east bridge whispers with the moon.

Love is heartbreaking,

Love is romantic.

(Sông Tô nước chảy quanh co, 

Cầu Đông sương sớm, quán Giò trăng khuya. 

Buồn tình vừa lúc phân chia, 

Tiếng ai như đã bên kia hẹn hò).

Imagine it in your head with an electronic song about love. It is complicated and unreasonable and Hanoi too. 

However, it is not the only characteristic of this city. As people go towards the neighboring district of the centre, people might contemplate the view of a developing capital with high-rise buildings in the skyline of the city. It is vibrant, modern but it is suffocating, crowded because of traffic congestion and inconsistent urban planning in decades. The beauty now lies in the hidden gems which are local food stalls, restaurants, stores in small alleys and residential areas. Tourists love it but their definition of “hidden gem” is different from the locals. We consider a hidden gem to be a place that gains a good reputation through years without the marketing or online seeding. It can be a food stall on the street near a high school, which is crowded after hours, or the eatery has a special dish loved by the most of the people in that district. Nevertheless, it has been acknowledged that finding a hidden gem in the sophisticated layout of this city is not easy.  In this perspective, Hanoi is definitely a funk song.

“Funk music is happy music” - drummer Hamilton Bohannon said. Living and travelling in Hanoi is learning how to find happiness in a chaos. The strong rhythm and syncopation bridge is what Hanoi can offer to you. If you know, you know. 

Take steps further to the outskirts of this city, people can see the world of art and crafts. The charm of craft villages is the small-scale factory and family businesses. Some works can be seasonal but the others take place all year around. Such as Bát Tràng Village, after times, people in this area enhance their technology of logistics so that they can adapt with the request of customer from different regions. People not only have high quality products, they also create shipping lines. Although the work is hustle, their lifestyle is discrete with the people in the central area. They enjoy the annual festival which emphasises on honoring the originator of the village, the saint guards the safety of people or the traditional totem, mascot. Residents live at their own pace with a strong sense of community. Based on that, behavioral patterns are formed, for instance, they stay together closely to deal with natural disasters, especially floods but they are social loafing. A soul song with lyrics that reflect the mundane is the best reflection of the rhythm of craft villages. 

The call is always echoed by the response, creating a rhythmic dialogue that, when combined with body movements, allows soul songs to vividly reflect the daily life of villagers. The music is playful and vibrant, but not everyone can join — only those who understand the chord structure and feel the groove can truly participate. 

So, which part of this city is the ballad melody? It is the rivers. Unlike the bustling streets or the dazzling neon lights, the rivers flow quietly, like a gentle song murmured through time. The Red River, the Đuống, are not just bodies of water, but verses of memory that hum beneath the city's fast pace. Each ripple is a soft note, each bend a lingering chord of longing. They carry stories whispered by generations, tales of lovers parting on mossy banks, of children tossing paper boats and dreams into the current. At dusk, when the city’s roar fades into amber light, the rivers sing their ballad - slow, soulful, and full of grace. They are the emotional undercurrent of Hanoi, grounding it in tenderness and time.

Hanoi is a place where you can find its own unique sound - a blend of folklore and modern legends. It moves every day, and it never stops.