Hang Quat Street (Street of Fans)

Hang Quat street is about 200 meters long, stretching from Luong Van to the Hang Non-Hang Hom intersection.

This street is the connector between Luong Van Can Street and Hang Non Street, turning west to east. During the French colonial period, the street acquired the name Rue Des Eventails (Street of Fans), which has been in use since the August Revolution. As its name suggests, Hang Quat street is where fans are manufactured as well as purchased from other locations for resale.

Dao Xa (also known as Dau Quat), An Thi commune, Hung Yen province, is the birthplace of the art of creating fans. They moved here and made a living by creating fans, constructing a temple to honor their craft ancestor at number 4 under the name ” Xuan Phien Thi” (Spring Fan Market).

The street fans may have originated from Kim Lu village (Thai Tri, Hanoi), Hai Yen village (Hung Yen province), or Canh Hoach village (Hung Yen province) ( Thanh Oai, Hanoi). There were numerous varieties of fans, including paper fans, silk fans, ivory-framed fans, bamboo fans, and goose-feather fans.

The needle skillfully punctured paper fans to create gorgeous patterns when they spread out in the light. Currently, Hang Quat street no longer offers fans since households have shifted to selling altars, needlework portraits, and other decorative items.