After the fluctuations of the time, the famous Cho Gao Street is now a memory. The old Cho Gao today has been divide into two.

Cho Gao Street is a 160-meter long street, consisting of two parallel branches extending from Tran Nhat Duat Street to Dao Duy Tu Street in the East of Hanoi Old Quarter. This is one of the streets with the most special history in the old town.

The place where the street was located was the old To Lich river. Therefore, it was called Giang Nguyen of Huong Nghia Village, Ta Tuc Total (later changed to Phuc Lam Province), Tho Xuong District. Since old times, this place has been a gathering place for rice vendors.

By the end of the 19th century, sand was filled by the Red River and the To Lich river mouth was filled. The French filled the river to open a street. At the beginning of the river, the river becomes a wide, rectangular clearing, where grain items are gathered to the Red River wharf. The colonial government called this site the Place du Commerce – Commercial Square.

By the early 20th century, a specialized rice market was built, called Rice market, two parallel streets along the market were also called Cho Gao Street.

The French translated the name of Cho Gao Street into the French name “Marché de la rue du Riz”. Cho Gao Street has been officialized since 1945.

From a Rice market center, Cho Gao street has become a famous cuisine and entertainment destination, attracting many young people and visitors in the old town.

A vestige of the past of Cho Gao street is Huong Nghia communal house at the corner of Cho Gao – Dao Duy Tu, the communal house of the old Huong Nghia village.

At the begin of Cho Gao street is Tran Nhat Duat Elementary School, formerly known as Truong Ke (French “Quai” means “river bank”). On the day of national resistance, this school took place a fierce battle between Viet Minh and France and almost collapsed completely. Later the school was rebuilt.

Some pictures of Cho Gao Street nowadays:

Source: kienthuc.com.vn