I f you are t o wander in search for books in
Hanoi, you may not want t o miss Dinh L e
St reet - t he soul of Hanoi?s booklovers, a
t iny alley opposit e from t he Hanoi Post Office. Having exist ed since t he French colonialism in Viet nam, Dinh L e is nicknamed
?rue Fourès? ? ?Frenchman? in English,
marking t he deep influence of t he French
lifest yle on t his pat hway. Unt il t oday, t he
st reet st ill ret ains t he spirit of t he days
past ; t he French archit ect ure has it s mark
on every corner, from t he high t ree lanes
on t he sidewalk t o t he small houses piling
up on one anot her.
Dinh Le:
Reading
the Street
Ngoc Khue
47
46