Traditional Mid-Autumn Market in the Old Quarter 2026

   A whole stretch of street is closed to traffic around the clock to make room for star lanterns, lion heads, papier-mâché masks and frog drums. This is where Hanoi shopped for Mid-Autumn long before shopping malls existed, and every eighth lunar month the street changes its rhythm.

   The market is run by the People's Committee of Hoan Kiem Ward from 11 to 25 September 2026 — the first to the fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month — under the theme «Honouring, preserving and spreading the values of a traditional Mid-Autumn». It runs along Hang Ma Street, from the Hang Ma – Hang Duong junction to the Hang Ma – Hang Cot junction, with stalls on both sides; that section is closed to vehicles 24 hours a day and traffic is rerouted around it.

   Good for families with small children and for anyone after handmade toys rather than factory ones: star lanterns, carp lanterns, toad lanterns, tò he dough figures and papier-mâché masks. It is also one of the most photographed spots in Hanoi this season — the contrast between the old shophouses and the festival colour is very strong.

   Admission is free. Evenings look better but are far busier, especially in the days just before the full moon.

   If you only make it to one place for Mid-Autumn in Hanoi this year, make it Hang Ma.