For decades, the old dormitories are still chosen by many people to live and do business because of their low cost and difficult to find peace in the heart of Hanoi.
I see trees of green Red roses too I see them bloom For me and you And I think to myself What a wonderful world … When he woke up, Quang Sang (24 years old) reached for his phone and played a song. The melodious tune filled the apartment he rented for about 3 months. Lightly open the windows so that the wind can flow into the house. In the morning, you can hear the sound of traffic down the road, the nearby toad market or the kids in the house calling each other to go to school. Morning calls the sound of old houses is a charm that he cannot refuse. The boy ‘falls in love’ with the beauty of old houses Located on the 5th floor, Sang rented this dormitory for 5 million VND. He cleaned and decorated himself to create a living space according to his liking. To save money, Morning picks up old things wherever he can find from sofas, pictures or statues … “I quite like the repair and redecoration of the house. Maybe that’s why I think of something every day to do, ”said Sang, smiling. 
Not only living in a dormitory, he also rented two other apartments to trade in drinks in Hanoi. 9:30 am am present at my small coffee shop with Chau. Three years ago, with 1 million dong in hand, the two decided to borrow more money to open their own coffee shop. He was only 21 years old. Located on the 3rd floor of a dormitory, Sang’s shop doesn’t even have billboards. “The first days when I finished paying the rent, I got out of my pocket. Tables and chairs, decorations … are all begging. Occasionally, Chau and I would go to the street, even in the garbage dump, and bring good things to the shop ”, Sang recalled a difficult time before and recounted. 
With such old homes, getting them repaired before going into business usually takes a lot of time and money. But with Morning, to keep the breath of the houses, he chose not to interfere too much in that space. The only thing that Sang did when he arrived was to repair the electricity and water lines or widen a few windows to make the space more open. With Sang, the most difficult thing is how to keep a quiet space for the whole area. Understand that spirit, visitors to the shop always “go lightly, speak softly”. The bar space becomes a place to relax and enjoy the peace. 
So every day, in the morning, I will go to one of the two drinks to work and then return to my small room at the end of the day. “I have my own things in the noisy city, my heart is as quiet as the old house, that’s enough for me,” said Sang. 
Business in dormitory So far, business in the dormitory is no stranger. People have become accustomed to shops like Sang’s: without signs, hidden in old rooms. 
In 2012, Ms. Le Thuy Hanh (1992) had her first fashion store. All of them are clothes she designed and sewed and embroidered by herself. Hanh rented an old house and then renovated it to create a business space. Part of the wall is beaten most to change into a glass door, absorbing much light into the room. To avoid moldy because the house is old, Ms. Hanh fixed both the ceiling and the floor. “The hardest part about running a house with no signboard like this is that it’s hard for customers to find. But fortunately, one person spreads the word, my shop still welcomes new customers every day. Those were really interesting surprises, “shared Ms Hanh. 
On Sunday, the whole family of Kim Lien (31 years old) was present at the small store. This 80 m2 apartment is rented by her for 7 million VND / month. With the rent not too high and the large floor area, the dormitory becomes the ideal place for Ms. Lien’s small shop. Taking advantage of the light of the hallway, in her spare days, Ms. Lien displays her furniture, then takes pictures for her products. “I can’t stand the noise of vehicles, so doing business in the dormitory is quite suitable for me,” Lien said with a laugh. Due to the epidemic, the number of visitors to the store is not much, Ms. Lien sells mainly online. 
Having a day off, she let her two daughters out. The children were excitedly playing with her while Mrs. Lien and her husband were eager to clean up the store. During working days all day, she does not forget to bring some food and cook at work. 
Not far away is the electronics repair shop of Mr. Nguyen Dang Duyen (age 83). Tucked neatly in the basement of an old dormitory, Mr. Nguyen Dang Duyen’s workplace is sprawled with a fan, kettle, television, … After years of fighting in Quang Tri battlefield, veteran Nguyen Dang Duyen returned to his daily life like many other peaceful people. 
The entrance is only over 1 m wide, and there are no billboards, but one person tells the other, Duyen’s electric appliance repair shop is so crowded every day. He was provided by the government for an apartment of about 20 m2 on the 4th floor. So every day, Mr. Duyen went to the first floor to work, then went back to the house with his wife to eat and take care of the trees. “My work, my life is tied to this building. It was as old as me. We were just like that in the city, ”said Duyen happily. 
Not only doing business inside the apartment, but the yard is also used as a parking point. Parking in a dormitory is considered a relatively stable business. Because in order to keep the living space quiet, most families register to park the car with the service price of 200,000 VND / month. 
Life in the dormitory in the heart of the city After 1956, the dormitory model appeared for the first time in Hanoi. Until now, many people still choose this place to live, business … because of the cheap price and peaceful atmosphere that old houses bring in the heart of bustling Hanoi. The close golden walls, the yellow peeling paint, the rusted iron frame confirm the place of the dormitory’s timestamp. This has become a living and bonding place for many generations of families. 
“Peace and quiet” are two words that Mr. Do Quang Dai tells about the life of more than 30 years associated with the house in the Government Inspectorate on Van Bao Street. As a retired officer, in 1990, Mr. Dai was granted housing by the State. Since then, Mr. Dai and his wife and children have lived there. Later, his children got married, separated to live separately, sometimes sending his grandchildren to take care of them. 
Talking about the dormitory in Hanoi, Mr. Dai remembers the image of pots and green vegetables neatly planted and watered every day. And the laughter of children playing around, growing up in buildings has gone through those years of ups and downs. “The dormitory in the past is very valuable. Now it is outdated, the city is more modern, people love the comfort and the new”, Mr. Dai shared. But because he had been attached to the house for so long, he did not have the heart to move. 
In his free time, Mr. Dai recites a poem written about the old collective area of poet Luu Quang Vu: “The house is only a few square meters, books are lined up next to the pot If you dream, you touch your hand to touch the barrel of rice Small wall box hangs pictures and hangs clothes I only have a few square yards for my happiness … ” 
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