The antique fan man, Hanoi

While Saigon is ripping up its heritage with distressing haste, the picture in Hanoi is more complicated. For me, Mr Thuan (pictured) and people like him, are barometers of the vitality of Hanoi's famed Old Quarter. Every time I visit Hanoi, I pass by to say hi. His fan shop sits on a prime piece of real estate on the fringe of the Old Quarter. It's worth millions. Thuan tells me he has no interest in selling or doing anything else but restoring and selling old fans here. His wife sells sticky rice in the afternoon too. It's hard to know how these businesses can be sustained in the medium term but as long as they last, the unique character of the Old Quarter will survive. Just as important as the inevitable evolution of this street corner, is what comes next? Saigon has made few planning decisions that would sustain its unique character and streetlife. Hanoi's is proving harder to shift.