Ah yes, the điếu cày ( farmer's pipe ).
A great tradition here in the North of Vietnam, you'll find even bigger ones out in the countryside, although that kind doesn't whistle like the city ones.

The guys you see smoking those things are smoking thuốc lào, or plain pure tobacco, nothing more sinister.
If you try a hit, though, you'll swear there was something stronger in there - it'll make your head spin at the least.

It was popular about 5 years ago. Now these guys who smoke it are usually old-styled people.

How about other things besides Thuoc lao? How's the smoke in town?

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Besides Thuoc lao, there are a lot of things to smoke in here, just popular kinds of cigarette. They are plentiful in shops, and even small children can buy them.^^

Thuoc Lao ( took lao ) is very much a part of tradition here, and predates cigarettes by many centuries.

Some people don't use the bamboo pipe, and prefer a ceramic bowl which they smoke with a wooden straw ( dieu bat ).

I like the fact that many old Hanoi neighbourhoods have their own blender of tobacco ( 8 Hang Ga and Hang Bo are perhaps the most famous, but my neighbourhood has Ngo Quynh tobacco, and many other streets have their own little tobacco shops ).

It's a shame to see that modernism rejects this tradition - cigarettes are everywhere in the world. Thuoc Lao is only here.

Yes, the wonderful bamboo pipes. The first time I indulge was at a restaurant with the chef's in their living quarters next to the kitchen. I had managed to get along with out a cigarette for three days before hand.... The chefs were quite eager to provide another foreigner with an introduction to the local tobacco. With much giggling and excitement I tried my first smoking of a pipe that looked familar enough, yet different. One short pull later in my fashion of suck till it's gone, my head was spinning like my first cigarette in the basement of the Der Essen Platz. Whew!!!
So with the encouragement of a snoot of rice wine and many ahppy local chefs eager to have fun with the new guy I slowly learned the basics of smoking the bamboo. Short pucker sucks to draw the smoke into the tube, using only a match being layed over the bowl to light the tobacco, then a long pull to bring the smokes to the lungs. This is followed by a short, sharp puff to knock the burnt tobbaco out of the pipe.
Smoking tobacco this way was much more enjoyable then the ole cigarette. Very communal and sharing with the pipe being passed around. Oh, and I quickly learned how to say 100%. Tap tap no mas.

some ppl said thats better way than smoke cigarette. That could be less harm due to smoke go thru water inside pipe. Im not sure :). I tried it sometimes at early morning after wake up and got like swing :)) and fall on ground =)). Thats really strong.