After 10 pilot months, the walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding areas is now a tourist attraction in the center of the capital city that helps form a new lifestyle for Hanoians.
A space for weekend recreation and relaxation
The first result delivered by the walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding areas is a space for recreation and relaxation for locals and visitors from all over the country and around the world. The walking streets are also a place for cultural exchanges and an otherwise exciting destination for the people. The space has helped boost the demand for trade, services, and tourism, contributing to the promotion of Hoan Kiem District’s economic development.
The average number of domestic and foreign visitors visiting and participating in the activities organized on the walking streets during weekend daytime ranges from 3,000 to 5,000 people per day and from 15,000 to 20,000 people during nighttime. The number of new and newly transferred businesses for service and tourism in the Old Quarter and the area around Hoan Kiem Lake has increased by 268 stores.
Foreign tourists visiting the traditional street stores (Photo by Hoa An)
The plan for the walking streets has been implemented synchronously in Hoan Kiem District with experience promptly drawn and adjustment made accordingly. The organization of traffic flow has gradually been rationalized to prevent huge traffic jams. Static traffic points have been arranged adequately to meet the needs of the people and visitors. The environmental sanitation in the walking space has also been improved to ensure clean and neat conditions.
Cultural and artistic activities in Hoan Kiem Lake walking space are increasingly diverse and of higher quality, attracting the attention and participation of a large number of local and foreign visitors, especially young visitors. Cultural and artistic activities regularly held at the walking space are solo performances, traditional music performances, Don Ca Tai Tu (“Music of Amateurs”) performances, Vong Co (“Longing for the Past”) music performances, Cheo (“satirical theatre”) performances, contemporary art performances, performances of comedy excerpts, folk games, and so on.
Art performances on walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake (Photo from Internet)
Renovation works at Hoan Kiem Lake
According to the authorities of Hoan Kiem District, there are still some shortcomings besides the achievements such as rush-hour traffic congestion at some intersections and cars, motorcycles, and taxis stopping and parking in front of and behind entry spots. Sanctions for some activities, such as spontaneous artistic and cultural activities, have not been specified. Mobile bookstore on the book street of Le Thach function ineffectively with very few readers interested. The items in the souvenir stalls are not diversified and have failed to cater to the needs of visitors. Automatic beverage machines are sometimes overloaded. In addition, the littering situation at the shops on the sidewalks around the lake and ice cream stores have not been resolved thoroughly. Public toilets located in the walking space have failed to meet the needs of visitors during holidays and special cultural events.
In order to effectively continue the organization of the walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and its surrounding areas, Hoan Kiem District is carrying out innovation works to be completed in 2017. The district has accelerated the progress of the works on minor streets around Hoan Kiem Lake, embellished the exterior of the works on Dinh Le – Nguyen Xi Street, and improved the quality of activities to create additional cultural space for the streets around Hoan Kiem Lake.
Hoan Kiem District has also intensified the inspection and strictly handled violations of illegal vehicle parking lots or those with overcharged prices and required licensed parking lots to be equipped with fire protection equipment, lights, and signboards for convenience, especially in the evening. It is also required that motorbike and bicycle parking lots be arranged accordingly, especially in the areas around entries to the walking space (i.e. to arrange additional parking lots during holidays and special festivals and keep the specified number of parking lots on normal days) to cater to the needs of citizens and visitors.
The district also coordinates with the Department of Culture and Sports and art units within the city and other provinces and cities to jointly select cultural programs, performances, cultural exchange activities, culinary events, and festivals to ensure higher quality of such programs and events. It is also required that the diversification of souvenirs and traditional handicraft products be expanded and stores with unsuitable items be transferred to suit the nature of the walking space.
Hoa An