Hanoi to resume pedestrian zone around Hoan Kiem Lake this weekend

Roads closed to traffic again over the weekend around Hoan Kiem Lake and public activities will be resumed here from March 12 as the spread of the coronavirus is contained, Vice Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Chu Xuan Dung said at a meeting on March 8.

Following the instruction of the municipal People's Committee, public activities in Hoan Kiem district’s walking space will be restored and must ensure security, order and traffic safety.

Authorities in the district will regularly inspect and strictly handle violations of order, ensuring the requirements on preventing and controlling Covid-19 issued by the central and local governments.

The weekend walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and surrounding areas in downtown Hanoi often lure numerous foreign tourists. Photo: Pham Hung

Earlier this year, the local government decided to suspend the pedestrian around Hoan Kiem Lake on the weekends as well as public activities in the area from February 6 due to the threat of Covid-19 and to avoid mass gatherings. This is the third time Hanoi’s pedestrian space has to be suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic started to hit the capital city in early March 2020.

The weekend walking space around Hoan Kiem Lake and surrounding areas in downtown Hanoi has become a brand name, a cultural venue, and a highlight of the capital city, luring thousands of visitors during daytime and at nights in the pre-pandemic period.

The walking street has become a magnet, a cultural attraction for both domestic and foreign visitors with some 3,000-5,000 arrivals during daytime, and 15,000-20,000 at nights, contributing to creating a new lifestyle for Hanoi’s people, and promoting the capital city’s image - the City for Peace.

The walking streets normally are open from Friday night to Sunday night, from 7:00pm to 12:00pm in summer and from 6:00pm to 12:00pm in winter.

Besides, from March 8, relic sites in Hanoi returned to receive guests after a period of shutdown to prevent and control the Covid-19 pandemic, the Hanoi leader confirmed.

Dung stressed that the relics' management boards need to adhere to the disease prevention guidelines and take full responsibility for managing and supervising all visitors.

All visitors must have their body temperature checked; their hands washed with antiseptic solution and wear face masks before entering the premise.

In addition, information boards displaying Covid-19 prevention guidelines in Vietnamese, English and French are placed at the entrance and around the site.