Following the success of the pedestrianized area around Hoan Kiem Lake, Tay Ho District will see its first traffic-free street open this weekend.
Operating on Tring Con Son Street from 7:30pm on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, the pilot project will begin this weekend and continue as a trial run until the end of 2018, VietnamNet reports.
Nguyen Dinh Khuyen, vice chairman of Tay Ho District, has spearheaded the plan, having already met with locals to gather opinions and make any necessary adjustments.
This is not the first time a pedestrianized street has been proposed in Tay Ho. Plans were originally put forward for a walking street to open in 2015, with a date set for August 2017, but this had to be postponed due to concerns from locals.
Some complained the street kiosks, which were created in the shape of old houses, obstructed access to their homes. Concerns were also raised about littering and noise pollution.
Khuyen and his team responded to this feedback by replacing the old kiosks with new, mobile versions. They also stressed that creating the pedestrianized space would popularize the street and be of benefit to all local people by creating a shared public area.
The walking street will feature 15 different kiosks focusing mainly on food dishes like green rice and shrimp cakes. If it proves popular, authorities will run an expanded version featuring 60 kiosks. The organizers hope the area will be particularly popular when lotus flowers bloom around West Lake later this month.
As is the case at Hoan Kiem Lake, musicians can register to perform on the street, the news source shares. The area will be divided into sections dedicated specifically to traditional or modern music, with another spot focusing on the music of Trinh Cong Son. A number of popular singers have been invited to the opening night, such as Hong Nhung, Minh Quan and Nguyen Ngoc Anh.
