Hanoi - Saigoneer

Hanoi's Bát Tràng Ceramic Village Turns Historic Craft Into Global Fame

2025-05-14T15:00:00+07:00

Bát Tràng has been producing ceramics for over 700 years, but it’s the recent decades that interest me most: a period in which this small village has mirrored Vietnam’s rapid economic growth.

Once focused on supplying the domestic and regional market, Bát Tràng is now a global producer in ceramics, exporting goods around the world while also drawing over 100,000 tourists annually who come to visit its museums, browse the markets, and try their hand at pottery.

What strikes me most about Bát Tràng is the coexistence of scales: sprawling factories operate alongside more than 1,000 family-run workshops. When you walk its narrow streets, it feels like every household is involved in ceramics in some way, mixing clay, firing kilns, loading motorbikes. Production spills into alleys and courtyards, into kitchens and storefronts.

This photo album traces that ecosystem — from raw materials to finished wares — documenting a working village that sits at the intersection of tradition, industry, and transformation.

Bát Tràng is a microcosm of Vietnam’s economic story: rapid growth alongside deep tradition. Here, something beautiful, sacred, or functional emerges from nothing more than a lump of earth — a quiet, constant act of transformation.

The maze-like alleys of Bát Tràng, where tradition, craftsmanship and mass production take place in almost every home.

Red brick weathered factories overshadowed by towering modern factories amid Bát Tràng’s evolving skyline.

A massive mixing drum processes the raw clay, the starting point of ceramic creation.

A vast pressing machine, a next step in the industrial scale metamorphosis of raw clay into mass-produced ceramics or hand-crafted beautiful objects; everything stems from the same earth.

A freshly pressed clay disc is removed from the machine to continue in the next step in the process.

Experienced hands shape a small figurine.

A worker carries a large pot from the kiln into storage.

An empty break area within a factory, where workers find moments of rest among the ceramics and grab a cup of tea or coffee.

Pots of vivid glazes, ready to be applied, revealing the artistic side of Bát Tràng’s production.

A worker applies glaze to mugs using a machine, a glimpse of the mass production process.

Rows of clay products and machinery in one of Bát Tràng’s larger industrial spaces.

An artisan carefully works on a traditional pot, one of the last studios preserving designs of this type.

I Keep My Connection to My Family's Hanoi Tết Traditions in a Tiny Quất Tree

2025-01-24T11:00:00+07:00

I am not a plant person. So when even I notice the abundance of vườn kiểng — a place selling a myriad of plants — it must mean that Saigoneers truly love buying plants. Some of my friends, who are also Hanoians, asked me one day to visit these vườn kiểng and look for Tết plants: “Let’s celebrate Tết the way northerners do, you know?” And somehow, being amongst the plants brought me right back to Quảng Bá Flower Market in Tây Hồ.

In Vietnam's Tết plant traditions, northerners tend to prefer peach blossoms (hoa đào), while southerners like apricot blossoms (hoa mai); my family’s thing, however, is kumquat trees (quất or tắc). This thought process runs through my mind every year whenever my dad drags me out on January 22 or 23 of the lunar calendar to Quảng Bá to procure our kumquat tree for that year’s Tết.

Generally, kumquat is also a popular Tết ornamental tree in northern families — all of my friends and relatives have (at least) one in their houses too — but it often plays a supporting role to the star that is hoa đào. My family, however, cherishes kumquat just as much as peach blossoms, or even more so. My mom is perfectly happy with buying flowers at the nearby local market, but my dad usually insists on going to Quảng Bá for kumquat — a habit that has been ingrained in me when Tết approaches. That’s why I accept my friends’ invitation with a concrete determination to find myself a mini kumquat tree, keeping the Quảng Bá Market tradition alive.

The journey to find a plant nursery was short and easy. There is a whole “complex” of them on a long stretch of Nguyễn Hữu Thọ Street, which links District 7 with downtown Saigon, so I didn’t even need to search for any specific name, but rather just went there and randomly picked one to enter. It wasn’t intentional either — the last days of a year are always hectic, piling on my own stress over moving — so the trip was made simply because it conveniently aligned with the route required for my other errands.

I was concerned that there might be no kumquat tree sold this early before Tết, but to my surprise, the kumquat trees were not only there but also proudly presented right on the front, lining up like a little army of salespersons inviting people to come in. The trees look spectacular, lush with leaves and adorned with round kumquats, each about the size of two thumbs pressed together. The whole plant can be held within your palms, albeit a little heavy.

Even though the trees are miniature, they hOld the energy for the entire Hanoian Tết celebration. Standing in that bustling vườn kiểng, surrounded by others asking for prices and buying different plants for Tết decoration, I felt a sense of connection to my culture and the shared experiences that come with celebrating Tết. Maybe, the little kumquat tree now placed on my table can be more than just a Tết plant, but also a reminder of my roots and traditions, which can still be kept despite any life changes.

In Suburban Hanoi, With Summer Comes the Red-Purple Cascade of Mulberries

2024-06-21T15:18:01+07:00

In suburban Hanoi, this is the season when mulberry branches heavy with bright red fruits dangle in the summer wind.

The sunshine of April arrived with blasts of sweltering heat, dispelling the waterlogged curtain of March’s humidity. It was officially summer in Hanoi, a time for countless types of fresh fruits to showcase their vivid ripeness on the streets in town, competing with the mauve of jacaranda and the golden yellow of hoàng yến.

Ripe mulberries are a harbinger of summer.

Compared to the season’s usual players like pineapple, lychee, longan and mận hậu, mulberry’s entrance to the capital’s fruit shops and traditional markets has been quicker than most. Northern Vietnam’s mulberry season spans not even a month from the end of March to the beginning of April. Mulberry ripens fast, and falls and bruises easily, so its shelf-life is short. Each day’s mulberry harvest must be shipped off within a few hours. Mulberries are juicy, refreshing, and full of good vitamins, so families often process them into preserves and syrups to increase their life spans. Ice-cold, sweet-and-sour glasses of purple mulberry juice are a popular way for Hanoians to soothe their parched throats in the summer, dispelling the heat and stuffiness of weather changes.

Mulberry juice is a fantastic third-quencher.

Behind the flashy appearance of mulberries at mobile vendors is throngs of farmers hard at work at their plantations just 30 kilometers from central Hanoi. In patches of land by the Đáy River such as Dương Liễu Commune (Hoài Đức District) and Hiệp Thuận Commune (Phúc Thọ District), mulberry plantations pour greenness towards the horizon. The quietude of the countryside poses a stark contrast with the chaotic traffic and people of inner Hanoi. Amidst the vastness of the land, one can only hear the buzz of cicadas, the soft hum of the wind, and the occasional call of farmers on the fields.

The banks of the Đáy River are the home of Hanoi's major mulberry plantations.

Here, farmland is irrigated year-round by the placid Đáy River. The riverside delta is home to Hanoi’s sought-after mulberries, believed to be juicier and sweeter than anywhere else. As one walks farther into the plantations, the air is thick with the aroma of ripe berries, natural vegetation, and toasty summer sunlight. Rows of mulberry trees are planted neatly, though they barely exceed the average human height. Ripening fruits hug the branch in scarlet clusters. From the main trunck, small offshoots meander over the ground, interweaving like red garlands.

Pickers must hurry to race against the mulberries' delicate constitution.

Each mulberry is just a few knuckles long; the smallest is as tiny as the pinky finger, while the biggest can reach the size of the middle finger. How productive the trees are highly depends on the weather. Sunnier years will yield sweeter, juicer harvest than those when rain is the prevailing weather pattern. In between picking sessions, I can see the bright smiles of the berry pickers when they get to reap the sweet rewards of their labor.

Ripe berries cover every branch.

Mulberry is easy to grow and to care for.

Only after I managed to pay a visit to the hometown of Hanoi’s mulberries could I bear witness to the urgency in the farmers’ work in order to beat the ripening rate of the berries. Paying no mind to the searing sun, they can’t waste any moment, toiling in the plantation from 6am to 6pm to pick berries. Larger gardens might need additional workers to catch up, even with a picking speed of 20–30 kilograms per day. Their fingers nimbly maneuver in between branches to pluck out the mulberries, careful not to bruise them before they get into boxes. Every palm is painted with the intense red-purple of mulberry juice. The fruits are boxed up immediately to catch the next bus trip to the city. Each mulberry tree can provide around 80 kilograms of fruit per season. “Picking mulberries is not difficult, but you must be really delicate so they get to consumers when they’re still fresh,” Vân, a picker, told me.

Harvesting the berries is not tough but the fruits bruise easily.

“Mulberry is the only fruit that’s immediately polished off the moment we finish picking. I’m never afraid nobody would buy them. People take these home to make preserves and syrup. Some manufacturers of canned drinks and fruit wines also buy straight from the plantation,” the farmers shared as they were weighing their harvest. Thanks to suitable weather, this year’s yield is 1.5 that of last year.

Freshly picked berries are immediately bought by wholesalers.

Mulberry likes humidity, sun, and heat, so trees are often cultivated next to rivers. It’s also easy to care for with relatively low costs involved. The delta by the Đáy River has been the most major birthing ground of Hanoi’s mulberries. Here, traditionally, farmers merely grew mulberries to collect their leaves to feed silkworms; planting them for fruits has only been around for the past 15 years. This experiment has been fruitful in both meanings of the word. Since then, Dương Liễu and Hiệp Thuận berries have traveled all over Hanoi and even southwards. Mulberries emerging from the Đáy River delta not only lend their sweet taste to the northern summer, but also contribute greatly to the local economy.

Each plant yields about 80 kilograms per season.

After a fruiting season, heritage mulberry trees are pruned to help them preserve energy for next year’s summer. The cycle continues every year: with summer comes the verdant green of mulberry plantations, and then the striking red shade of ripening berries. Mulberry season goes away as quickly as it comes, leaving fans yearning for a taste for the rest of the year.

Sweating for a Good Cause at the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Walk in Hanoi

2023-11-07T10:00:00+07:00

I learnt of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in my first year living in Hanoi, through friends that had worked for the fantastic organization, or that were regular donors supporting it. This year, I was super excited to see their “Blue Dragon Marathon Walk” annual fundraiser announced, with the main Hanoian event looping around Thống Nhất Park's lake. Embracing the opportunity to contribute, I put my hand up for a 10K walk and enticed friends and family from around the world to send donations to the wander-for-a-cause.

Thống Nhất is my favorite park in the city. And as I liken walking in Hanoi to playing dodge-ball whilst running hurdles in a sauna, I dare say I have not walked any 10K in this fine city. On September 10, as I donned my Thượng Đình kicks and shuffled down to the park, I looked forward to meeting Skye Maconachie, the Foundation’s CEO.

The Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation is a Hanoi-based charity focusing on improving the welfare of children across Vietnam through various programs, such as taking care of street kids, rescuing victims of human trafficking, and providing help for many other disadvantaged young Vietnamese. To date, the organization has rescued 1,388 people from trafficking, represented 256 people in court cases, sent 6,305 kids back to school and training, and more.

The green scenery of Thống Nhất Park. Photo via Kenh14.

The Marathon Walk fell on a fabulously humid day with the park full of its usual mayhem, from the miniature train running shaky loops, children scrambling wild through the bushes to the sweet smell of burnt xúc xích — a fine way to spend a Sunday in an urban frolick. I spotted Maconachie through the mass of walkers.

“I have a long 20-year relationship with Blue Dragon. I actually first came to Blue Dragon, because my dad owned a pub here in Hanoi. I came to visit him, loved Hanoi and it became my homebase for the next decade,” she reminisced. “Through my dad’s pub, I was introduced to Michael [Brosowski], the founder, in the very early early days when it was a few volunteers coming together to teach English to the street kids that were playing weekly football. I jumped in, very happy to help and discovered this amazing group of people that were trying to do whatever was in their means to help these kids. I saw the organization grow, we were growing together at different levels. I would go away and get a Masters and other experience, and finally I decided to fully commit to my relationship with Blue Dragon. Now, for the last eight years I have been working full-time for the organization.”

Skye Maconachie making a speech at the Walk.

Blue Dragon began as a small volunteer group in 2002, when the organization’s founder, Michael Brosowski, arrived to teach English at a university in Hanoi and met numerous street children in urgent need of support. During the past two decades, Blue Dragon’s work has evolved organically, and today it has offices in four Vietnamese provinces and initiatives reaching 20,000 people across Vietnam every year. Blue Dragon rescues children and adults who have been deceived and became trapped in modern slavery across Southeast Asia and within Vietnam. They conduct outreach work on the streets of Hanoi every night to assist street children and youth, many of whom have been exploited, groomed by pedophiles, or targeted by street gangs.

“We work within the legal system and with the authorities. We contribute our strengths and the expertise acquired through our grassroots work to this existing system, in order to make it work better,” Maconachie explained. “It's a long game. We have been doing that for many, many years, but we have seen significant changes in the laws, and in Vietnam's ability and expertise to conduct rescues. All of our work is done in cooperation with the Vietnamese police because it's not just about the rescue part, there is a long process that goes on. The investigation of the crime, working with the victim in order to identify and arrest a trafficker or trafficking ring, etc. There is a whole protection and prosecution process, and the rescue is one part of it. We see through our work that the system is quite functional.”

Supporting street children is among the goals of Blue Dragon.

Supporting girls from underprivileged communities with stationery and equipment so they can continue their education.

Because vulnerability takes many shapes and the drivers of human trafficking vary from one community to another, Blue Dragon tailors all interventions to the specific needs and circumstances of each child, family, and village they assist. For instance, to keep a child living in poverty in Hanoi safe and in school, their family may need some assistance to set up a street food stall that helps them earn a stable income. Meanwhile, preventing human trafficking in remote, mountainous communities often involves training neighbors to form Anti-Trafficking Boards, screen their communities for potential victims, report human trafficking cases to the authorities, and assist their fellow neighbors when and where they need it, and in their own ethnic language.

“The regional trends in human trafficking that are affecting Vietnamese people are very much driven by the increased vulnerability people are facing post-Covid,” she said. “Before the pandemic, we already worked with people and communities who were very disadvantaged and vulnerable. And post-Covid, we have seen that exacerbated across the country. We have seen trafficking spread from the main groups of people who have been historically trafficked from remote rural areas — most of whom come from ethnic minority backgrounds — to it being so widespread that people with tertiary educations or business owners are now vulnerable to human trafficking.”

Hanoians at the walk.

One of the challenges faced by most non-profit organizations is the sourcing of funding. And Blue Dragon, with over 130 staff across the country is no exception. The Blue Dragon Marathon Walk is a global event that takes place every year to raise funds for the Foundation. Participants can choose to walk or run any amount of kilometers, individually or as part of a team. Maconachie and her 2.5-year-old daughter walked their marathon over the weekend.

“It’s just incredible,” she shared. “I was really moved by seeing all of these people and companies, not only here in Hanoi, but around the country, as well as around the globe who were just so grateful for the opportunity to be able to help people in slavery, and really with all of their heart and commitment. They spent months leading up to this where they were raising money and training and doing different things. So what we saw here in Hanoi was just a microcosm of what was happening around the world.”

Many supporters from the capital came to support the marathon.

The Blue Dragon Walk, however, was not always an international challenge. The first Walk took place in Hong Kong in 2011. Seven walkers from an Australian construction company based there took the challenge of walking 50 kilometers from one side of the island to the other. In 10 hours, they traversed the rugged and often very hilly Hong Kong trail, and in doing so, not only raised US$35,000 for Blue Dragon’s transformative work, but also began what is now an annual tradition for families, friends, and colleagues in Vietnam and around the world.

The next walk wouldn’t take place until 2015, when a team of Blue Dragon volunteers and a team of staff from the chain of Vietnamese restaurants Roll’d undertook the first Blue Dragon marathon walk in Australia, along the Great Victorian trail. Since then, the event has been celebrated annually with the Intrepid Foundation — the philanthropic arm of sustainable travel company Intrepid Travel — providing their support as hosts from 2018.

Runners in Sydney.

Osaka

As a serendipitous consequence of the constraints created by the pandemic, the Blue Dragon Walk got catapulted to the global scene. As walkers did not need to be present in the same location, Blue Dragon supporters from around the world decided to take the challenge wherever they were. Since then, the walk has been an international event, gathering support in places as diverse as Germany, Nepal, the United States, Singapore, and nearly 300 people around the globe joined the walk in 16 countries in 2022.

“A lot of the time in our work, because it is so difficult and challenging, we can become quite insular. So it's just really wonderful to see the support and the solidarity for Vietnamese people who are in slavery, or really at high risks of being trafficked and exploited,” she noted. “To see so many people who care about them and the issue, and that want to stand up and do something to help them, I was really moved, and touched by seeing the Blue Dragon seeping through this wider circle of wonderful human beings who want to see a better world and end human trafficking.”

Điện Biên

Houston

Throughout the years, the Walk has also received the support of companies like Australia Pacific Travel Group, who, for two years in a row, have made matching donations to the amount raised through their teams of staff walkers. Since 2018, the Blue Dragon Walk has raised nearly US$500,000; 2023 was an exceptional year with more than 500 people taking part, raising more than US$200,000.

I must say with a certain sense of pride that I surpassed my fundraising goal, thanks to the generous help of friends and family. My Thượng Đình also miraculously survived, and the layer of sticky sweat was very much worth the glorious trundle. But what about those of you who missed out on the walk? Fear not, there are many ways to contribute. “Contact us!” said Maconachie. “We receive support all year round, not only on the Marathon Walk. If people want to run their own fundraisers they are very welcome to do that. If they want to donate, offer their expertise or time, or want to spread the word about Blue Dragon to family or their community. Every little bit helps, and we have a whole team here who can share information to get people connected to those opportunities to be able to support the work of Blue Dragon.”

Glide Over Hanoi in the Calmness of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line

2023-08-03T10:00:00+07:00

In many countries, urban metros are a mundane convenience — so ordinary that their users often take them for granted. But until the birth of Hanoi’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line, residents of Vietnam had enjoyed no such air-conditioned, traffic-immune method of transportation.

In November 2021, after nearly 10 years of construction and countless delays, Vietnam’s first metro line finally opened. Built by China Railway Sixth Group and funded partially through official development assistance loans from China, the project cost US$868 million.

Take a look at Saigoneer’s ride on Hanoi's metro line below:

Entering Cát Linh Station, located in Đống Đa District.

A one-way ticket on Line 2A ranges from VND8,000 to 15,000, while a day pass costs VND30,000. The machine only accepts cash.

A metro user takes the elevator to the platform.

A train arriving at the station. Trains run every 10 minutes, with a capacity of 960 passengers each.

As of now, the metro is by no means extensive: it has a single line that spans around 13 kilometers, with 12 stations and an end-to-end runtime of 23 minutes. While it finished its first year in the red, VnExpress reported that its popularity surged this year with 2.65 million people hopping aboard in the first quarter alone.

Passengers waiting to board the train.

The track and platform are not separated by railings, so passengers should mind their steps.

A second line is also under construction, with a targeted opening date of 2027; if all goes according to plan, there will be 10 lines by 2030. Seeking to meet residents’ transport needs, the project hopes to counter pollution and congestion in the population-dense capital.

A glimpse inside the metro operator’s compartment.

As the train exits the station, Hanoi’s urban skyline begins flashing by.

Line 2A is built entirely above ground.

A gloomy day in Hanoi as seen from the train.

Yellow tactile paving is included in stations to help guide visually impaired commuters.

Neat lines of motorbikes in the station’s parking lot.

While the metro represents a significant leap in the city’s modernization, life as normal continues outside of the station.

Hanoi Railway Cafe Gets Into Trouble for Hosting Dortmund Footballers

2022-12-01T13:00:00+07:00

A photo of players from the Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund enjoying coffee on the tracks running through Hanoi's shuttered train street circulated earlier this week, prompting authorities to say they will take action against the illegally operating shop.

A sign visible in the photo taken on Tuesday, November 28 clearly states that the area where the players are sitting is dangerous and there is to be no gathering or placing tables and chairs along the rail tracks. Netizens were quick to identify the specific cafe that the German league players visited and a representative from the local ward's People's Committee said the establishment would be restricted from operating with sanctions forthcoming. After the image circulated, barriers were placed around the coffee shop and encroaching areas were cleared.

Online reactions to the scene varied with many excusing the players and the establishment while questioning why the popular tourism site was closed instead of better safety measures implemented.

Springing up organically, the collection of cafes serving drinks mere centimeters from passing locomotives was shut down in 2019, re-opened and then again closed, potentially for good, earlier this fall. Even though the location is popular with local and foreign visitors alike, authorities argued that the railway attraction is too dangerous to continue. Cafes in the area have since said they have submitted a letter of appeal after having their licenses revoked and are continuing to operate in the meantime.

The visit by Dortmund included a variety of goodwill tourism stops leading up to a friendly match against the Vietnamese national team on November 30. After arriving on the 28, tourists flocked to see the German footballers as they rode xích lô past Hoàn Kiếm Lake, strolled around Ba Đình Square and held an open practice.

Discussions of the incident were wiped from the headlines following the outcome of Wednesday night's game. Vietnam went down one goal early but climbed out of the hole to eventually secure a 2-1 victory in the game, which served as a helpful warm-up to the upcoming ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Cup taking place from December 23 to January 16. The regional tournament will be the last for beloved head coach Park Hang-seo. Meanwhile, the Black and Yellows are traveling with a crew of 123 players, coaches and staff on a 10-day tour that included similar stops in Singapore and Malaysia.

[Photo via Tin Tức]

Be Gay, Do Pride: Hanoi Pride Week Ends on Cheery Notes Last Sunday

2022-09-28T10:00:00+07:00

Last Sunday, Hanoi Pride Week 2022 came to a conclusion with thousands of people joining in the festivities.

Young Hanoians decked out in rainbow.

The theme of Pride this year is “Knock knock! It’s love!” Trần Nhật Quang, an organizer of the event, said they chose this theme because after so much mass closure during the last two years of COVID-19, it’s time to open up.

Quang shared: “I think growing up, an LGBT person might close a lot of doors to create their own space. It is safe, but also very lonely. So when we open up, we also invite others to come into our rooms. And I hope that by stepping in, there is more chance for understanding and connection, and we can keep walking together.”

Among the booths at Hanoi Pride is a sexual health clinic offering free STD tests and PrEP.

The event began at the American Club, where people took check-in photos, played games, and created art. NGOs, embassies, and businesses also had booths to show their support. There was even a clinic offering free sexual health tests. Overall, the mood was that of a community finally reunited after years of separation.

“After two years of Covid and we cannot have Pride offline,” Lương Thế Huy, the Director of the Institute for Research on Society, Economics, and Environment (iSEE) shared. “It is wonderful to see such a lively atmosphere. The happiness is still intact, growing even.”

Apart from the rainbow flag, revelers wave a range of other paraphernalia signifying other communities like asexuality and transgenderism as well.

Huy said he came here not just as an organizer but a member of the community. “There are people whom I see at every Pride. Even though I don’t know their names, I remember their smiles, their shape, their gazes. Today I see them here; it's the special happiness of seeing old friends again.”

iSEE was one of the 12 organizations that co-created Hanoi Pride 2022. The event also received many international sponsorships, from Tinder to the European Union. Speaking as a co-sponsor, the French ambassador Nicolas Warnery said that they were very happy to be present and contributed.

“Gender and LGBTQI+ rights are one of the most important fields in human rights. France is committed to support it all over the world and here, too. The fact that this event can take place peacefully on a Sunday afternoon in the heart of Hanoi proves to us that the Vietnamese government is following this with great attention.”

Around 5pm, the crowd slowly moved from the American club and paraded around Hoàn Kiếm Lake. This being in Vietnam, the organizers were careful to remind people beforehand that this was not a protest or a march of any kind, just a group of people walking together to support the LGBT community. People were warned not to raise any signs above their heads, or display the Vietnamese flag next to the rainbow one.

And so thousands of people flooded the streets of Đinh Tiên Hoàng and Lê Thái Tổ and spirits were high. The rainbow flew everywhere. At many points there were chants of “Pê đê! Pê đê!” — once a derogatory term for homosexual people, it's now shouted with solidarity and pride.

Hanoi Pride 2022 witnessed overwhelming support from both local and international communities. Seeing the people here, one could not help but feel a shift in society writ large. And perhaps this writer is being too optimistic, but it seems that shift being institutionalized through laws such as same-sex marriage is not a question of if, but when.

Happy Pride!

Hanoi Starts Revoking Operating Licenses of Cafes on 'Train Street' This Week

2022-09-16T11:21:55+07:00

Hanoi is shutting down its infamous "Train Street" starting this weekend.

According to VnExpress, the Hoàn Kiếm District People’s Committee announced the decision this past Wednesday. The district authorities said they would revoke all business licenses of shops along the street within three days. Barriers will also be put up at level crossing to dissuade visitors.

The decision came a couple of days after the Vietnam Railway Corporation urged city officials to take decisive actions against all commercial and recreational activities along the rail line.

The Train Street is one of the most popular tourist spots in the city. People, from tourists to young Hanoians, gather here to experience the thrill of sipping coffee or taking selfies centimeters away from a passing train.

The street was once shut down in 2019. Shops were allowed to operate again in 2021, and since Vietnam reopened to international tourists earlier this year, business has been booming.

About the move to close the street, experts are voicing opposite opinions. Some said it is simply too dangerous to keep the street open, while others pointed out that there could be laws and regulations to ensure safety while preserving an unique aspect of the city.

Without State Subsidies, Hanoi Metro Records $2.3m in Losses in 2021

2022-06-27T10:00:00+07:00

Pre-subsidies, Vietnam's first operational metro route — Hanoi's Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line — recorded VND54 billion (US$2.32 million) in losses in 2021.

Last year, the Cát Linh-Hà Đông line officially welcomed passengers in November, starting with 15 days of free rides. In January this year, the route surpassed the 1 million-passenger mark. According to the management of Hanoi Metro, ticket sales for 2021 brought in over VND5.3 billion, though the high operational costs pushed the balance into the red. In 2022, the metro hopes to rake in VND476 billion from ticket sales.

According to VnExpress, much of the Hanoi Metro expenses went into paying employees and services, which amounted to VND58.9 billion (US$2.53 million). Since the metro line's testing phase in 2015, the company has recorded an accumulated loss of VND160 billion (US$6.9 million).

Vũ Hồng Trường, general director of Hanoi Metro, told Zing that the single line operating at a loss is a guarantee and common in other urban railway systems in the world. He revealed to the news source that without government subsidies, even on the occasions with ridership records — the line transported over 53,000 passengers each day on April 30 and May 1 — the metro still couldn't generate profits.

Once the subsidies roll in, Hanoi Metro is expected to not only cover its costs but also make a profit. As with public buses and trains, direct subsidies help Hanoi Metro keep prices affordable for the public while alleviating traffic congestion and the harmful environmental effects of personal vehicles. Trường said the company is in the process of completing its subsidy application.

In the last six months, 3.16 million passengers have commuted via the metro line; the daily volume fluctuates between 21,000 and 30,000 tickets. One-time metro tickets cost around VND8,000–15,000 while a monthly pass ranges from VND100,000 to 200,000.

Last Weekend's Downpour Was the Heaviest Rain Hanoi Has Seen Since 1986

2022-05-31T16:00:00+07:00

On Sunday afternoon, torrential rain following an unprecedented downpour inundated many streets and paralyzed traffic in Hanoi.

According to Vnexpress, the two-hour rainfall on Sunday reached a level of 138 millimeters (mm). This exceeded the previous record of 132.5 mm reported on June 18, 1986, the National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said.

In the same time frame, Cầu Giấy District received the most significant precipitation, over 170 mm, followed by Tây Hồ District (150 mm), Hoàng Mai District (130 mm), Ba Đình, Thanh Xuân, and Thanh Trì districts (all 100 mm).

After the massive rain, over 30 streets were severely flooded with an average depth of 40–50 cm; some parts of the city even experienced up to 80 cm of flooding. Although the rain had stopped, many roads such as Xuân Thủy, Phan Bội Châu, Hàng Cháo, Nguyễn Thái Học, Thăng Long Boulevard, and the area around the Keangnam building, etc. were still submerged, Thanh Niên reported. As a result, the downpour caused traffic chaos. Many vehicles were waterlogged, while fallen trees blocked local streets.

Hundreds of Hanoi Sewerage Company employees were dispatched to stand guard in flooded areas to remove trash and debris from drainage openings, warn commuters and open penstocks in lakes such as Bảy Mẫu, Đầm Chuối, and Hố Mẻ to prepare for future rain.

The heavy downpour in Hanoi on Sunday was caused by a low-pressure region that also brought rain to the provinces of Sơn La and Hòa Bình. Meteorologists said that the rain would continue in mountainous and midland areas of northern Vietnam until Tuesday, with levels reaching up to 150 mm. Rain is predicted to fall from Thanh Hóa to Thừa Thiên-Huế in the central area from Monday night.

[Photo by Đan Hạ via Thanh Niên]

Hanoi Announces City's Fourth Pedestrian Zone in Sơn Tây Town

2022-03-16T14:00:00+07:00

An 820-meter-long, multi-street pedestrian zone surrounding the Sơn Tây Old Fortress in suburban Hanoi is set to open in time for Reunification Day on April 30.

VnExpress reports that the area 40 kilometers outside of downtown Hanoi is expected to boost tourism as an entertainment and cultural hub. Authorities also hope it raises the profile of the old fortress built by King Minh Mạng in 1822 to protect the Thăng Long Imperial Citadel.

Specifically, the vehicle-free area will include portions of Phó Đức Chính and Phan Châu Trinh streets, Sơn Tây town, the outer road surrounding the Old Fortress, a flower garden in the town center, a central flower garden square, the front yard of the town's cultural center and the town stadium square.

On Reunification Day weekend, from 7pm on Saturday until noon on Sunday, the pedestrian zone will host art, music and dance performances, as well as boat racing and fishing, in addition to book events and children-centric activities. Unique food and souvenirs will also be on sale.

This is the fourth pedestrian area to be unveiled in the capital following ones around Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Old Quarter and Trịnh Công Sơn Street. The first space surrounding Hoàn Kiếm Lake was established in 2004 and later expanded and represents one of the most popular areas in the city for families and youths to frolic. It is set to re-open on March 18 with health requirements in place after nearly a year closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

[Photo by Joerg Reschke via Flickr]

Hanoi Zoo to Take Over Care of 8 Tigers Rescued in Nghệ An

2022-03-02T13:44:25+07:00

After months in temporary custody at an ecotourism complex, eight rescued tigers in Nghệ An will resettle in the Hanoi Zoo.

Yesterday, the Nghệ An Department of Forest Protection announced that eight tigers currently being taken care of by the Mường Thanh Diễn Lâm Ecological Park in Diễn Châu District will be transferred to the Hanoi Zoo after city officials greenlit the decision.

According to Tuổi Trẻ, the animals were among the 17 tigers that Nghệ An Police confiscated from a private home in the area last August. Nine tigers did not survive the rescue process, and the surviving eight were taken in by the ecological park, where they have lived since.

Park management shared that the costs to care for the tigers have reached VND4 billion (US$175,000). The park has separate cages for each tiger, and the animals are still in good health at the time of writing. Mường Thanh Diễn Lâm has fronted the animal care expenses so far and plans to seek reimbursement from the provincial government.

Nghệ An officials initially sought to relocate the felines to either the Hanoi Wildlife Rescue Center or Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park’s Animal Rescue Center, but the former is currently operating at capacity, and the latter still hasn’t responded to the request.

There are currently nine tigers - mainly Indochinese - at the Hanoi Zoo, ranging from three years old to 16 years old.

Rehabilitating captive tigers is a very challenging task, especially when the rescued specimens have been living in cages since they were cubs. According to animal welfare NGO Save Vietnam’s Wildlife, the eight tigers saved from captivity can’t be released into the wild because they did not grow up with the skills to survive in the environment. Moreover, some tigers were the result of inbreeding, so they are likely to have health issues and a reduced lifespan, requiring frequent veterinarian care.

[Photo: A tiger at the Mường Thanh Diễn Lâm Ecological Park/Người Đưa Tin]

Photo of Hanoi Flower Vendor Wins Sony World Photography Award

2022-02-11T10:00:00+07:00

With a photo of a flower vendor biking on Hanoi’s ceramic road, Nguyễn Phúc Thành was chosen to be a winner in the National Awards program of Sony World Photography Awards 2022.

According to VnExpress, the Hanoi-based photographer is one of the 65 winners in this year's program. Of his winning image, Thành said that he spent a weekend following street vendors and this is one of his favorite moments.

Thành is no stranger to the Sony World Photography Awards. In 2019, he received the November prize of Sony’s open competition. His photos were also published by National Geographic and the Times UK.

'Long Cốc,' the November Monthly Winner of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards. Photo by Nguyễn Phúc Thành via World Photography Organization.

The Sony World Photography Awards is set up by the World Photography Organization, whose mission is to support photographers around the world and nurture the medium of photography on a global scale.

[Top photo by Nguyễn Phúc Thành via VnExpress]

Hanoi Cinemas Finally Allowed to Reopen After Nine Months

2022-02-11T09:00:00+07:00

Earlier this week, city authorities gave official permission for all cinemas and art venues to resume operations.

Following a proposal by the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, the public venues can now operate according to specific safety guidelines. Guests will be required to provide proof of having had at least two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, wear face masks, and practice proper social distancing. The spaces had been closed since May 5 due to the pandemic situation.

The move comes amidst a broader reopening of the capital city. Motorbike services can now resume operations after a six-month ban with tight restrictions, and the Hung Pagoda complex can welcome guests beginning February 16. On February 8, 118 out of 121 bus routes in the city were allowed to resume at full capacity.

A quick peek at local cinema schedules reveals they will screen a mixture of new releases and popular films that were released during the period of closure.

[Photo by Giang Huy via VnExpress]

For Hanoi's Đào Vendors, Sleeping in Tents Outside Is Part of the Job

2022-01-28T12:00:00+07:00

Some kumquat and peach blossom sellers on the streets of Hanoi have resorted to sleeping in tents to guard their trees.

It’s only a few days until Tết. Here and there on the street of Hanoi, it’s hard not to notice people carrying pots of quất (kumquat) or đào (peach blossom) on their motorbikes, bringing the plants home to decorate for the traditional holiday.

Rows of miniature quất ready to adorn someone's living room.

Nhật Tân Village and Quảng An Flower Market are the most popular places to buy these trees, but they can also be found on the stretch of Lạc Long Quân Street by West Lake. Some of the vendors are residents from metropolitan Hanoi, but others come from the suburbs or nearby provinces. Some grow the ornamental trees in their hometown and bring them to sell in the capital city in the month before Tết in the hope of making a buck during the biggest holiday season of the year.

Impromptu tree vendors line the street.

More impressive than the abundance of trees displayed is the effort made by the sellers: they set up tents to stay in place day and night to keep an eye on the trees.

Tough to sleep in the rough

Among the vendors, 27-year-old Nguyễn Văn Tuấn comes from Hoài Đức, an outer district. He's a freelance laborer who usually takes on seasonal jobs, but this holiday, Tuấn and a group of friends decided to sell peach blossom trees, which they bought from growers in Nhật Tân Village. Tuấn doesn’t rent a place, but takes turns with his friends to stay in a tent on the street by the trees. Each person stays there for a few days and then goes home to rest when it’s not their turn.

Tarps are common for makeshift shelters.

“We stay here to guard the trees in case someone might steal them at night,” Tuấn says. “It’s not difficult to get food because I can go to eateries,” he adds. “I bring water out here to brush my teeth and wash my face. If I want to shower I’d go to a motel.” He plans to stay there to sell the trees until the day before Lunar New Year’s Eve.

Selling quất next to Tuấn is a woman from Hưng Yên Province and her nephew; both opt to remain anonymous. Their Tết trees were grown in their home gardens. Each of them lives in a separate tent and finds it tough to sleep in such rough conditions. “It’s very inconvenient,” says the woman. “Now I just hope I can sell all the trees; I spent the entire year growing them. Life is hard these days, in every way.”

"It’s so cold at night," she laments. “I go to motels to bathe. I pay to shower there, it can’t be convenient like at home. It costs money. I’m not making much money and still have to spend quite a lot.”

Shoes and ceramic vendors with their inventory and sleeping arrangement.

The pair put a polyethylene tarpaulin sheet over their tents to shield them from the wind and rain, but it doesn’t help much. The nephew shares: “On rainy nights I have to get out of the tent to get the water off the sheet, otherwise it would fall into my tent. Life is tough for peach blossom sellers like us. We are not making any money selling the trees, let alone money to rent a place.”

Precarity

Luckier than the others, 22-year-old Lê Quý Khương doesn’t live very far away. He also doesn’t have to sleep outside as he helps his uncle sell white peach blossom trees. The white variety of peach blossoms need to be guarded carefully as each can cost from VND1-3 million on average. If its roots are particularly strong and the branches have beautiful shapes, the tree can fetch VND4–5 million.

Khương (left) is luckier than many of his peers for not having to sleep outside while guarding stocks.

“My uncle sleeps here at night,” Khương describes their routine, gesturing to a bench under a tarpaulin sheet, where a pillow and a blanket sit. The makeshift bed serves as a place for his uncle and other relatives to get some shut-eye when they can. “We have to keep an eye on these trees, as they cost a lot of money. If we go home, they will be stolen at night. We sleep very little, or take turns to sleep.”

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the trees’ relatively high price, Khương said his customers are still willing to shell out big bucks for an elegant tree. “I think it [the economy] doesn’t affect the purchasing power much. Those who want to buy still can buy. They still have the money. For example, those who could spend VND2 million in previous years on a tree still can spend VND2 million this year,” he says.

A bonsai vendor on his "bed."

In stark contrast, kumquat sellers are worried sick. “This year’s price is almost half of last year’s. VND200,000 a tree and people still say ‘expensive,’” bemoans the vendor from Hưng Yên. “I don’t know what to do, it’s devastating. We work hard the entire year and only look forward to this time to sell the trees, but this is so bad. I feel so sad.”

It's expected to be a tough year for kumquat sellers.

She explains: “We grow the trees ourselves, so we just hope people will support us. If each person can buy one or two, it will help us to sell them all. It’s such a pain to grow them then no one buys them. It’s also a pain selling them at this price, but it’d still be better if we can sell all of them than not selling any. It’s really been a difficult year. It’s very sad.”

Hanoi Confirms First Omicron Covid-19 Case in the Community

2022-01-27T14:23:33+07:00

The capital city confirmed its first case of community-transmitted Omicron COVID-19 variant on January 26.

On Wednesday, authorities confirmed the first case of Omicron in Hanoi not in a person arriving from overseas. Vũ Cao Cương, deputy director of the Hanoi Department of Health, explained that a hotel worker tested positive for the variant after contact with 13 individuals arriving from abroad. Cương further explained that the individual is in isolation currently and they do not expect a larger outbreak on account of the situation and the individual is in stable condition.

Before this development, Hanoi had registered 14 cases of the variant, all amongst people arriving on flights that were subsequently quarantined. Meanwhile, Saigon has recorded 139 Omicron cases, though all but five are from international arrivals.

Late last year, Hanoi authorities issued plans to deal with the inevitable arrival of the variant. The strategies focus mainly on increased testing on arrivals from abroad and ensuring hospital beds and associated medical staff are available. This is the first case of the Omicron variant in the public in Hanoi.

While medical communities are still divided on the efficacy of current vaccines in combating the newest variant of COVID-19, a reported 100% of Vietnamese adults are immunized with their first vaccine dose, and deaths are very low.

NPO Keep Hanoi Clean Prepares to Collect Plastic Waste After Kitchen God Day

2022-01-11T14:00:00+07:00

Keep Hanoi Clean is preparing for its biggest event of the year: cleaning up Lễ cúng Ông Táo, or Kitchen God day.

On the 23rd of the last month of the lunar calendar, which falls on Jan 25, 2022, Vietnamese will celebrate the Kitchen God day by releasing fish into various waterways. More often than not, people bring the fish in plastic bags, which are usually dumped right in the water with the fish.

The NPO Keep Hanoi Clean (KHC) is going to collect the bags before they are released and educate the general public on the dangers of plastic pollution.

This is the sixth year that the organization has run this event. Last year, they collected almost a ton of waste that was destined for the water. This year they hope to hit a full ton, focusing on four bridges, Thăng Long, Vĩnh Tuy, Đông Trù and Chương Dương, as well as West Lake and Trúc Bạch Lake.

KHC is looking for 180 volunteers to do various tasks, from putting together collection bags and setting up signs to picking up discarded plastic. They are also calling for sponsors to support the event, which will run from January 21 to 25.

According to folk culture, every year the King of Heaven sends the Kitchen God, ông Táo, to Earth to record all the good and bad deeds of humanity. And on the 23rd, he flies back to heaven to deliver his report, riding a flying carp. Local people often release carp and other fish on the day to "assist" ông Táo in the hope of receiving good fortune in the year to come.

To sign up for KHC’s event, follow this link.

[Photo via Sputnik]

Mattress Company Fined VND137m for Half-Naked Santas on Hanoi Metro

2021-12-24T10:00:00+07:00

A mattress company was fined VND137 million for its recent advertising stunt involving half-naked men showing off their abs on the Hanoi metro.

According to Yan, the men were hired by Vua Nệm, or Mattress King, company for a publicity stunt. They boarded the metro at Vành Đai 3 station, fully clothed as Santa Clauses. Once inside, the Santas took off their shirts, revealing chiseled stomachs, and started taking photos with Mattress King’s “70% off” signs. The single metro employee presented at the time was too startled to stop the act.

The pictures drew a lot of attention, not all of it good. Many people criticized the stunt, calling it “offensive” and “immoral.” Mattress King has removed the photos since.

This is the second time the company has employed abs for advertising. In November, they hired men to bike around Ho Chi Minh City to promote their Black Friday sale; the men wore shorts, hats, masks, and nothing else.

Mattress King is not alone in capitalizing on muscles to sell products. For example, earlier this year, a Korean man sold watermelon while dressing as Mai An Tiêm, with nothing but a loincloth. His action drew more positive attention than Mattress King’s, though both are potentially illegal. According to Vietnam’s 2012 Advertisement Law, companies running advertisements contrary to Vietnam’s culture and moral standard could be fined VND40–60 million.

[Photos via Yan]

Hanoi Looks Into Banning Motorcycles in City Center From 2025

2021-12-08T09:00:00+07:00

Authorities are researching a plan to ban motorcycles in the city center from 2025 onward.

According to Tuoi Tre, the Hanoi Department of Transport has asked relevant agencies to devise a plan for banning motorbikes in districts within Ring Road 3, Hoang Sa Street and Truong Sa Street.

Motorbikes might be banned in the districts within the red circle in 2025.

This is a part of the city’s effort to combat traffic jams and ensure public safety. In the next few years, the city would set up zones with limited motorcycle activity, and gradually move toward phasing out this vehicle completely.

The notion of limiting motorbike activity was already approved by the People Council of Hanoi back in 2017. The original plan was that by 2030 the city would ban all motorcycles, so authorities have decided to move the deadline up by five years.

As of now, Hanoi has about 6.6 millions vehicles, 5.4 millions of which are motorcycles, along with about 600,000 cars. Additionally, there are 31 traffic jam hotspots in the city.

Hanoi Suffers Vietnam's Worst Air Pollution in 2020, Scientists Say

2021-12-05T10:00:00+07:00

While many northern provinces scored poorly, Hanoi took the distinction of having the highest average PM2.5 concentration for 2020.

Researchers from the University of Engineering and Technology under the Vietnam National University in Hanoi announced at a press conference on Wednesday the results of the first nationwide study using a machine-learning statistical model combined with satellite images that can evaluate air quality even in places without conventional air monitoring stations.

Hanoi surpassed the national standard for yearly average PM2.5 concentration of 25 μg per m³ in both 2019 and 2020. The PM2.5 concentration ranged between 31.5 and 32.9 μg per m³ in the capital city, with the highest concentration detected in Hai Ba Trung District, and the lowest in Ha Dong District. Hanoi was one of 10 localities to exceed the standards. All 10 were located in the northern region of the country.

PM2.5 refers to small airborne particles or droplets that are two and one-half microns or less in width and can cause short and long-term health problems including asthma and other respiratory ailments, heart disease, and premature death.

The report claims that PM2.5 numbers actually improved slightly in the last year thanks to decreased industrial and transportation activity. “The improved air pollution nationwide in 2020 was due in part to the social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Associate Professor and Doctor Nguyễn Thị Nhật Thanh, the report's author.

Overall, 40% of the PM2.5 numbers nationwide were attributed to agricultural activities, 17% to cooking, 13% to transport, 12.7% to forest fires, 11% percent to industry, and 3.3% to thermal power. Hanoi had a larger percent of fine particulate pollution caused by industrial and craft villages (48.3%) and transportation (21.3%). In contrast, Saigon's greatest source of PM2.5 was transportation (58.2%).

Authorities say the numbers will help them better identify areas with high pollution that need to be addressed through new policies. They also stressed the need to improve air-monitoring efforts to better understand the situation.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 60,000 Vietnamese die every year due to air pollution.

[Photo by Lukasz Saczek via Unsplash]