Hanoi plans new pedestrian street near Thien Quang Lake

At a Wednesday meeting between Hanoi Party Committee and Hai Ba Trung District Party Committee, authorities proposed the creation of a new pedestrian street near the Thien Quang Lake to bolster cultural and architectural value, enhance aesthetics and develop tourism in the area.

The new pedestrian street would include sections of Tran Nhan Tong Street (from Thien Quang Lake to Tran Binh Trong Street) and surrounding locations, including Thong Nhat Park.

Vuong Dinh Hue, secretary of Hanoi Party Committee, agreed with the proposal and requested the district to start looking into connecting the new pedestrian street with Thong Nhat Park to boost the night-time economy.

Hanoi unveiled its first walking street in Hoan Kiem District in 2004, covering only five streets at the time. By 2021, Hoan Kiem walking streets have been expanded to cover a much larger area, including dozens of streets near the iconic Sword Lake and the Old Quarter.

Besides Hoan Kiem, Tay Ho District is the second to get a pedestrian street at Trinh Cong Son in 2018, spanning about a kilometer.

In 2016, Thanh Xuan District also drew up a plan for a pedestrian street on Nguyen Quy Duc Street. Despite planning for it to open to the public in 2017, little progress has been made.