Hanoians try to stay warm up as it gets very cold

The cold spell has surrounded northern Vietnam this week and people are trying to stay warm in different ways.  One man has a raincoat to protect himself from the cold wind while walking along the Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake, which is usually crowded on the weekends.  

Normal busy streets like the Dinh Tien Hoang pedestrian street near the Hoan Kiem Lake is neither noisy nor crowded. 

Motorbike drivers are wearing masks, hats, gloves, coats and extra layers of clothing.

This motorbike is equipped with an "umbrella" to help the driver avoid cold rain.

A group of sanitation workers, xe om (motorbike taxi) drivers and street vendors warm their hands on a fire they have lit at a corner of Phung Hung Street in Ha Dong District.

Blankets and carpets have become fast moving items these days, sold in fancy upmarket stores as well as on the street, where they cost between VND80,000 ($3.44) and VND100,000 ($4.31) each.

A security guard huddles covers his face with a shawl on the sidewalk of Cat Linh Street.

A homeless woman wraps herself in thick cotton blanket and sleeps on the sidewalk of Phan Dinh Phung Street.

Some street vendors moved to ATM booths to avoid cold breeze.

The National Meteorological Forecasting Agency predicts that the cold snap will last four to five days, so Hanoians and residents in northern mountainous provinces will celebrate the New Year 2019 in very chilly weather.

The northern mountainous area is seeing frost and snow. A couple enjoy the experience of snow on Mau Son Mountain in Lang Son Province.