The Sao Do Market was full of people's chatter and the sounds of motorbikes, a stark contrast to the desolation and closed shop signs during the lockdown.
The town, a hotspot of the country's latest Covid-19 outbreak, went through two lockdown periods between January 28 and March 3, the longest of all localities within the northern province.
Butchers wear face masks as they prepare extra meat, 2-3 times more than usual, to satisfy post lockdown demand.
Nguyen Thanh Nam, a barber, said he has been working continuously since 8 a.m. without rest.
"Everyone wants to change their hairstyles after a month spent in lockdown. Some people had to wait for too long, so they decided to come back in the afternoon. I'm also excited to be able to work again," he said.
Tran Van Hien, 34, who works in marketing, said: "Today the shops are reopening, so I decided to cut my hair a bit to renew myself before getting back to work. I had to wait for nearly two hours but it was worth it."
Hien said that as soon as he heard his hometown was going to be locked down, he rushed back from Hanoi to be able to enjoy the Tet festival with his family.
The Lunar New Year, or Tet, Vietnam's biggest holiday, peaked on Feb. 12.
At the But Dam Pagoda, people returned to pray as soon as the monks said it would reopen after the lockdown.
"When I heard the pagoda was reopening, I was ecstatic. Praying is all about your inner intentions, but to be able to pray in front of Buddha, it makes me feel calm," said Vu Thi Chuc, 73.
Nguyen Thi Canh harvests Vietnamese apples, also known as Indian jujube and Chinese Red Date jujube, to sell them on National Highway 18.
Over the past month, she had been carrying the harvested fruit to nearby Binh Bridge due to the lockdown, hoping vehicles would pass by and buy them.
