Hanoi’s iconic Hoan Kiem Lake is adored by tourists and locals alike, but many surrounding areas are simply too full Located deep in an alley on Hang Buom street is house No.53, built over 100 years ago. Although severely degraded with many cracks appearing in the rotten walls and stairs, the 3-storey house with dozens of apartments has been the residence for nearly 200 people for many years. Nguyen Trung Truc, a resident living in an apartment on the first floor said, “The house has signs of dilapidation and the entrance to the house lacks sunlight, so it is dirty and dark. When opening the door, the smell flies straight into the house. Every time it rains, the house and the yard are wet.” Truc’s family and the households who live here all want to have a new spacious and cleaner place, but what they worry about most is how to earn a living after moving, when their current income mainly depends on street trading in the Old Quarter. With a history of more than 1,000 years, the area is both an administrative and commercial centre and a place with great historical value, architecture, and culture. The 36 traditional craft streets represent business activities, attracting not only people in Hanoi but also people in the surrounding areas to come here for settlement. Over the years, the rapid population growth has narrowed the land fund in the Old Quarter, creating great pressure on infrastructure, causing cramped and messy conditions which, in turn, affects the urban appearance and affection of international tourists to Hanoi, and is also related to damage caused to many historical monuments. Therefore, the relocation of the population in the Old Quarter area is considered a top priority of Hanoi’s administration in urban reconstruction and conservation of cultural heritage. According to the urban planning, 215,000 residents in Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh, Dong Da, and Hai Ba Trung will be relocated by the end of the decade. The land fund released from relocation …
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