Develop a food street in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Hoan Kiem District is promoting the construction of a food street in the Grade I protected area of Hanoi's Old Quarter, encompassing Hang Buom, Ma May, Hang Giay, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Ta Hien, and Dao Duy Tu streets.
The food streets will be located within an expanded pedestrian area, serving tourists and Hanoi residents who wish to visit and experience Hanoi's Old Quarter, and discover the cultural and culinary values of the ancient capital.
Illustrative image.
To ensure effective implementation, Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, the unit carrying out the project, is actively encouraging households to sell traditional Hanoi dishes such as Bun Thang, Bun Oc, Pho, Pho Cuon, Thanh Tri rice rolls, Ho Tay shrimp cakes, and various traditional sweet soups. They are also organizing and arranging shops and stalls to ensure aesthetics, environmental hygiene, and food safety. The practice of cooking in the middle of the street will be strictly prohibited. After implementation, the company will regularly inspect food hygiene in collaboration with relevant authorities. Furthermore, the company is organizing numerous training courses to improve the skills of vendors, preventing instances of harassment and overcharging of tourists. Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company is also developing plans for the placement of checkpoints, the arrangement of static traffic points, and ensuring security, order, and environmental hygiene.
A survey of street-front businesses on Hang Buom, Hang Giay, Luong Ngoc Quyen, Ma May, and Ta Hien streets revealed that out of 159 shops, 47 were food and beverage establishments, accounting for 30%. Fifty vendors also set up stalls on the sidewalks of these streets in the evenings. The emergence of these spontaneously formed restaurants and eateries on the aforementioned streets, offering a wide variety of food options, has partially met the needs of tourists, especially foreign visitors.
However, due to the lack of proper planning, food and beverage stalls are haphazardly arranged, aggressively soliciting customers, and food safety and environmental hygiene are not guaranteed. Therefore, planning a food court in a civilized and courteous manner, while preserving the long-standing traditional culinary culture of the Old Quarter, is necessary. The company has also held numerous meetings and surveys to gather opinions from residents in the expanded pedestrian street area, and nearly 100% of households support the restoration and promotion of traditional culinary values to serve tourists.
After visiting and shopping on the Hang Dao - Dong Xuan pedestrian street, or tourists visiting and staying in Hanoi's Old Quarter, they can enjoy traditional dishes in the expanded streets. Mr. Do Xuan Thuy, General Director of Dong Xuan Joint Stock Company, said that the characteristic of these streets is the many famous Hanoi specialties, bearing the distinct mark of both Vietnamese and Chinese cuisine. These dishes showcase the refined artistry of Hanoians, becoming famous brands of these streets and leaving a good impression on friends both domestically and internationally. The area also preserves buildings constructed in the 18th and 19th centuries with ancient architectural styles, forming a unique architectural complex, notably historical relics such as Bach Ma Temple, Quan De Communal House, the ancient house at 87 Ma May Street, Huong Tuong Temple, etc. All of these will create a unique identity for the expanded pedestrian area.
Previously, many people were concerned about building a food street in a Grade I protected area due to the failure of the Tong Duy Tan food street. However, the Tong Duy Tan area failed to attract tourists because it was isolated from the Old Quarter and lacked traditional Hanoi cultural spaces. Meanwhile, most international tourists visiting Hanoi enjoy exploring the vibrant and bustling life in the Old Quarter.
According to Mr. Mai Tien Dung, Deputy Director of the Hanoi Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism: “The expanded pedestrian zone in the Old Quarter needs to be connected with Tong Duy Tan food street or to develop culinary offerings in some streets with many famous dishes such as Hang Buom, Ta Hien, Dao Duy Tu… to serve tourists who need to eat and rest after sightseeing and shopping here. A harmonious combination of pedestrian space, shopping, and food is necessary; the issue is how to organize it in a synchronized and attractive way.”
According to (People's Army Newspaper) - LC