A pilot project to operate 12 electrically powered buses around Hoan Kiem Lake and in Hanoi 's Old Quarter for tourists will be put into action in early July.

The service, run by the Dong Xuan Joint Stock Co, will take tourists around Hoan Kiem Lake , or the Lake of the Returned Sword, and to guild streets, food courts and historical relics in the Old Quarter.

The operation hours during the day will be from 8.30 am - 4.30 pm and from 7 pm - 11 pm and a ride will cost from 10,000 VND to 30,000 VND.

The Old Quarter, situated near the equally historic Hoan Kiem Lake , was created in the 11 th century, when the 100-hectare area was home to 36 guilds, each of which gave its name to a street. Thus, there is a Hang Bac Street which was once home to silversmiths and a Hang Mam Street named for fish sauce.

There are 4,000 houses here, a fourth of which are more than 100 years old. The project is to promote beautiful images of Hanoi , further develop the city's tourism industry and to celebrate the upcoming 1,000 th anniversary of Thang Long-Hanoi./.