Hanoi’s “Western Street” busy again after social distancing lifted

Starting from 0:00 on September 16, all karaoke parlours, bars and clubs in Hanoi are allowed to reopen. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities. Earlier, on August 1, Hanoi authorities requested all bars, pubs and karaoke parlours to close and customers at restaurants and supermarkets to keep a safe distance from each other since the novel coronavirus reappeared in Vietnam on July 25. Such measures had been in place in Hanoi in March and April when the pandemic broke out in the city. To ensure the dual goal of controlling the disease and boosting economic growth, the municipal authorities have decided to loosen social distancing measures (Photo: VietnamPlus)

On Ta Hien street in Hoan Kiem district, pubs and bars are busy till mid-night after an over-one-month “holiday” due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With bars packed, many late arrivals have to wait outside to enter as thousands made a beeline for the street famous for its beer halls and bars. Many youngsters are thrilled to their favorite hang-outs regardless of the pandemic and social distancing rules. Many people do not wear face masks, saying they are not worried much about the pandemic and could not wait to get back to their nightlife. Many staff of eateries are astonished by the number of patrons (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ta Hien, one of Hanoi's most popular drinking hotspots, is crowded again as if COVID-19 had never happened. Nightlife there is now bustling once more. Though the municipal People’s Committee has recommended people to seriously abide by COVID-19 prevention instructions by the health sector, many people seem a bit neglected. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure. Ta Hien street was a thriving social destination before the implementation of the social distancing period, particularly at night and during the weekend. It is packed with exciting street food locations and bustling bars (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Though the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee asks for ensuring COVID-19 prevention and control measures, most people seem to forget keeping a safe distance from each other. In the heart of the Hanoi Old Quarter, tables serving guests throughout the street are packed with customers eating and drinking. Served alongside traditional Vietnamese bar snacks, beer is the most popular beverage among visitors. For the majority of international visitors to the capital city, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people. Crowds of Hanoians flock to the area to go for a leisure walk and indulge themselves in cultural-rich activities (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure. Served alongside traditional Vietnamese bar snacks, beer is the most popular beverage among visitors. With bars packed, many late arrivals have to wait outside to enter as thousands made a beeline for the street famous for its beer halls and bars. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities. In the heart of the Hanoi Old Quarter, tables serving guests throughout the street are packed with customers eating and drinking. Many youngsters are thrilled to their favorite hang-outs regardless of the pandemic and social distancing rules (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Many people do not wear face masks, saying they are not worried much about the pandemic and could not wait to get back to their nightlife. Many staff of eateries are astonished by the number of patrons. For the majority of international visitors to the capital, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people. Many youngsters are thrilled to their favorite hang-outs regardless of the pandemic and social distancing rules. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities. In the heart of the Hanoi Old Quarter, tables serving guests throughout the street are packed with customers who are eating and drinking (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Several foreigners show up at a beer pub on Luong Ngoc Quyen street. Served alongside traditional Vietnamese bar snacks, beer is the most popular beverage among visitors. With bars packed, many late arrivals have to wait outside to enter as thousands made a beeline for the street famous for its beer halls and bars. For the majority of international visitors to the capital, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Many young people said they come here only to enjoy the atmosphere of the busiest street in the capital after being allowed to reopen. They are thrilled to their favorite hang-outs regardless of the pandemic and social distancing rules. Crowds of Hanoians flock to the area to go for a leisure walk and indulge themselves in cultural-rich activities. With bars packed, many late arrivals have to wait outside to enter as thousands made a beeline for the street famous for its beer halls and bars. Many staff of eateries are astonished by the number of patrons. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities (Photo: VietnamPlus)

“Sleepless Western Street” Ta Hien is one of the favourite venues, especially youngsters, at weekends. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure. Ta Hien street was a thriving destination before the implementation of the social distancing order, particularly at night and weekends. It is packed with exciting street food locations and bustling bars. Many staff of eateries are astonished by the number of patrons. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities. Served alongside traditional Vietnamese bar snacks, beer is the most popular beverage among visitors (Photo: VietnamPlus)

“It has been quite a long time since I experienced such wonderful moments. I wish Vietnam would completely control the pandemic soon so that people could return to their normal lives”, said Minh Tu, 24, a resident in Hanoi’s Dong Da district tells reporters. For the majority of international visitors to the capital city, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure. Crowds of Hanoians flock to the area to go for a leisure walk and indulge themselves in cultural-rich activities (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Some open, but do not attract too many customers. Though reopened, the area has yet to operate at its full capacity. Several business owners said they open to get luck and voice their expectations that arrivals will increase sharply at weekends. “It has been quite a long time since I experienced such wonderful moments. I wish Vietnam would completely control the pandemic soon so that people could return to their normal lives”, said Minh Tu, 24, a resident in Hanoi’s Dong Da district tells reporters. Many young people said they come here only to enjoy the atmosphere of the busiest street in the capital after being allowed to reopen (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Several business owners said they open to get luck and voice their expectations that arrivals will increase sharply at weekends. “It has been quite a long time since I experienced such wonderful moment. I wish Vietnam would completely control the pandemic soon so that people could return to their normal lives”, said Minh Tu, 24, a resident in Hanoi’s Dong Da district tells reporters. For the majority of international visitors to the capital, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Bars, karaoke parlours, discos and pubs on Ta Hien and nearby streets can now reopen. The “Sleepless Western Street” of Ta Hien is one of the favourite venues, especially among youths, during weekends. Many youngsters say they come here only for keeping up with the bustling nightlife here after a month of its closure. Ta Hien street was a thriving destination before the implementation of the social distancing period, particularly at night and during the weekends. It is packed with exciting street food locations and bustling bars. Several business owners said they open to get luck and voice their expectation that arrivals will increase sharply during weekends (Photo: VietnamPlus)

“I am very happy to reopen the pub. However, in order to ensure safety during the pandemic, each customer must have body temperature checked and wash hands with sanitiser”, said Duy Cong, manager of the pub No.12 on Ta Hien street. Several business owners said they open to get luck and voice their expectations that arrivals will increase sharply during weekends. Many young people said they come here only to enjoy the atmosphere of the busiest street in the capital after being allowed to reopen. For the majority of international visitors to the capital, Ta Hien street represents an attraction not to be missed, with the area’s clientele being a mix of travelers, expats, and local Vietnamese people (Photo: VietnamPlus)

Ta Hien street was a thriving destination before the implementation of the social distancing order, particularly at night and during the weekends. It is packed with exciting street food locations and bustling bars. Many staff of eateries are astonished by the number of patrons. The atmosphere is lively every corner there with numerous activities. Served alongside traditional Vietnamese bar snacks, beer is the most popular beverage among visitors. Earlier, on August 1, the Hanoi authorities requested all bars, pubs and karaoke parlors to close and customers at restaurants and supermarkets to keep a safe distance since the novel coronavirus reappeared in Vietnam on July 25. Such measures had been in place in Hanoi in March and April when the pandemic broke out in the city. To ensure the dual goal of disease fighting and boosting economic growth, the municipal authorities have decided to loosen social distancing measures. On Ta Hien street in Hoan Kiem district, beer pubs and bars are busy till mid-night after a long “holiday” of over one month due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Photo: VietnamPlus)