People who make a living in Hanoi’s pedestrian street

Walking street by Hoan Kiem Lake after nearly 1 year of stopping operation has welcomed visitors again. Many people came early in the morning to choose a position for their work.

The image of street music groups is no longer strange to many people, including blind “artists”. They do cultural activities on the pedestrian street both weekends and Friday evenings.

Ms. Linh, one of the people who opened a remote control model car rental service, has just returned to her familiar job. She said she earns about 800,000 VND per day. Before that, each car for these young children, she invested 4-8 million dong, had to abandon them for nearly a year. “When the Covid-19 epidemic in Hanoi was tense, the pedestrian street was closed, my life also became more difficult because my family still had small children. At that time, I also managed to switch to online sales, but I didn’t get much money back,” she said.

There are more and more people drawing sketches on the pedestrian street. For the past year, when the pedestrian street was closed, artists here usually only accept online drawings. Price for each picture is 100,000-150,000 VND.

Dang Son Tung (33 years old) on weekends rides a motorbike from My Dinh to the pedestrian street by Sword Lake to practice portrait painting. “The atmosphere today is very exciting, different from before. I feel very excited when the pedestrian street is reopened. This job helps me have more money to cover my life,” he confided.

Tung has to learn to draw for 5 years so that he can confidently complete each portrait within 15-20 minutes.

Mr. Duong Huu Phuc (27 years old, from Lang Son) is an architect. He has been helping his mother sell toys for children on the pedestrian street for about 4 years now on weekends. “This job is just a side job, I work part-time in my spare time, but the income is not high. There are days when I stand tired and exhausted without a visitor,” said Mr. Phuc.

Ms. Hue (80 years old) has lived in the center of the capital for more than 20 years. When she has a pedestrian street for a few years now, she has had the opportunity to earn more money because of the large number of visitors. “During the quarantine period, when there were no customers, I went to pick up the bottles on the street and sell them. When the pedestrian street was reopened, I sold some milk, lighters, ballpoint pens…but only a few customers came to buy support,” she said.

“When the Covid-19 epidemic in Hanoi increased, many shops closed, the pedestrian street stopped operating, my livelihood was a bit difficult. When I heard that the pedestrian street was reopened, I felt very excited,” said Mr. Tuan (who sells balloons).

Ms. Chen (71 years old, on the left) selling toys by the Sword Lake said that she went to pick up bottles. Now, there are more tourists, but she only earns about 20,000-30,000 VND per day. “I don’t know how long this job has been with me, but I just know it helps me get through the day,” she confided.

Hoan Kiem District People’s Committee reorganized the activities of walking spaces in the district from March 18 at the pedestrian space in Hoan Kiem Lake and its vicinity; trade and service pedestrian street from Hang Dao to Hang Giay; the walking space is extended to the Grade I Conservation Area – Hanoi Old Quarter; Walking space in the South of Hanoi Old Quarter connects with the walking space in the North of Hoan Kiem Lake and its vicinity.