Hanoi’s Old Quarter residents to be moved

The Old Quarter includes about 4,000 houses, nearly 1,000 of which were built over 100 years ago

TUOI TRE

The move is aimed at improving their living standards, Hanoi’s People’s Committee chairman Nguyen The Thao told Vietnam News Agency on the sidelines of the 6th session of the 12th National Assembly about the capital city’s plans last week.

He said that the Viet Hung and Sai Dong urban areas which lie across the Red River would be their new homes.

The city will also provide vocational training for the relocated residents and build a commercial center inside the Viet Hung urban area to make it easier for those who want to pursue business.

Hanoi’s Old Quarter is situated in central Hoan Kiem District on an area of around 100 hectares.

It is originally known as the area for 36 old streets and guilds. Each of the 36 streets is named after crafts sold on each individual street.

The quarter includes about 4,000 houses, nearly 1,000 of which were built over 100 years ago.

Most of the houses are dilapidated or have been repaired in a fashion that distorted the buildings’ original structures. Some houses have even turned into slums.

Local authorities have proposed to relocate 30,000 people outside of the area by 2020 to reduce the population density to 50,000 people per square kilometer from the current 84,000 people per square kilometer.

The first phase of the project, which will cost around VND4 trillion (US$223.21 million), was submitted to the city’s Planning and Investment Department and will be later submitted to the municipal People’s Committee for approval.

About 1,900 households are expected to be resettled in the Viet Hung Urban Zone during the initial phase of the project.

The first families to move out of the area will include those living in the quarter’s historical relics, schools, office buildings and those who volunteer to join the resettlement program.