The Phung Hung Fresco Street (Photo: baotintuc.vn)

It’s 7 a.m. on Saturday. Hanoi isn’t too noisy or overcrowded. Temporarily forgetting daily worries and work, Hanoi’s residents begin the first day of their holiday a bit later than usual.

The pedestrian zones around Hoan Kiem Lake, Phung Hung Fresco Street, and Hanoi's Book Street are busy after 9 a.m. The people leisurely stroll down the streets, take photos, and enjoy in entertainment activities, and performances.

Tran Thanh Hai of Hai Ba Trung district takes his wife and two daughters to the pedestrian zones around Hoan Kiem Lake to take New Year’s photos.

Working in the construction sites and being far away from home quite often, Hai considers the New Year’s Holiday as an opportunity to spend time with his family.

“These days Hanoi streets are more beautiful with many decorative lights. Everybody looks excited. My family and I come to Hoan Kiem Lake to experience the New Year’s atmosphere,” said Hai.

The jubilant sights and sounds are at every corner and street decorated with flowers and banners that read “Happy New Year 2019”. 

In Phung Hung Fresco Street, moms, young ladies, and little girls are well dressed, sometimes in the Ao Dai traditional long dress, to pose for photos by the wall-paintings.

(Photo: baotintuc.vn)

 Pham Thi Lan and Pham Thi Huong are among visitors. They have returned to Vietnam after 8 years living in Russia. This is the first time both of them have visited the fresco street. Both of them shared their feeling:

“The wall-paintings remind old people like us of times in our lives while helping the younger generation understand more about the past.”

“It’s very beautiful there. Everybody should visit this street.”

Many households decide to return to their native villages. These days, bus stations, airports, and roads have become more crowded as people are hurrying to make their way home for family reunions to celebrate the New Year.

Pham Viet Giang’s family who live in Hanoi’s Hai Ba Trung district takes a bus to Nam Dinh to ring in the New Year with their parents.

“My children never welcomed in a solar New Year in the countryside before. This year I want to make a change for them and they are very excited. I hope they will experience the traditional values of the place where I was born and raised,” said Giang.