The "Bright - Green - Clean - Beautiful" program has garnered a lot of support from Hanoi citizens and is one of the city's top priorities.

Families in the Dan Phuong District on the outskirts of Hanoi have been keeping the streets clean and planting flower and bonsai gardens.

"Our district, which has many achievements in landscape and environmental restoration, continues to be a typical example of the movement. The district has launched a video clip contest 'Discovering and Checking in Dan Phuong' to encourage people to improve the living space protect the local scenery," Nguyen Tien Long, a 55-year-old resident of the district, told The Hanoi Times. 

Nguyen Van Duc, Chairman of the Dan Phuong District People's Committee, said that members of the craft village environmental protection self-governing group "went to every alley and knocked on every door" to encourage people to plant trees and clean village streets and alleys.

"The National Target Program for New-Style Rural Area Development has seen significant participation in recent years from Hanoi's citizens, agencies, and all tiers of government. The 'Bright-Green-Clean-Beautiful' movement has been spearheaded by Song Phuong Commune, which has been progressively transformed towards modernity and civilization," Duc told The Hanoi Times.

Bui Anh Tung, Chairman of Song Phuong Commune People's Committee, said: "We are quite proud of the achievement, which has contributed to improving people's lives and efforts to make rural areas more modern and rich in cultural identity." 

A 1.8 kilometer model dike is built in Song Phuong commune. Photo: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times

Meanwhile, Bat Trang Commune in Gia Lam District famous both at home and abroad for its traditional pottery, has been chosen to develop model new-style rural areas with a focus on tourism.

Pham Huy Khoi, Chairman of the People's Committee of Bat Trang Commune, told The Hanoi Times that being declared a model new-style rural area will motivate the commune to do better in other areas and further improve the environment of the traditional village so that it can become a major tourist destination in the capital and respond to the city's "Bright - Green - Clean - Beautiful" movement.

Mai Tuan Khang, a resident of Bat Trang Commune, said his family has been planting more trees. "We are actively joining the model of exchanging plastic waste for green trees and environmentally friendly products."

Bird's eye view of Bat Trang traditional pottery village in Gia Lam District. Photo courtesy of the commune's People's Committee.

 More and more clean streets and alleys

At the launch of the "Bright - Green - Clean - Beautiful" movement in mid-December, People's Committee Chairman Tran Sy Thanh called on citizens, organizations and businesses to protect the environment and work together to make Hanoi a livable city.  

The movement adds a new driving force to raise people's awareness of landscape and environment protection in Hanoi, as more people have come to know that landscape renovation is mainly aimed at improving their quality of life.

In Ba Dinh District, more and more green areas, flower walls and murals are springing up. In the small alley 29 of Cua Bac Street, everyone is impressed by its tidiness and vivid murals.

Truong Huu Thanh, a resident of Alley 29, said, "Our green, clean and beautiful alley attracts not only locals but also foreign tourists to take pictures when they visit downtown Hanoi". 

Alley 29 of Cua Bac Street, Quan Thanh Ward, Ba Dinh District) has become cleaner and more beautiful with murals. Photo: Truong Huu Thanh

 According to Pham Thi Diem, Vice Chairwoman of the Ba Dinh People's Committee, the district has installed LED public lighting using Internet of Things technology in alleyways.

"We see environmental protection as a constant and ongoing task. "The movement has matched the local people's awareness of preserving the landscape, which will be maintained and expanded, creating a long-term cultural lifestyle for generations to come," Diem said.

In Dong Da District, most people are engaged in cleaning up the environment in alleys, parks, flower gardens, and public entertainment places. The district also mobilizes people to plant flowers and ornamental plants in their houses, balconies, and streets; to voluntarily remove illegal advertisements; and to install security cameras and fire safety equipment.

Vo Dang Dung, Chairman of the Thanh Xuan District People's Committee, said that this is a groundbreaking activity in environmental protection, from controlling waste and sewage to improving air quality, which aims to create a clean living environment and contribute to the facelift of the district while protecting people's health. 

A clean and beautiful alley in Khuong Mai Ward, Thanh Xuan District. Photo courtesy of the district People's Committee

Long Bien District, with its synchronous infrastructure advantage, continues to expand green and mural streets. Relic sites and cultural houses are all kept clean and beautiful, with many trees planted.

Trinh Ngoc Tram, Head of Hoan Kiem District's Faculty of Education, said that the models displayed at Ngo Si Lien Secondary School as part of the Waste Detox campaign are a vivid testimony to the efforts made by teachers and students to protect the environment and work towards a Hanoi that is always "Bright-Green-Clean-Beautiful." 

Hoan Kiem District leaders visit the Waste Detox Campaign models on display at Ngo Si Lien Secondary School, which convey messages about environmental protection. Photo courtesy of the school

"Waste Detox focuses on raising environmental awareness, helping students develop practical skills, creative thinking and a sense of community responsibility," Tram said.

She added that the campaign's engaging and meaningful activities not only document the students' achievement but also promote green living. The program has created a green living movement to save the environment and has been well received by students. 

The solar-powered waste classification model is implemented by students from Ngo Si Lien Secondary School. Photo: Anh Kiet/The Hanoi Times