Places of interest in Hanoi are being refurbished and get ready for the reopening to tourism nationwide on March 15.

Many places have flexibly applied solutions to stimulate tourism such as building new products, giving gifts to guests as well as redecorating the relic spaces.

Participants to the night tours at Hoa Lo Prison Relic will have chance to study about Vietnamese history. Photo: Hoa Lo Prison Relic

According to a representative to the Thang Long Heritage Conservation Center, visitors to Thang Long Imperial Citadel will have the chance to participate in the program titled “Check-in for Gifts”. They are encouraged to take a photo of the relic and post it on their Facebook profile adding the “Thang Long Imperial Citadel” location to receive a souvenir from the relic.

At Hoa Lo Prison Relic, its Management Board is introducing the night tours titled “1^st Sacred night: Shining Vietnamese Spirit” and “2^nd Sacred night: Living like Flowers” of which, the second tour has been renewed to give visitors more emotional experiences.

Hoa Lo Prison Relic is now also continuing to build a night tour called “ 3^rd Sacred Night: Youthful Fire” to honor young revolutionaries who died at the prison. The   tour is scheduled to launch next July.

In addition, the monument will elaborate a heritage education program called “The Train of Time” specifically for students which will be launched in April. Participating in the program, students will have the opportunity to experience activities that recreate the lives of political prisoners as well as watch movies themed revolutionary war or play some games associated with Hoa Lo Prison ruins.

Foreign children are learning how to make Vietnamese folk toys at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology. Photo: VME

A number of thematic exhibitions will be held at Hoa Lo prison, including  “Uncle Ho and the Vietnamese revolutionary press”, “Capital Liberation Day”, “Dien Bien Phu victory in the air”, among others.  

The Temple of Literature, a must-see destination for tourists visiting Hanoi, has restarted projects which were dormant due to the pandemic, giving a hand to promote the value of the monument as well as improving service’s quality, according to Le Xuan Kieu, Director of the Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam Center for Cultural and Scientific Activities.

“We are now restoring  Quoc Tu Giam School exhibition space and Phuong Dinh shrine on Kim Chau islet in Lake Van as well as building the “Temple of Literature night tour”, he told The Hanoi Times.

Little visitors to the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology will have the chance to experience the Children's Discovery Room where they can wear traditional costumes of other nations; learn about Vietnamese musical instruments; make Vietnamese folk toys and play folk games. The discovery room is open to public  every weekend.

A scene from the real-scene show “The Quintessence of Tonkin”. Photo: Tuan Chau Hanoi JSC

Meanwhile, the Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts has recently opened new space for contemporary artworks with 65 pieces that were created since the 1980s to the present. At the space, art fans will enjoy the exhibits that reflect the multi-dimensional perspectives on the living environment and social life of Vietnamese artists. 

At Tuan Chau Eco-urban Amusement Park in Hanoi (Sai Son Commune, Quoc Oai District), the real-scene show “The Quintessence of Tonkin” was relaunched on March 9 .

The wonderful outdoor spectacle reaffirms Hanoi’s position as the cultural capital of Vietnam. The 60-minute show, which is staged entirely on water, presents the traditional elements of Vietnamese culture in an innovative and contemporary way. It combines skillful performers, a mesmerizing set, delightful water puppetry, a stunning light show, and an evocative soundtrack, taking the nearby Thay Mountain as the backdrop.

A representative from Tuan Chau Hanoi JSC, the organizer of The Quintessence of Tonkin show said that they had received many calls asking for the tickets. “There is currently no schedule for the next show yet, but the reality show will soon be held regularly in the near future,” he told The Hanoi Times.

In addition, the Ca Tru Bich Cau Theater (No 14 Cat Linh Street, Dong Da District) is expected to reopen Ca Tru singing classes for those who are interested in the type of folk performance on the last Sunday of this month.

The performance of Ca tru folk singing at the Ca Tru Bich Cau Theater. Photo: Ca Tru Bich Cau Theater

Earlier, the Thang Long Puppet Theater has reopened with shows starting at 7:30pm on every Saturday. The theatre is considered the best place to enjoy this form of art. The Vietnamese tradition of water puppetry dates back to the 11th century when the rice fields got flooded and the villagers entertained themselves in the middle of the water playing with puppets.

In the plan to restore the capital’s tourism while adapting safely, flexibly to the pandemic and effectively control it, Hanoi strives to welcome 9-10 million visitors in 2022, including between 1,2 and 2 million international tourists.

In 2023, the city expects to receive between 12 and14 million visitors, including 2.5-3.5 million foreign arrivals. Hanoi will develop tourism products based on the potential and strengths of each region, in which cultural heritage tourism is a priority, according to Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Dang Huong Giang.