In an explicit gesture to bring tourists more nightlife, the municipal People's Committee announced the decision on August 24 to give restaurants and bars in Hoan Kiem district the go-ahead to open until 2 a.m. from Friday to Sunday starting September 1.
Chairman of the municipal People's Committee Nguyen Duc Chung requested that businesses that stay open past midnight must meet security criteria, register with the district and be soundproofed so as not to wake the neighbors.
The aim of the pilot plan is to draw more tourists, particularly foreign tourists, and control late-night business operations in Hanoi capital, because many have ignored the current curfew and stayed open after midnight anyway, according to Hanoi's authorities.

The street of the Old Quarter at night are attractive to tourists.

At present, all performance shows, dance clubs and karaoke bars are banned from opening between 12 a.m. and 8 a.m. Internet cafes and other recreational services are banned from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m.
Most of business owners and tourists in Hanoi's Old Quarter believe that the scheme is a good idea.
Besides, according to the recently-announced decision of the municipal People’s Committee, more streets in Hanoi will be shut to traffic at weekends so pedestrians can enjoy Hoan Kiem Lake from October. 
The streets, which run around Hoan Kiem Lake, include Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Lai, Le Thach, Dinh Le, Nguyen Xi, Trang Tien (from Ngo Quyen to Dinh Tien Hoang), Hang Khay, Le Thai To, Hang Trong (from St. Joseph’s Cathedral to Le Thai To), Nha Tho and the Cathedral square. 
 

Illustrative image

The streets will be closed to traffic from 19:00 - 2:00 am in summer and 18:00 to 2:00 am in winter from Friday to Sunday and on some holidays. 
The inauguration ceremony is set to be held on October 7 as part of activities to mark the 62nd anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day (October 10, 1954). 
The piloted period will run until the Lunar New Year (Tet) Holiday 2017. 
The first pedestrian streets in Hanoi - Hang Ngang, Hang Dao, Hang Duong and Dong Xuan in the Old Quarter - were inaugurated in 2004, where visitors could walk, shop and sample street foods.