One of the oldest parts of Hanoi is the Old Quarter or “Pho Co” as it’s known in Vietnamese. Although the area’s street plan is 500-years old, many of the houses in the area were constructed in more recent times – from the beginning of the 20th century and onwards.

The area is a tourism destination even though there are only a handful of cultural sites. The Old Quarter is the cultural attraction. It’s a thrilling place to just walk around with no particular destination. But it’s also one of the most congested areas in the world (with over 800 people per hectare) and although from the street everything might look okay, much of it is rundown. In fact, some families live in squalor.

As a result there are plans afoot to clean up the Old Quarter. One of the most well-ponded streets, Ta Hien will be ‘renewed’ as part of a VND10 billion-project funded by Hoan Kiem district authorities with additional financial and technical support from France, who will provide 40,000 euro and send experts from Toulouse to oversee the project.

The Hanoi Old Quarter Management Unit is charged with carrying out the plan with the Vietnam Institute of Architecture, Urban and Rural Planning (VIAP) under the Ministry of Construction in a design and consultancy role.

The history of backpacker street
Ta Hien street is part of what is now Hanoi’s unofficial ‘backpacker district’, dubbed ‘Pho Tay’ (Street of foreigners) by some locals. There are a string of handicraft shops, restaurants, bars and fake DVD shops competing for the tourist dollar. At the Luong Ngoc Quyen junction you will also find “bia hoi corner” where a string of shops sell the city’s cheapest brew, attracting a vibrant mix of backpackers, young expats and curious locals.

In French colonial times, the 266m-long street was dubbed Rue Géraud though locals often called it Quang Lac alley after a famous ‘tuong’ theatre of the same name. After the August Revolution, it was renamed Ta Hien after General Ta Quang Hien (1841-1887), who served under the Nguyen dynasty

According to Pham Tuan Long, vice head of Hanoi’s Old Quarter Management Unit, Ta Hien is one of a few streets to have maintained its original architecture, which is why the street was selected first. Therefore, this is a pilot project that will help set the bar and gather experience for further renewal initiatives elsewhere in the Old Quarter.

The project will tackle just one small 52m-long section of Ta Hien street, which was constructed in the early 20th century. In this section, 10 odd-numbered houses all feature sloping tiled roofs influenced by French architecture. On the opposite side, the even-numbered houses were designed according to a more classical Vietnamese style.

Both rows are deteriorated. In certain cases, house owners altered the original design when modernising, revamping or expanding their homes. Vietnamese houses traditionally had a second floor pulled back from the ground floor. But most homeowners eventually pulled second floors forward to create a whole new room.

Infrastructure overhaul
The renewal project is also a chance to update the Old Quarter’s outdated infrastructure system – a new electricity system will be installed, lighting will be improved, homes will have a better water supply and drainage will also be upgraded. The street will also get more trees and the pavement will be re-paved.

“Defective parts such as balconies and windows will be repaired, walls will be repainted, advertisement boards and air conditioners will be arranged,” said Long.

The project manager, Nguyen Hoang Long from VIAP said the management unit would also be open to hearing local resident’s ideas on how to revamp the street, though everything was subject to approval.

Financial disaster
The biggest hurdle is most of Old Quarter’s households earn a living by trading out in the street. Any time-consuming renovation process will have a negative impact on the residents’ income. So the renewal project has to be tailored to workaround this conundrum. For example, Hoang Long said houses would be done on different days. Locals in affected houses could also choose the date for work to begin.

“We will try to get the work done as fast as possible in order not to impact their business,” said Hoang Long. But Mai Van Trung, a 35-year-old street-side restaurant owner, said each house would be out of action for three to four weeks, so she would still lose a large amount of money.

“I just hope that the project will be carried out in as quickly as possible,” said Trung. At a Q&A session with the attendance of local residents, Nguyen Anh Ngoc from 17 Ta Hien also wondered why just 52m of Ta Hien street was being revamped while the dirtiest section would remain neglected.

“This section has preservation value so it is preferential to be repaired first. Other sections will be carried out at a later date,” explained Hoang Long. In spite of the local residents’ concerns, the project will commence as of October 10. Hopefully, soon part of the Old Quarter will look brand spanking new.