Tourism hotspot in Vietnam: Popular "Train Street" in Hanoi open again

Almost three years after the closure of the famous "Train Street" in Vietnam's capital Hanoi, the attraction popular as a selfie spot is open again.

Numerous cafés and stalls on the train route, which runs between narrow blocks of houses, have reopened in recent months as part of the relaxation of the corona virus

and are hoping for visitors from all over the world.

However, the tourist renaissance was not approved by the authorities.

Because the closure itself had nothing to do with the pandemic: the authorities had already decided in October 2019 to completely seal off the street for tourists for safety reasons and only grant access to residents.

A train had previously had to make an emergency stop to avoid colliding with crowds of visitors.

"We have to keep going"

Attracted by spectacular photos on the Internet, more and more onlookers had come since 2018.

Train Street has become a tourist hotspot.

Cafes opened, local residents set up food stalls or arranged particularly good photo spots.

Some restaurants even put tables directly on the rails during the "train-free" period

in order to then quickly clear them away when the train was approaching.

The government has still not officially opened the route to tourists, said Nguyen Van Long, a 51-year-old café owner.

"Three or four months ago we reopened the cafes themselves and now the attendance is picking up again," he explained.

However, there is great concern that the authorities could close the road again.

“But since Covid we have had problems.

The people here have to live, we have to keep going.”

Wait for the train

Christina and Paul from Austria were enthusiastic about the experience.

"We didn't know when the train was coming, so we sat down in a café for a beer

and fortunately the train rushed by promptly," said the two 29-year-olds happily.

The railway line, which crosses Dien Bien Phu Street at one end and Tran Phu Street at the other, dates back to French colonial times: it was built in 1902, but it still plays an important role for local and foreign travelers today.