Authorities in Hanoi have announced new entrance fees for the capital’s noted relics and scenic attractions for 2015.

The new rates, issued by the People’s Committee, have been applied since January 1.

Tickets to Van Mieu-Quoc Tu Giam – believed to be Vietnam’s first university; Ngoc Son Temple; Hoa Lo Prison – one of Indochina's largest; and the UNESCO-recognized Imperial Citadel of Thang Long now cost VND30,000 (US$1.4).

Meanwhile, tourists will be charged VND10,000 ($0.47) each for entry to the Co Loa Relic Complex, Tay Phuong Pagoda, Thay Pagoda, and Quan Thanh Temple. A visit to Duong Lam Ancient Village and Huong Pagoda now costs VND20,000 and VND49,000 ($2.3), respectively.

Admission to Ngoc Son Pagoda, Quan Thanh Temple, Tay Phuong Pagoda, Thay Pagoda, Huong Pagoda, and Duong Lam Ancient Village will be free on Lunar New Year’s Eve and the first two days of Tet, the Vietnamese term for the Lunar New Year.

Tet falls on February 19 this year but festive preparations and the celebratory atmosphere will go on one week before and after that date, as per tradition.

Hanoi restores age-old traditional medicine street

The management of the Hanoi Old Quarter announced on Tuesday that a project to restore the front of its herbal medicine Lan Ong Street will commence on Friday.

The project aims to restore the space, which is lined with long-standing herbal medicine stores, improve the local environs, and develop the street into an alluring tourist attraction.

Lan Ong Street, located in Hoan Kiem District, is part of the Hanoi Old Quarter, which has been recognized as a national relic since 2004.

The street has long been known for being the capital’s bustling marketplace for a wide array of local and imported herbal medicines, and one of the city’s few places in the Old Quarter which still retain the time-honored crafts.

Eighty-five percent of the households on the street remain faithful to the craft of concocting herbal medicine, which has been passed down from one generation to the next, according to the Hanoi Old Quarter’s management.

However, just like many craft streets in the quarter, overpopulation has taken its toll on Lan Ong Street’s architecture and residents’ traditional craft and living tempo.

Hoan Kiem District authorities are also poised to launch week-long activities on Friday to honor the street’s herbal medicine craft.

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