Contrary to expectations of a tranquil atmosphere, the area around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi witnessed local residents coming out to the streets in even larger droves than normal.

On Friday - the first day of the Year of the Ox, the sight of a quiet Hanoi, which is normally expected during the Lunar New Year holidays, was only seen in the areas surrounding the city’s downtown.

According to Tuoi Tre (Youth) correspondent, the Hanoi’s Old Quarter and pedestrian area surrounding Hoan Kiem Lake were packed with strollers looking to revel in the ambience of the new year.

The crowd only added up during the afternoon, with traffic congestion spreading from the Old Quarter to the arterial streets of Hang Bai, Quan Su, Thanh Nien and Quan Thanh.

Due to the unexpected developments of COVID-19 in the city, many immigrants and students in Hanoi chose to stay in the capital city instead of returning to their hometowns for Lunar New Year celebration.

However, they did not get to enjoy the quiet side of Hanoi as reported on the press in the previous Lunar New Year holidays.

For the first Lunar New Year celebration she spends in Hanoi, Bao Nghi, a student at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, said she headed to the Hoan Kiem Lake area in the morning, but the experience did not live up to her expectation.

“An idyllic Hanoi is an experience that everyone wants to live, which is why I felt let down seeing the streets being crowded as usual.”

A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

A motorbike carrying three people is seen in downtown Hanoi on February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

A street in downtown Hanoi is crowded in the afternoon of February 12, 2021. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

Traffic police use vehicle to block the Ba Trieu – Hai Ba Trung junction in Hanoi in a bid to avoid congestion. Photo: Mai Thuong / Tuoi Tre

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