World heritage town extends pedestrian-only days
15:00 04/03/2009

      Vietnam’s centuries-old Hoi An Town, a UNESCO world heritage site will extend its weekly pedestrian days from two to three, showcasing a plethora of cultural activities.

The Quang Nam provincial administration, where Hoi An town is located, said they will ban vehicles from certain areas of the city for three days starting in March, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays.

The extension received strong support from both local residents and foreign tourists, Hoi An authorities said.

Electric bicycles are also to be prohibited from entering the areas on the three days as of this August, they added.

The local administration said an array of cultural activities in the ancient town would be maintained, featuring daily lifestyles of Hoi An’s residents in the early 20th century.

Other new performances reminiscent of Vietnamese traditional rituals were also on the cards.

The idea of organizing non-vehicle days in Hoi An was originally conceived in 2004, with the first pedestrian-only areas debuting in July that year.

Initially, Wednesdays and Saturdays were chosen as days when Hoi An’s seven streets of Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Tran Phu, Le Loi, Hoang Van Thu, Chau Thuong Van, and Nguyen Thi Minh Khai were limited to pedestrians and bicycles only.

Reported by Ho Trong – Translated by An Dien

Source : thanhniennews.com