A few weeks before Christmas, the warm atmosphere filled the block D6 Trung Tu complex (anele 17, lane 4C Dang Van Ngu). This is a familiar shopping, dining and coffee destination for many young people in the capital Hanoi.
Not only inside the shops but also outside the 100m long alley has been decorated splendidly, sparkling with the typical red and green of Christmas. Outside, many stores are even "heavily" investing in decorating large pine trees, large teddy bears and Christmas accessories such as balls, candy, ice cubes... following the current trend.
Not only this Christmas, in previous years, this small alley always attracted a large number of visitors, especially girls. Since then, the D6 Trung Tu Block complex has been affectionately called "Christmas Alley" for Christmas.
Mr. Pham Hoang (32 years old, Hanoi), a street photographer, said that the alley is bustling whether it is on weekdays or weekends.
"There are many girlfriends and even families lining up to take photos here. I joked with my friend that this was a place where every "1m2 has 10 glitter" because everyone was splendid enough to wait for their turn to take souvenir photos.
Ms. Do Van Anh (26 years old, Hung Yen) expressed: Although I know that the D6 Trung Tu Block complex is crowded every year, even having to queue, I still want to visit. Because here, I feel the warm atmosphere of the upcoming Christmas season and the meticulousness and enthusiasm of store owners when decorating for the big year-end holiday.
"This year, many restaurants in the alley have posted signs collecting a fee of 50,000 VND for customers who come to take photos without ordering drinks. I also ordered drinks and cakes to be able to take the most beautiful photos. Moreover, this year, there are many new shops in the alley, making the Christmas alley more sparkling, Van Anh said.
Sharing with Lao Dong, Ms. An Vu (36 years old), owner of a series of cafes and clothing stores in the D6 Trung Tu Block complex, said that when traveling abroad, she wants to create a small neighborhood for young people with many types of businesses.
She has been nurturing this project for 3 years. At first, it was only from the first clothing store that she rented out; then, for every rented house, Ms. An called friends with the same taste to do business and create a space complex as it is now.
She expressed: "Every Christmas, a small alley is a meeting place for young people. A good thing for now is that we welcome groups of tourists from Korea every day. Hopefully this alley will contribute a small part to the development of tourism in the capital.
This entertainment complex is just a place for taking photos, visitors can shop for clothes, accessories, decorations or sit and sip drinks, chat with friends right in the alley about 100m long.
