Current status of the 2 oldest parks in Hanoi
In 2023, the Hanoi People's Council approved investment policies and adjusted investment policies for a number of projects using public investment capital, in the list of approved public works with investment policies including projects to renovate and upgrade 3 parks: Thong Nhat, Thu Le, Bach Thao with a total capital of nearly 900 billion VND.
The implementation period is from 2023 to 2026, with the Hanoi City Civil Works Construction Investment Project Management Board as the investor.
However, up to this point, there are still 2/3 park projects that have not been renovated, namely Thu Le Park and Bach Thao Park (capital of nearly 479 billion VND).
According to Lao Dong, currently, at Bach Thao Park (in Ngoc Ha Ward, Ba Dinh District), which was once considered the "green lung" of the capital, there are many degraded items. Some sculptures with artistic value have been displayed in this park for many years and are rusty and no longer intact, and have not been repaired or replaced.
Meanwhile, the walking path and bridges connecting to the island have been damaged and dilapidated at many points. Currently, the management unit has locked the entrance to avoid danger for people entering to visit.
In Thu Le Park (also known as Hanoi Zoo, Ba Dinh district), there are many areas that have shown signs of deterioration over time. In some cages, the protective iron frames have rusted, the roads are bumpy and the railing system is rusty. The lighting system in some places has been broken but has not been replaced.
Reasons for slow renovation progress
According to the Hanoi Department of Construction, the two large parks are in the renovation and upgrading plan but are behind schedule due to changes in management decentralization, from city to district.
According to Chairman of Ba Dinh District People's Committee Ta Nam Chien, the project to renovate and upgrade Bach Thao Park was approved in September 2023, with the goal of increasing the area of urban trees and serving the needs of the people.
However, the project implementation progress is slow due to the transfer of documents from the Hanoi City Civil Works Construction Investment Project Management Board to the Ba Dinh District People's Committee, leading to the need to submit to the City People's Council for approval to adjust the investment policy.
In addition, the renovation of the park must be synchronized with the establishment of a detailed plan for the park at a scale of 1/500, according to the provisions of the detailed plan for the Ba Dinh political center. It is expected that the preparation and approval of the Detailed Planning will be completed in the third quarter of 2025.
Thu Le Park, with an area of over 28 hectares, has been in operation for nearly 50 years. The park renovation project is invested by the Hanoi City Civil Works Construction Investment Project Management Board, and is currently only implementing investment preparation work.
The renovation of the park is facing difficulties due to the need for site clearance for some households in the area, with about 36 households subject to site clearance. The People's Committee of Ba Dinh District has directed relevant units to survey and determine the number and area of households subject to site clearance, as a basis for implementation after the project is approved.
