Mobile karaoke groups are still common in the Hoan Kiem Lake area in Hanoi despite warnings from the authorities.

Karaoke by Hoan Kiem Lake

The mobile karaoke groups operate from Hang Tien-Hang Khay junction to Ba Kieu Temple so the sounds often overlap with nearby groups. Some groups are less than a metre away from each other.

Their equipment consists of a set of loudspeakers, a microphone and a mobile phone or tablet to select the songs. Customers can choose to try themselves with Vietnamese pre-war music, pop or children's songs. But the most popular genre is pop-traditional music from the late 1960s and early 1970s.

The Ha Thanh Xam singing group said karaoke on the streets was badly affecting the environment and that all kinds of businesses must be licensed by the authorities.

Director of Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports To Van Dong agreed that the mobile karaoke groups violated the regulations. The department's vice director Nguyen Quoc Chiem said Hoan Kiem District authorities should take responsibility for what is happening in their area.

On January 12, an inspection team seized some equipment and issued warnings to the groups. The Department of Culture and Information promised to improve the environment for the pedestrians.

However, many mobile karaoke groups still operate freely on the streets. When seeing security, they quickly turn off the loudspeakers and move to another location.

Tienphong/Dtinews