VietNamNet Bridge - As Hanoi lacks amusement parks and playgrounds for children, parents have to keep their children inside during summer holiday or send them to extra classes. 

“My mother said I would have to go to an English class this summer. I may also attend a life skills training course. The remaining time I will spend to do some math and English exercises to prepare for the competition to secondary school the next year,” said Nguyen Huy Hung, a fourth grader in Thanh Xuan district when asked about his plan for the summer holiday.

Hung’s mother confirmed that Hung would spend most of his time in classes and at home. “He would have fewer lessons in summer holiday, but, as you see, there is no good playground for children in our residential quarter,” she explained.

In Thanh Xuan residential quarter in Thanh Xuan district, Nghia Tan residential quarter in Cau Giay district and in new urban areas like My Dinh, Trung Hoa and Nhan Chinh, street food shops, cafes, tea shops and parking lots have replaced gardens and playgrounds. 

In other residential quarters, there are only small playgrounds, about tens of square meters large with rusty and old toys. The play football or badminton on the road, in busy traffic. 

As Hanoi lacks amusement parks and playgrounds for children, parents have to keep their children inside during summer holiday or send them to extra classes.

West Lake, Hoan Kiem Lake, Hoa Binh and Thong Nhat Parks could be the good places for children. However, they are not the choices of many Hanoi’s parents because of risks.

Despite recommendations from the Department of Preventive Medicine, dogs are not kept on leashes on Hanoi’s streets and in parks. Parents don’t bring children to the parks because they don’t want the children to see behavior by couples there.

Duong Viet Ha, director of the Hanoi Children’s Palace, said Hanoi seriously lacks playgrounds for children. The Hanoi Children Palace, the Ba Dinh district Culture Center, the Son Tay Children’s House and the Ha Dong Culture House are the few places where children and students can go.

The Hanoi Children’s Palace is a destination for thousands of children in Hanoi where they can learn dancing, singing, playing piano, martial arts, life skills and attend many interesting courses. 

However, there is a problem that the repair and maintenance of the palace has not been completed. The number of children going there this summer would be just 1/3 of that in the years before.

Ha said in previous years the palace had received 15,000 children every summer. However, the palace has become crowded because of high demand.

Tien Phong