The houses on Hang Dao, Hang Duong, Hang Dau and other streets in the Old Quarter have been repainted and the wooden barriers, windows and doors have also been reinforced. The residents were
also guided on how to install signboards to be more suitable to the surrounding.

Dang Dinh Bang, deputy head of the Management Board of the Old Quarter, said, the project to facelift the houses started in 2016 after the pilot programme on Ta Hien and Lan Ong streets proved
successful. The management board has repainted houses on many streets including Hang Khay, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Thai To streets. The project is expected to be completed in 2020.

76-year-old Cao Thi Manh Tan on Ma May Street, whose house was repainted, said she approved of the project immediately. "I have lived there for 63 years so it's great to see the house repainted, the roof
and the windows got repaired," she said.

The management board will use three different shades of yellow to paint houses depending on the age of the building. Buildings that have architectural values will be restored.

The Old Quarter covers 105 hectares and includes 10 wards in Hoan Kiem District. After working with experts from the French city of Toulouse Con the houses on Ta Hien Street, the management board has
more experience in classifying the houses into three types which are houses with traditional Vietnamese style, Chinese style and European style.

Bang said the project was only half-finished. Their hardest task was to restore and preserve valuable houses since it's a joint effort between the government and the owners. Some houses have already been
damaged by bad modern additional work, making it impossible to restore them.

"Many houses are leased out for businesses and the owners are not very willing to make changes," Bang said.

Nhipsonghanoi/Dtinews