Hanoi to open tours at the Opera House

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Hanoi Opera House. Source: Internet

Minister Nguyen Ngoc Thien announced on March 29 that the ministry was planning to open tours at the Opera House.

The fences and the cafe inside the premise of the Opera House will be removed to make this area into an open park that connects with the Vietnam National Museum of History, Co Tan Garden and the August Revolution Square.

The ministry hopes to turn the Opera House into a special cultural destination, an iconic performing arts location of the city without commercialising it.

"The Opera House is not a place for commercial shows that pander to the crowd," Thien said.

Foreign designers and planners have been invited to work on the project. It is hoped that the planning phase will be completed this year. The budget will come from the state budget and private sector.

Nguyen Quoc Thong, Vice president Vietnam Architecture Association, supported the idea. The Opera House and the Vietnam National Museum of History were built during the French colonial period and have always been popular with tourists.

"In the old times, the fences were erected because the opera house served the French only. Now it has become a public place," Thong said.

Hanoi is boosting the local tourism with two advertisements on the US channel, CNN since mid-March. Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism To Van Dong said they were working with CNN to promote Hanoi.