Tourists share tips on choosing a place to watch the September 2nd parade

In order to avoid crowds and still have a good spot to watch the parades in Hanoi, many locals and tourists have drawn on their experiences after two practice sessions, preparing for the upcoming preliminary and final rehearsal days.

Two rehearsals for the parade at Ba Dinh Square (August 21 and 24) brought an unforgettable experience to thousands of people and tourists in Hanoi on this occasion. Before the official parade on September 2, there will be two more rehearsals on August 27 and 30. From the experiences of those who have participated, below is a summary of notes on the itinerary and suggested locations for a more complete experience.

Nguyen Tri Phuong – Dien Bien Phu intersection, one of the final stops of the journey, where many people waited since morning to see. Photo: Quy Luu

To fully watch the parade, many spectators choose to arrive very early, prioritizing high, open spots that are convenient for moving and observing.

At the first practice session on the evening of August 21, many people arrived early in the morning to reserve good seats. Those who arrived around 3 p.m. were unable to get in because security was tight.

Hanh Hanh, who lives in Lieu Giai, said she left home at 9am, nearly 12 hours earlier than the practice time. She said she needs to carefully check the areas where roads are closed and traffic is restricted. If you go by motorbike, you should find a place to park far away and then walk in. Going by car or calling a ride-hailing service will be quite inconvenient because the vehicles cannot get close to the viewing spots.

Select viewing location

According to the arrangement, the parade groups will start from three different directions and enter the Square, then turn into 6 branches. Therefore, spectators who want to follow a group need to choose the appropriate location in advance.

A two-story cafe with a view of the street is an ideal choice, with an open space, easy to observe and avoid jostling. However, the view in the cafe is often a bit diagonal, not directly facing the parade. In return, sitting in the cafe can use amenities such as the restroom, ordering food, and avoiding the sun and rain.

Ms. Hanh Hanh said that she chose a two-story coffee shop on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, with a view of the main road, to observe the second-line parade (domestic and international military groups, militia and self-defense forces, and police). These groups moved in the direction of Nguyen Thai Hoc - Trang Thi - Trang Tien. In the next sessions, Ms. Hanh plans to visit locations such as Le Duan or Kim Ma to change her perspective.

Chemical soldiers of the Chemical Corps, a force that only participates in a parade every 10 years. Photo: Hanh Hanh

Pham The Hien, 29 years old, living in Ho Chi Minh City, captured many beautiful moments of the parade. He chose Hang Chao intersection as a stop and found satisfactory shooting angles. To get this "prime" position, Hien arrived at 11am, took the opportunity to sit in a coffee shop, eat, and wait for the time to line up to reserve a spot.

“The area of ​​Ba Dinh Square and Le Hong Phong Street can observe many parades and equipment,” Hien said, adding that this area is often blocked off early.

One of the highly appreciated locations is the intersection of Hung Vuong and Phan Dinh Phung streets, near Mai Xuan Thuong Park. This is the gathering point before the blocks enter the Square. This area is often very crowded, so spectators need to arrive early to get a good spot.

Improved T-54B, T-55, T-90SK, T-62 tanks on Hung Vuong street. Photo: Giang Huy

From experience after two training sessions, Hoang Anh in Hanoi suggests that audiences should choose a location to watch the parade based on the force they want to follow and the characteristics of each area.

For those who want to see the army, police, command vehicles and the Red Flag, the Lieu Giai – Van Cao route is the ideal choice. Meanwhile, Le Duan route near Thong Nhat Park also has a large space to see the whole army and police passing by.

If you love motor vehicles, you should choose the Tran Phu – Nguyen Tri Phuong route. This area has wide sidewalks, surrounded mainly by government agencies.

On the contrary, the central area such as Trang Thi – Trang Tien, where the militia force passes through, is expected to be very crowded, making it difficult to observe. Those who arrive late can choose the Hang Khay – Trang Tien route but should avoid the area in front of the Opera House to avoid being jostled.

After finishing, families with young children or tourists can move to Hoan Kiem Lake area to rest and eat at the restaurants.

Parking

Hanoi has arranged many convenient parking spots, including 12 university campuses and 68 licensed spots on the road.

Tourists and residents can choose to park their vehicles at major universities such as the University of Natural Sciences , University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Hanoi University, etc. For those traveling from afar by car, the two parking lots at the foot of Chuong Duong Bridge (Tran Nhat Duat Street) are suitable parking spots with a price of about 300,000 VND.

Alternatively, another convenient option is to park at Saint Paul Hospital, then move to nearby parade viewing locations on Nguyen Thai Hoc or Tran Phu Street. This area also has the advantage of allowing spectators to rest and eat at the hospital canteen.

Hanoi has arranged 100 locations in four main areas for people to park their vehicles and then use public transport to get to the city center.

Safety and order notes

To ensure safety and order for the parades and marches on National Day, authorities recommend that people and tourists strictly follow traffic flow instructions and not cross the street or enter restricted areas.

Viewers should also avoid dangerous and unsightly behaviors such as climbing on power stations, fences or standing on other people's vehicles to take photos.

Regarding hygiene, the organizers call on people to preserve public spaces and not litter. The image of the national flag should also be respected and not thrown away after use, but collected in the right place.

People clean up trash after watching the military parade on the evening of August 24. Photo: Quy Luu

Spectators planning to watch the parade should proactively plan their schedule and choose their location in advance, as many central streets such as Nguyen Thai Hoc, Kim Ma, Le Duan, Trang Thi, Hang Khay, etc. will have limited traffic and shops may close early.

Regarding personal items, snacks, drinks, a light jacket or raincoat are essential. To join in the bustling atmosphere, many people also prepare hand fans, headbands and red flag shirts with yellow stars.

An important note is the travel after the event. Traffic jams and difficulty in calling technology cars are inevitable. Therefore, walking to the nearest train station is considered a more convenient and proactive travel option for residents and visitors.

Schedule for preliminary and general rehearsal of military parades and marches A80

– Preliminary review: 8:00 p.m., August 27

– General rehearsal: 6:30 a.m., August 30

Source: Vnexpress Newspaper

Source: http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn/du-khach-mach-kinh-nghiem-chon-cho-xem-dieu-binh-2-9.html