Hanoi awakens the potential of railway tourism

The tourist train “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates” is not simply a means of transportation, but a vivid journey between memory and the present. Each train car is named after a historic gate: Cau Den Gate, Quan Chuong Gate, Cau Giay Gate, Cho Dua Gate, Dong Mac Gate, which are familiar symbols of Hanoi with more than a thousand years of civilization.

– Two new products: The cultural tourist train “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates” and the tour “Metro 2A Green Journey” have lit up hope for a new development direction for the capital’s tourism industry. The new tourism products bring visitors experiences, emotions and pride.

Cruise ships carry cultural stories along the journey of tourists' experiences. Photo: VGP/Minh Anh

Discover Hanoi from memory to modernity on the rails

Mr. Dao Duc Hiep, Chairman of the Board of Directors of BHL Tourism Company - the initiator of this unique tourism product, shared: "We want to recreate Hanoi in many different slices. Each train car is a story, a space of memories, where visitors can live with the old sounds, enjoy the art and typical cuisine of the Capital."

The interior space of the train is delicately designed: the dome evokes the shape of Long Bien bridge, the colors of the tiles, the shuttered doors, Dong Ho folk paintings... All bring visitors back to old Hanoi, but in a modern journey.

The highlight of the trip was the vibrant cultural experience with mini-music shows combining folk and modern, Hanoian dishes from vermicelli, pho, sticky rice, rice rolls to fish cakes, rustic hometown gifts. It was a Hanoi that was both elegant and simple, "presented" on the moving train.

After only three weeks of operation, each trip of “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates” has reached a capacity of over 97%, a number that speaks to the strong attraction and affirms the sustainable development potential of the product.

If The Hanoi Train evokes memories, Metro 2A – Cat Linh – Ha Dong line opens up a green, modern and friendly Hanoi. The line is 13 km long, with 12 stations, connecting relics, commercial centers, traditional craft villages and new residential areas.

From this infrastructure, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has coordinated with Hanoi Railway One Member Co., Ltd. and travel agencies to build two model tours: Green Journey - Van Phuc Silk Village, taking tourists by metro from Cat Linh station to Ha Dong, then cycling to the craft village, visiting Van Phuc pagoda, silk market, experiencing traditional silk weaving. And Green Journey - Temple of Literature - Phu Luong Depot, taking tourists from Temple of Literature - Quoc Tu Giam, learning about history, then taking metro to Van Khe, continuing to visit Phu Luong Depot operation center with OCC control room and simulated cockpit.

Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Railway Company Limited, said: “We do not just take passengers from point A to point B, but want to turn the metro journey into a cultural and educational experience. Visitors can travel and learn about history, technology and urban life at the same time.”

With these two tours, Mr. Kieu Viet, Head of Travel Management Department (Hanoi Department of Tourism) commented: “Metro 2A offers the opportunity to explore the capital in a convenient and environmentally friendly way. Each train station is a gateway to a cultural story, a culinary space or an entertainment spot”.

Towards a Hanoi of "heritage trains"

Deputy Director of Hanoi Department of Tourism Tran Trung Hieu affirmed: “Railway and tourism have a symbiotic relationship. Railways provide safe and friendly means of transport; tourism brings a stable and diverse source of visitors. This is an inevitable combination in the trend of green tourism, slow experiences, and exploration of local culture”.

Therefore, recently, the Hanoi Department of Tourism has announced the product group “Transportation – Metro – Railway” in the set of “80 Hanoi experiences not to be missed” to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2. In which, the two tours combining metro and “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates” play a core role.

Mr. Nguyen Manh Hung, Deputy General Director of Hanoi Tourism Corporation commented: “The Cat Linh – Ha Dong Metro has a great advantage when the train runs smoothly, on time, has reasonable ticket prices, and modern stations. He believes that if there are more culinary services, souvenirs, and cultural spaces right at the stations, it will become an attractive tourism product.”

Agreeing, Mr. Nguyen Tuan Anh, Permanent Vice President of the Hanoi Unesco Travel Club, proposed: “Metro stations should have diagrams, maps, QR codes introducing check-in points; issue 1-3 day tickets at preferential prices; connect with city tours, buses and public bicycles. For the journey “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates”, time should be arranged for tourists to get off at the stations to visit more”.

Mr. Do Tuan Khoa, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism of Bac Ninh, commented: “The cultural tourism train “The Hanoi Train – Hanoi 5 gates” connecting Hanoi with Bac Ninh has given tourists the opportunity to experience the memories of Hanoi’s 5 gates and the heritage of Quan Ho, craft villages, beliefs and Kinh Bac culture. This is a natural extension of the railway journey, connecting the heritage of the Northern Delta region”.

From the initial success of creative railway tourism products, experts and businesses expect more diverse railway products with trains running around Hanoi, chartered tourist groups, regional cuisine cars, art performance cars, inter-provincial heritage connection routes, etc.

Mr. Khuat Viet Hung, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hanoi Railway Company Limited, said that the unit is implementing daily and weekly tickets, building a tourism information application, and coordinating with businesses to expand culinary and shopping services around the station. "Hanoi Metro will develop long-term, unique products, contributing to making Hanoi a leading railway tourism destination in the region," he emphasized.

All these efforts are aimed at one goal: to turn each train trip into a cultural journey, so that visitors can feel Hanoi in motion that is both nostalgic and modern; both elegant and vibrant.

The initial success of The Hanoi Train and Metro 2A Green Journey is an affirmation that rail tourism is not only a trend, but also a great potential for Hanoi to make a breakthrough.

Source: Government Electronic Newspaper

Source: http://sodulich.hanoi.gov.vn/ha-noi-danh-thuc-tiem-nang-du-lich-duong-sat.html