Hanoi will erect a Km0 marker next to Ho Guom Lake.

Perspective view of the Ly Thai To flower garden ceremonial area after renovation.

On March 21, the Hoan Kiem District People's Committee announced that the district is preparing to invest in a project to renovate Ly Thai To flower garden with the goal of preventing deterioration, supplementing urban equipment, and promoting the historical and cultural value of the Hoan Kiem Lake area.

The district, together with the winning team of the Km0 milestone design competition organized by the Architecture magazine of the Vietnam Association of Architects and the district in 2020, will install the Km0 milestone in the center of the ceremonial square, in front of the statue of King Ly Thai To.

The winning team from Hanoi University of Architecture submitted a design titled "Gate of Light." Drawing on the Vietnamese philosophy of a round sky and a square earth, the team designed a landmark as a single-piece square copper plate with a circular center representing Hanoi, from which radiating grooves resemble ancient roads. The team also incorporated lighting technology for day, night, and major holidays to highlight Kilometer 0 without affecting the space surrounding the Ly Thai To monument.

Along with the installation of the Km0 milestone, Hoan Kiem district will renovate and beautify Ly Thai To flower garden with three main areas: the ceremonial area, the bandstand area, and the flower garden park area. The ceremonial area includes a lobby, a ceremonial courtyard, and an incense offering area, expanding the ceremonial courtyard towards the sidewalk of Dinh Tien Hoang street with Km0 placed in the center of the courtyard.

The Bandstand courtyard (often called the octagonal building) has been re-planned with a system of trees and lawns to increase usable space. The park and garden area is organized into two main spatial axes: the Bandstand - State Bank axis; and the Presidential Office - Children's Palace axis. The central courtyard is used for activities, with a musical fountain system arranged along the east-west axis.

The district will also expand the flower garden area connecting with Le Lai, Le Thach, and Dinh Tien Hoang streets; pave the flower garden and the streets of Le Lai and Le Thach with stone; and paint lines combined with paving stones on Dinh Tien Hoang street to connect the flower garden area and Ho Guom Lake. Unsuitable or poorly developed shade trees will be replaced to increase shade area and improve the landscape, while also adding lighting systems and urban equipment to meet the new functional needs.

The renovation of Ly Thai To flower garden, including the installation of the Km0 milestone, is expected to begin in April and be completed in October.

The construction of a Km0 milestone in the Ho Guom area has been discussed for many years. In 2009 and 2012, Associate Professor Ha Dinh Duc proposed building the zero-kilometer milestone at Ho Guom, at the intersection of Hang Khay and Dinh Tien Hoang streets (where the city currently has a floral clock), but received no response from the authorities.

In mid-2018, in a document sent to Hoan Kiem District, the Vietnam Surveying, Mapping and Geographic Information Agency ( Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment ) affirmed the necessity of constructing a "zero milestone". This agency proposed placing the "zero milestone" at the intersection of Hang Khay and Dinh Tien Hoang streets, suggesting it should be a standing milestone rather than a lying one.

Overall view of the renovated Ly Thai To flower garden from above.

In May 2020, during a meeting with Hoan Kiem district, the leaders of the Hanoi City Party Committee raised the issue of constructing a zero-mile marker at Hoan Kiem Lake, stating that "this will be a landmark not only for the capital but for the whole country, a place that will attract domestic and international tourists."

Ly Thai To Flower Garden, located in Trang Tien ward, covers an area of ​​over 10,000 square meters and is bordered by Dinh Tien Hoang, Le Thach, Le Lai, and Ngo Quyen streets. This area includes the Office of the President, the Hanoi City Party Committee, the Hanoi City People's Council and People's Committee, the Metropole Hotel, and other facilities.

TH (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/ha-noi-se-dung-cot-moc-km0-ben-ho-guom-407762.html