The old town was empty, houses on the roads were closed and bolted. For the people of Hoi An, not a year have they welcome such an “extraordinary” New Year.
Covid-19 broke out in the last days of the year, Hoi An city halted pedestrian streets and motor vehicles on the roads, so the majority of people and tourists canceled all spring travel plans, welcome the New Year to Stay home to avoid epidemics. So Hoi An New Year’s Eve was unusually deserted.
There is no longer the scene of people flocking to the old town waiting for the transition between the new year and the old year, the closer this year is, the closer the New Year’s Eve is, the more people take advantage of quickly to get back. worshiping.
The busy streets of the old town such as Tran Phu, Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc … are also strangely quiet. Without customers, they also stopped trading.
“During the holidays, Tet is also the time when domestic tourists pay and love to travel. Every year on the Lunar New Year, I have a lot of Western and other local visitors coming back. Especially New Year’s Eve, every year. Five people poured in from all over. But this year, due to the Covid-19 translation, tourists could not travel, people were afraid to go to the street and I had to close early, “said a shop owner at Bach Dang Street.
Many tourist activities serving tourists also fall into the “humid” scene, there are many sellers and too few visitors.
More than 20 years working as a tourist rowing boat in Hoi An, but never before year Mrs. Vu Thi Xuan (68 years old) has witnessed such a “strange” New Year’s Eve here.
According to Ms. Xuan, every year to the New Year’s Eve, people and tourists from all over, including foreign tourists flock to Hoi An to welcome New Year’s Eve very crowded. The roads are full of people visiting and playing. But this year, the old town is lonely, people are afraid to enter the city because it is too deserted.Play Video01:13New Year’s Eve “strange” in Hoi An
“There is no New Year’s Eve that Hoi An is so deserted. For nearly half a month, because there are no customers, I take a break from the rowing boat, and today I hope to be crowded. But sitting for a few hours, I could not invite anyone to go.” Every year, every year, I can’t wait to pick up New Year’s Eve on the street, but this year I have to move home early, “Ms. Xuan said sadly.
The Nguyen Hoang night market area is a crowded place for tourists, but nowadays, many sellers don’t have much. “Just had a large number of customers coming back from the New Year, but now Covid-19 customers are absent. Today we sell again without any customers,” said Nguyen Thi Lan, a small trader at the market. .
Hoi An Ancient Town gradually returned to the “slow” pace of life as before, this is too familiar and gradually “bored” with residents here.
The rows of bright lanterns lit to “wake up” Hoi An have to be temporarily put off, some tourism products or cultural activities to celebrate spring and Tet in Hoi An have to be halted to prevent epidemics.
The Lunar New Year is seen as a golden opportunity to revive the tourism industry. However, the Covid-19 outbreak once again threatened to “freeze” Hoi An’s tourism activities, causing businesses and localities to worry.
According to Mr. Phan Xuan Thanh – Chairman of Quang Nam Tourism Association, through a preliminary survey of some major tourism enterprises in Hoi An, most reported losses from tens to hundreds of billion VND. Many people have to borrow or pledge or sell property.
The government, the people and the tourism business community in Hoi An city are trying to manage to overcome the difficulties caused by the pandemic, ready to recover when the situation is under control.
Walking in the old town on New Year’s Eve, looking at the deserted street, only a few young people scattering springtime make everyone unable to help out. With the people of Hoi An, they hope not to have such a “different” New Year’s Eve, and the disease will be controlled, and tourism will gradually recover as before.
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