A resettlement area - Not really a good exchange

A quick snack before start time!!!

Another week has passed and I have a feeling that time flows too quick since joining this wonderful course. The second field trip is to a new urban development area named Dich Vong, which is in Cau Giay district.

To be honest, this area is out of my expectation because at first I hoped to pick up one luxurious complex that is often called paradise of Hanoi like Ciputra or The Mannor. Anyway, we welcomed any place to discover as having a good time hanging around with other group members is a great thing already and any place has its own special features to explore.

As a result of our findings, Dich Vong new urban development area actually is a resettlement area to meet the accommodation need for a group of people whose houses and lands are acquired for public project construction. It’s been finished since the beginning of last year. As a result of that, the area is not surrounded by many public services and not self-contained. Around 15 blocks are put together to creat a somehow messy area yet they lack some features of “global identity” and modernity like the other luxurious trade-apartment-hotel complexes. 

One representing block of Dich Vong area

Everything seems to be created in a hurry way just temporarily enough to meet the urgent demand of land acquisition. A wide array of functions that support the modern life of good living, learning and recreation are not seriously considered by investors and project holders, reflected by the fact that so many things on our list are impossible to be found within walking distance, such as schools, police offices and hospitals.

We could figure out where to find stuffs for life within surrounding locations on the main street called Nguyen Phong Sac and it seems that there are more new shops and stalls on this street opened just to meet the increasing demand of a portion of new population moving to this place.

Inside the area we did locate a small fitness center where locals can practice some sports or do gymnastics regularly but the outside architecture is quite old and unattractive. And cost of living around the premises is quite reasonable, just normal as the other ordinary living places near my house as most of the people there belong to medium-income class.

One interesting point I was a little bit surprised is another real reflection of our old lesson about inside-out when noticing a big pot in the facial shape on the pavement where people often burn paper objects for the death or to the God of Earth governing that area on some special days. It’s so odd to do such a ritual thing outside on the pavement!

Example of inside-out: A ritual burning pot on the pavement

If I can choose my living place, there will be no time this area appearing in my mind as it lack a lot of necessary public services for a normal life and the architecture is not attractive at all.