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T
housands of youngsters are
longing for the return of Zone
9, Hanoi’s defunct arts and bar
district which was home to stu-
dios, galleries, boutiques, restaurants
and nightclubs.
Zone 9 was the former home of the
Central Pharmaceutical Enterprise 2 head-
quarters between Tran Thanh Tong and
Nguyen Huy Tu roads. The site consists of
five blocks, each built in the 1960s.
Over the last half century, the
buildings have deteriorated and many
walls and ceilings are cracked and the
beams and pillars are rusted. Despite
this, at the start of 2013 a collective got
together to rent spaces and transform it
into a vibrant new culture hub. Already
famous Hanoi names moved in, includ-
ing Barbetta and Tadioto.
It quickly became the number one
place in the city for a night out and for
those looking to get an insight into Ha-
noi’s arts and fashion scenes. However,
before it even reached its six month
anniversary it was closed down by city
officials after a fire at the Fuse Bar killed
six people.
The closure left a big hole in the
capital and was an extremely sad affair
for its patrons and business owners.
Luckily however, some of the key peo-
ple behind Zone 9 were not deterred.
One such person is Tran Vu Hai, owner
of Barbetta, who told Timeout that they
have found a new space and begun
construction at 98 Hoang Cau in Dong
Da district. The new place will be known
as Area X-98.
According to Hai, Barbetta and
Tadioto will both be back in similar
style. “Before Zone 9, all the different
arts spaces were spread around the city.
Zone 9 became a centre for art and an
entertainment center, and X-98 will be
the same,” he said. So far, about 16
spaces have been taken by people from
Zone 9 and some new faces have also
come on board.
Nguyen Qui Duc is the owner of
Tadioto, which has now re-opened near
the opera house. Tadioto was one of
the very first places to open in Zone
9. Duc believes Hanoi is full of young
people looking for something similar. “I
don’t know how long some of the busi-
TAKE TWO
ZONE 9
The Zone 9 entertainment and cultural quarter was
a massive hit with Hanoians until it was abruptly
shut down. Aiming to repeat the formula and cre-
ate a new artistic hub, a group of former Zone 9
businesses are hard at work creating Area X-98. By
Nguyen Chung
timeout
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