VietNamNet Bridge - A new entertainment and arts zone for Hanoi’s youth named X98, in Hoang Cau Street, is nearly finished. It is similar in structure with Zone 9.

X98 is formed by the former co-founder of Zone 9, a favorite destination of Hanoi youth and expats which closed in late 2013.

Zone 9 was the former home of the Central Pharmaceutical Enterprise 2, which faces Tran Thanh Tong and Nguyen Huy Tu roads, Hanoi. This zone consists of five blocks built in the 1960’s.

After over 50 years, some areas had deteriorated. Many walls and ceilings were cracked; beams and pillars were also rusty. After the Central Pharmaceutical Enterprise left, this area was abandoned. In early 2013, a number of individuals and organizations hired and turned the place into an entertainment and arts center for youth, which was known as “Zone 9.”

Zone 9 was home to coffee shops, bars, restaurants, fashion shops, studios, galleries, yoga classes and art centers. Each shop was designed in a unique style, but they all had in common ruins and nostalgic atmosphere with peeling walls and recycled furniture.

People said that Zone 9 was attractive for its desolate, silent atmosphere, which is rare in a bustling city like Hanoi. Zone 9 was compared to "Paris in the heart of Hanoi" and many young people liked to take pictures there.

At Zone 9, many art events took place such as the Berlin street art and light art show held by the German Embassy, an exhibition of Hanoi in the subsidy period, traditional music and underground music shows, among others.

In September 2013, the first accident occurred here. Two young girls on the 4th floor fell to the third floor when the railing collapsed. After the incident, the local authorities suspended the business license for the Zone.

On November 19, a fire at the Fuse Bar in Zone 9 killed six people. After the accident, Hanoi authorities decided to close the zone.

Some pictures of X98:

Thanh Van