VietNamNet Bridge – Tranquility and charm have been holding back many foreigners to live and work in Hanoi. But what they fear the most is traffic chaos in the city, which has driven many out of the city. Chihyun Ryu, a South Korean 11th grader at the United Nations International School of Hanoi (Unis), however, has made great effort to make Hanoi City a more desirable place to stay, work and live. And she attends first to traffic improvement.

South Korean 11th grader Chihyun Ryu of the United Nations International School of Hanoi delivers a speech

The idea to improve traffic in Hanoi came to Chihyun Ryu all by coincidence. While in the 10th grade, the teacher assigned each student in her class to have a presentation about a topic “Individuals can change society”.

Right from the first days coming in Vietnam with her father, she had found out that one of the biggest differences between Korean and Vietnamese people is traffic behavior. So the Korean girl chose the topic of traffic because it is among issues that need to be changed first in Vietnam.

She says going down to the street by “xe ôm” is interesting but honking startles her. In Korea, honking is a rude action, and is acceptable just in case of emergency. But in Vietnam, horns are used anytime, anywhere, even when drivers stop at a red light or in a traffic jam. “The city will become more attractive if the traffic situation improves,” she notes.

So Romantic Hanoi project was born, taking root in the idea of the contrast between an international touristic city and chaotic traffic.

The presentation was quite successful with vivid evidence of true stories of how foreigners suffer from Vietnamese traffic. Whether a person walks or rides a bicycle or motorcycle, accidents can happen anywhere at anytime. “Most of my classmates love Hanoi, but all of them are afraid of Hanoi traffic. This has urged me to turn my ideas into action plans. My aim is to persuade people to change their attitude while driving, complying with traffic rules in Vietnam”.

Turning ideas into action

Her plan was supported by her father, an expert in the field of educational training. He gave his daughter a camera fitted on her helmet. They ran around the city on weekends and recorded images of Hanoi traffic.

And what that has been recorded shocked the young girl. “It’s only found in Vietnam: five people riding on a motorcycle on the road as in a circus; a motorcycle carrying a gas tank or a big fridge; pictures of cows roaming on the street… More frightening is the scene of traffic accidents on the road,” she recalls.

After more than one year, she has quietly taken thousands of photos and clips about traffic in Vietnam. She chose the 365 best photos in order to print a wall calendar and a desk calendar. In addition, she went to Bat Trang to order cups printed with a logo designed by herself.  Those things were sold for money to finance her project.

Besides, she went to embassies, foreign companies and organizations in Hanoi to persuade them to join in her project. “There are many different types of problems on the Vietnamese street causing traffic chaos, which cannot be improved within a short period of time. However, people need to understand the advantage of order. The motivation of this Romantic Hanoi Project came from the idea that the situation will be better when people are aware of those advantages that help change the traffic situation in Hanoi. Many foreign companies, embassies and other NGOs have signed up to train their drivers to keep basic rules,” the student says.

In order to popularize the project, she has acquired the domain http://hanoitraffic.com and establish a Facebook fanpage to share clips and pictures on traffic problems in Hanoi.

On December 6 this year, she launched the project in Hanoi which gathered several big companies and organizations like Ernst and Young, some Korean companies, and foreign embassies in Vietnam with hundreds of people. “I designed three stickers which can be glued to a car, a motorbike or even on a helmet. The stickers will be provided to the owners of vehicle or organization when they agree to sign up for the Romantic Hanoi project,” she explains.

When people committed to join her project, there would be four compliance rules they have to follow: avoid excessively honking; avoid excessive use of high beams; keep the lane; and avoid using mobiles while driving. “Everything is just in the beginning, my father and I will try our best to persuade more foreign companies, organizations and NGOs to participate in the plan,” she notes.

She will return to Korea for university next year. Before leaving Hanoi, the Korean girl would like to contribute a small part to improve traffic in the city. She says: “Instead of just complaining or thinking, we should act. I believe that everyone can make a change, please join to make Hanoi more romantic”.

SGT/VNN