Despite Hanoi’s sweltering weather, carnival artists paraded down a pedestrians-only street with extravagant dance and music to cheer from locals and tourists Sunday.

The street around Hoan Kiem (Sword) Lake, a popular hangout for foreign visitors, saw more than 80 Vietnamese and foreign performers entertain the audience.

Starting from King Ly Thai To’s statue, the artists in colorful costumes danced on 2-km stretch of road around the lake. The parade stopped at three places to perform to great cheers from the audience.

One of the highlights was the foreign artists’ spectacular costumes and dancing.

A female artist performed outdoor under the severe heat wave of the capital. Hanoi has been hit by a severe heat wave in recent days, with temperatures soaring to 40 degrees Celsius. 

An artist entertains the crowds with a fireball performance. 

This year’s street carnival carried the message of integration and development to promote Hanoi as the ‘City of Peace."

Carnival dancers from the Americas.

This was the second street carnival to be held in Hanoi as part of efforts to boost tourism and create cultural and artistic spaces for locals during weekends. The first took place in September 2017.

Last year was a successful one for the city’s tourism sector, with a record number of 5.74 million foreigners arriving, 16 percent up from 2017. Tourism authorities are stepping up efforts to get foreign visitors to stay longer.

Photos by Giang Huy