Located in Cau Giay District, Nghia Do Park is one of Hanoi's oldest public parks. Built in 2002, it covers 42,000 square metres.
Work is being accelerated at the park to ensure it reopens soon to meet public demand. Piles of construction materials and debris block pathways and flower gardens.
Shortcuts near Nguyen Van Huyen Street and the Dich Vong Cultural House have been fenced off for construction, but many residents have breached the barriers and scaled the fences to enter the park.
Nguyen Trieu, a resident, said: "Since the renovation work started, I've continued exercising at the park, but I have to wear a mask because of the dust. I choose open, airy spots far from the construction materials to ensure safety."
According to Trieu, locals have no alternative space for daily exercise besides Nghia Do Park.
Several people even risked climbing down the lake embankment to squeeze through the barriers and save time.
At around 6.30 pm on March 24, the park was crowded with people exercising.
Hanoi is facing a severe shortage of public parks. Many local parks have also fallen into serious disrepair while renovation projects have progressed slowly.
