Less than a month after Hanoi’s 1,000th anniversary ended many of the brick sidewalks built in preparation of the celebration are falling to pieces.

On Pham Van Dong Street in Cau Giay District many of the octagonal paving stones have come loose. Some other areas of the street have sunk, creating huge holes that pose great dangers to pedestrians.

Not far from there, Pham Hung Street is exhibiting many of the same signs of disrepair. From the My Dinh bus station to the Hanoi Museum, numerous bricks have come loose and vanished. Additionally, the roadway is addled with potholes filled with standing water.

“After every rain, pavements sank further," said Tran Thi Lua, a vendor near the bus station. "Wild grasses sprang up hiding the holes and causing pedestrians to fall in."

Many of the sidewalks in the inner city’s Dong Da, Ba Dinh and Hoan Kiem districts are no better.

Locals living on Phan Dinh Phung Street in Ba Dinh District blamed poor construction efforts for downgraded sidewalks.

They also said most of the people hired to build the pavements were unskilled workers plucked from labor markets.