(VOVWORLD) -Taking pictures with 3D ice cream shaped like Hanoi's scenic sites while checking in at these landmarks is a hot trend. Ly Hai Hoang Tan, the owner of the Gelato Stick ice cream shop, has used the 3D ice cream bars to promote Hanoi's famous tourist destinations to domestic and foreign visitors.
 The 3D ice creams shaped like famous scenic sites in Hanoi have been well responded by young people. (Photo credit: Ly Hai Hoang Tan)
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The 3D ice creams are created in the shapes of landmarks and sightseeing spots in Hanoi including One Pillar Pagoda, Turtle Tower, and Opera House, that most tourists will visit first when coming to the capital city.
To make the unique ice creams, Ly Hai Hoang Tan, owner of Gelato Stick, an ice cream shop at 113 Nguyen Khang Street, Cau Giay district, went to different places to learn how to make them.
Since 2018 Tan has been selling animal-shaped ice pops. But last year he began to make ice cream products featuring the cultural and architectural icons of Hanoi.
Tan recalled, “It comes from the fact that I like to eat ice cream and have a passion for making ice cream. I went abroad to learn to make ice cream.”
“Vietnam has many beautiful scenic spots, especially in Hanoi, so I made these ice pops to promote tourism. Visitors to Hanoi can eat ice cream and take check-in photos. That migh attract more tourists,” Tan noted.
 The ice cream mix is slowly filled into the molds so that the ice cream bars are smooth without any holes. (Photo: Nhat Minh)
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It took Tan three months to debut the product after coming up with the idea. First, he went to some famous places and took photos. Then he turned the photos into drawings. He admits that small details had to be cut out, but he tries to make the most characteristic lines visible on the ice cream.
From each drawing Tan cast a mold and poured ice cream into it to try it out. To produce a 3D ice cream that’s an accurate replica of a famous landmark, Tan had to repeatedly make corrections to the drawings and re-cast the mold.
The process to create the treats, Tan said, is meticulous with materials weighed and measured by ratio. When perfected, the mold is filled with ice cream mix, frozen, and then the ice cream is separated from the mold, boxed, and stored at -30 degrees Celsius.
The mix is Tan’s own recipe, made from ingredients imported from Italy. There are several flavors for customers to choose from, including vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, coconut, and cheese.
According to Tan, “The flavor must be familiar to Vietnamese people. It should be not too sweet and contain fresh fruit, have a natural color, and be low-fat so as not to cloy the appetite.”
 The finished ice cream bars are carefully separated from the molds. (Photo: Nhat Minh)
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Tan’s vision is to give the public delicate culinary sculptures that reflect Hanoi’s one thousand years of civilization. Each ice cream is more than a tasty treat. It’s a journey to discover Hanoi’s beauty.
After the success of his 3D ice cream in the shape of Hanoi's landmarks, Tan is introducing a new collection called "Vietnam’s provinces and cities", each item representing a different locality in Vietnam.
For the Year of Dragon, Gelato Stick has also launched ice cream products in the shape of the 12 zodiac animals.