In the days leading up to the Lunar New Year, Tet is the Vietnamese traditional new year celebration. Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian boulevard in the historic centre of Ho Chi Minh City will have a variety of light and flower installations open for the public to enjoy.
A delightful pedestrian enclave, Nguyễn Huệ walking street stretches 700 metres from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee edifice down to Bach Dang Wharf. It is installed with automatically-operated mist-emitting systems and lined with over 200 trees and 122 large tubs of flowering creepers that create a greenish landscape for the whole street. It can be seen above in the pictures on the left.
The theme of 2020's celebrations, "Ho Chi Minh City – Confidently Stepping Forward", conveys a rapidly changing metropolis. The festival will showcase the importance of protecting traditions and also welcome the Year of the Rat. Mice mascots will be deployed throughout the street and the entrance way to the boulevard will feature motifs inspired by Dong Ho folk paintings.
https://www.tripsavvy.com/what-is-tet-1458357
City, state and local business venture
The project is a collaboration between Ho Chi Minh City Hall and Saigontourist, a state-owned enterprise that manages hotels and restaurants and runs guided tours throughout Vietnam. Various businesses from across the city have also contributed to the celebratory decorations.
Deputy General Director of Saigontourist, Truong Tan Son, said that the festival will feature a harmonious combination of environmentally friendly materials, modern architecture and positive social messages.
https://www.saigontouristvietnam.com/
Saigon history
It will always be Saigon to older generations, Graham Greene fans and war veterans, but Ho Chi Minh City as it is now boasts charming French colonial architecture including the People's Committee Building, Notre Dame Cathedral and Central Post Office. The city's wide boulevards are usually thick with traffic including the ubiquitous motorcycles and scooters.
While there, visit the Independence or Reunification Palace, a landmark in the city. It was here that the first communist tanks arrived on 30 April 1975 and crashed through the original wrought-iron gates, a scene witnessed in TV footage around the world.
Among the city's grand old colonial hotels are the Rex, Continental, Caravelle and Majestic. Check out the Municipal Theatre, also known as Saigon Opera House, which stands between the Hotel Continental and the Caravelle. Nearby is the huge Vincom Centre with a large number of shops and restaurants. For more intimate dining try Secret Garden Restaurant at 158 Pasteur.
All of the above places of interest are within easy walking distance of Nguyễn Huệ Street.