One major section of a public park in downtown Ho Chi Minh City will have all its commercial activities ceased in order to ease traffic jams, according to a recent proposal by the city’s Department of Transport. The 23/9 Park, located in Central Business District 1, is a 23-acre area confined by a square next to Ben Thanh Market and three streets, and crisscrossed by two other streets that divide it into three parts. One part, Section B, is known for its shops, restaurants, entertainment, and fairs. Section B is bounded by Nguyen Thi Nghia, Le Lai, Pham Ngu Lao, and Ton That Tung Streets. The municipal People’s Committee has approved a detailed plan for the park, according to which the spot has a number of functions. It first and foremost serves as a green, tree-covered public area for city residents, and then as a square for historical events. Some of the secondary uses are being a terminal for the future metro system, an underground parking lot, and a commercial center. However, the transport body has proposed stopping all fee-charging services and business activities taking place in Section B, due to its morphing objective. A report by the department shows that the section’s busy commercial scene has veered off the park’s original prime function, caused disturbance to its quotidian activities and created local traffic congestion, a frequent problem in the city. On closer examination, it found that the park’s chief function as a green environment does not figure in… [Read full story]
Two new branches of the Nguyen Van Cu Bridge in Ho Chi Minh City are scheduled to open to traffic this week, providing new routes for commuters and easing congestion in the downtown area.
The municipal Department of Transport is set to put the new bridge branches into operation on Thursday.
According to Le Minh Triet, director of the Management Center of the Saigon River Tunnel, the developer of the project, the construction was completed five months earlier than originally scheduled.
The project was initiated on November 29, 2016 with a capital investment of VND168 billion (US$7.4 million),…... [read more]
A test flight has been carried out to evaluate the function of a new helipad on a building in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. A test flight has been carried out to evaluate the function of a new helipad on a building in downtown Ho Chi Minh City. The Southern Vietnam Helicopter Company conducted the pilot flight at the Saigon Times Square building, located at 22-30 Nguyen Hue Street in District 1, on Friday morning. The chopper EC155B1 was used in the test flight, which was aimed at evaluating all specifications of the facility before official use. The activity had…... [read more]
A local environmental service firm has had hundreds of dustbins positioned around the downtown area of Ho Chi Minh City. Ho Chi Minh City Urban Environment Co. Ltd. (Citenco) placed 200 trash bins along six urban roads in District 1 on Sunday, including Le Duan, Le Loi, Pasteur, Dong Khoi, Le Thanh Ton, and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia. Such attempts were made to provide sufficient bins to raise people’s awareness of protecting the living environment as well as preserving the city’s beauty, the company’s leaders said. The bins, consisting of containers and stands, are painted green with the firm’s logo…... [read more]
If you expats are leisurely walking along a street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City and a man comes out of nowhere to invite you to buy his coconuts, chances are he is going to rip you off. ganh – the bamboo yokes hung with baskets at each end used to carry the fruits around – and charge them a great deal. When a couple of tourists were heading to Nam Ky Khoi Nghia in District 1 on May 5, they were stopped by a coconut vendor named Ngoc, who jumped out from his hiding place on Nguyen Du Street.…... [read more]
Catinat Street, the original name of Dong Khoi in downtown Ho Chi Minh City, was a unique fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese and French influences around a century ago. The street, which was later renamed Tu Do (Liberty) and Dong Khoi (General Uprising) Street, is located in the center of the country’s largest economic hub. Today’s Dong Khoi Street, considered by enthusiasts of the city’s 318-year history to be one of the most typical in Ho Chi Minh City, has been heavily frequented by foreigners over the past several years. The street thrives in having a ‘double life,’ featuring both the…... [read more]
