Nguyen Hue Walking Street

Nguyen Hue Walking Street is a broad pedestrian boulevard in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, running roughly 670 metres from the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee building at the top down toward the Saigon River. Converted from a traffic road in 2015, it is now the city's main public promenade and civic stage, used for flag ceremonies, Lunar New Year flower displays, public concerts and festivals. A statue of Ho Chi Minh stands in front of the People's Committee building, and the lines of trees, benches and fountains along the boulevard are flanked by cafes, shops and apartments. One of the most photographed buildings is the old apartment block at number 42, known as the Cafe Apartments, whose staircases are lined with small independent cafes and boutiques. By day the street is wide and open, quiet and hot, with a few joggers, street performers and photographers; after about 6:00pm it fills with families, young people, skaters, buskers and vendors, and the surrounding towers are lit. The street is open 24 hours and is busiest from 5:00pm to 11:00pm, especially on weekends and during public holidays. A visit takes one to two hours including a walk down to the river promenade, and it is easily combined with the Opera House at the top, the Bitexco Financial Tower and Ben Thanh Market, all within about 10 minutes on foot. Metro Line 1 stops at the Opera House station at the head of the street. Pickpocketing can occur in the biggest crowds, and motorbikes are not allowed on the pedestrian area.