On January 1, 2026, the central area of Ho Chi Minh City recorded a crowded situation in entertainment areas. At Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, the entrance areas are often crowded with people.
Although online ticket sales have been deployed, due to the cumbersome traffic at the same time, the slow processing system makes it take many tourists an average of 10 minutes to complete the procedures to enter the gate. Employees have to operate at full capacity to guide the line of people to line up.
The management unit had to expand the motorbike parking lot to meet the sudden increase in demand in the morning. Inside, animal cages areas such as elephants, tigers, giraffes are always packed with families taking young children to visit.
Cultural and historical destinations in the city center such as Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, 30/4 Park and Independence Palace are also bustling with people and tourists coming to play and take photos...
At the eastern gateway, Suoi Tien Cultural Tourist Area also recorded a sharp increase in the number of visitors.
Mr. Tran Quoc Hung (resident of District 3 before), who just got off Metro Line 1 from Suoi Tien station with his family, shared: "This year, instead of riding a motorbike or calling a technology car like every year, my family decided to take the tram for convenience. From the city center to here it only takes about 30 minutes, the air-conditioned space is cool and there is no traffic jam. Calculated, the travel cost is much cheaper, moreover, leaving the station you can see the gate of Suoi Tien tourist area, which is very convenient for picking up and dropping off children.
According to a representative of Suoi Tien unit, this time the tourist area focuses on implementing culinary cultural programs in parallel with preferential price policies. Notably, the program of reducing 20% of Tien Dong Sea swimming tickets when tourists buy gate ticket through the official website (applied from December 19th to January 4th).
Regarding entertainment activities, the unit organizes free performances such as Son Tinh - Thuy Tinh legend theater, circus and fire dance. In addition, a physical activity area with a 40-meter long buoy model attracts many tourists to participate to receive gifts.
