In the area considered the "golden quadrilateral" of the center of Ho Chi Minh City, surrounded by four streets: Le Thanh Ton, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Nguyen Trung Truc and Le Loi. Few people still imagine that this place was once the scene of the International Trade Center (ITC) fire in 2002, causing great damage to people and property.
After the fire, the building was dismantled. The land area of more than 3,800 m2 was later planned for the SJC Tower project. However, the project has not been implemented for many years, causing the "golden" land right in the center of Ho Chi Minh City to become abandoned.
For many years, the land has been surrounded by corrugated iron fences, trees grow lushly, and a part is used as a parking lot. The image of the vacant land located among the bustling high-rise buildings once made many people regret because a prime location of the city has not been effectively exploited.
At the beginning of 2026, the land area will be renovated by the Ho Chi Minh City government into a park and flower garden to serve people during the Binh Ngo Tet holiday, and at the same time add more public space to the central area.
According to Lao Dong Newspaper's records, after only a period of operation, the park quickly became a familiar destination for people and tourists. In the morning, many people come to walk and exercise under the green trees. In the afternoon and evening, this area is busier with groups of young people taking photos, tourists stopping to rest after visiting the City Theater, Nguyen Hue pedestrian street or Ben Thanh market.
Green lawns, flower beds, walkways and rest areas have completely replaced the image of the land that was surrounded many years ago.
As a person who regularly walks around the central area, Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong (62 years old, residing in Ben Thanh ward) said she was very excited about the change in the land area. "In the past, walking past here, I only saw corrugated iron fences and very messy vacant land. Now it has become a green park, with trees and chairs, so people have more places to rest and exercise. The central area lacks green space, so I find this renovation very meaningful," Ms. Hong shared.
