On the morning of February 17 (ie, the 1st day of the Lunar New Year Binh Ngo 2026), Ho Chi Minh City "wake up" in a quiet atmosphere, completely different from the usual bustle. Cool weather and beautiful sunshine create ideal conditions for people to go down the street to enjoy rare moments of peace in the year.
According to reporters' records, key roads in the city center such as Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Nam Ki Khoi Nghia, Vo Nguyen Giap Avenue or Ba Son bridge area have become spacious, with no traffic. Even "hot spots" of traffic in normal days such as Ly Thai To roundabout, Dien Bien Phu roundabout this morning also returned to their quiet and relaxed appearance.
This desertedness is considered a "specialty" of Ho Chi Minh City every Tet holiday, when most workers have returned to their hometowns to celebrate Tet, and the rest take advantage of resting after New Year's Eve to watch fireworks late at night.
In contrast to the tranquility of traffic, at famous public entertainment venues such as Nguyen Hue flower street, Turtle Lake or the area of Notre Dame Cathedral in Saigon, the spring atmosphere has been bustling from early morning. In the cool weather, light golden sunshine on the first day of the year, many families dressed in ao dai, brightly colored outfits excitedly went down the street to enjoy spring and take souvenir photos.
Anh Anh Khoa (29 years old, residing in An Khanh ward) and his family came to the city center to enjoy spring from early morning, sharing: "Yesterday many people came to watch fireworks late at night, now they have rest and do not have to go to work or school, so the streets are very deserted. This is a specialty of Ho Chi Minh City during Tet, not always available, so I take advantage of this airy space.
The Tet atmosphere filled every street corner, from the spacious boulevards to the radiant smiles of the people, heralding a prosperous and peaceful Binh Ngo New Year 2026.
