Readers view books at a showcase of bestselling book titles of the past 10 years, celebrating the HCM City Book Street’s tenth anniversary of establishment. — VNS Photos Phương Mai

HCM CITY — The HCM City Book Street has become a must-visit cultural destination in HCM City, attracting around 3,000 domestic and international visitors daily since its establishment and development over the past decade.

Addressing the anniversary ceremony of the Book Street on Thursday, Lê Hoàng, director of the HCM City Book Street Limited Company, said, “Over the past decade, the Book Street has affirmed its status as a cultural icon of HCM City, converging and spreading knowledge, creativity and beautiful cultural values.”

Hoàng said that stepping into a new chapter, the company commits to changing organisational thinking, broadening community connection, and applying technologies to evolve the book street into an open space for sustainable knowledge.

He expected that the book street would be not only a space for connecting different generations but also expanding reading culture and cultural values, making it into the city’s cultural brand in the development and integration process.

The ceremony featured a showcase of bestselling book titles of the past 10 years, an exhibition of the book street’s establishment and development, as well as music performances.

The HCM City Book Street was established on January 9, 2016, on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in Sài Gòn Ward.

The venue initially included only 20 stalls managed by the country’s leading publishers, distributors and organisations, such as the HCM City General Publishing House, Trẻ Publishing House, Nhã Nam, First News and the HCM City General Science Library.

It now has 30 stalls, featuring bookstores, souvenir shops and coffee shops.

Over the past ten years, the book street’s total revenue reached more than VNĐ433 billion (US$16.45 million).

More than 73,000 new book titles were introduced at the book street with 6.7 million copies sold.

There were over 3,000 activities held at the book street, including 164 events to mark the country’s important commemorations and events, 1,320 book introductions and talk shows with local and international authors, 50 book fairs, and several cultural activities and traditional music and theatrical shows every weekend to create an attractive destination for local and international visitors.

Visitors enjoy a music performance at the HCM City Book Street.

Phan Xuân Thủy, Vice Chairman of the Party Central Committee's Commission for Information, Education and Mass Mobilisation, said that from a road in the downtown of HCM City, the book street had a magical change into a public cultural space and a signature model of knowledge in the midst of a modern and dynamic city.

Thủy said that, having a strategic location next to the city’s cultural heritage sites, such as Notre Dame, Independence Palace and the Central Post Office, the book street is one of the most attractive destinations among local and international visitors.

He added that through thousands of cultural activities and art performances, the book street brought books and reading projects conveying values of history, culture, ethnicity, literature, science and technology closer to readers of all ages.

Thủy asked the book street to foster connections among the three major pillars of publishing, distribution and readers, improve the quality of cultural activities, focus on young, teenage and child readers, promote linkage between Vietnamese and international publications, and extend its opening time to serve the public.

Hoàng said the book street plans to launch more nighttime activities in the future to meet the people’s entertainment needs on weekends.

In 2025, the book street organised the Book and Night Cultural Festival twice, offering traditional art performances, folk games and cultural exchanges. The event opened from 6pm-10pm, attracting thousands of visitors. — VNS