HCM CITY — Construction on Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street, a popular attraction during Tết (Lunar New Year), has begun in District 1 in HCM City and will be completed on February 13.

This year’s 720-metre flower street, with the theme Khát Vọng Vươn Cao (Aspiration for a Bright Future), extends from the statue of President Hồ Chí Minh in front of the People’s Committee building down Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street to Tôn Đức Thắng Street.

The Flower Street will have three sections: Mùa Xuân Thành Phố (Spring in the HCM City), Hội Nhập và Phát Triển (Integration and Development), and Vươn Tới Tương Lai (Reaching to a Bright Future).

As usual, to celebrate the Year of the Dog, the entrance of the street will be decorated with 2-metre dog statues modeled after the Phú Quốc dog. Statues of puppies with bobbing heads will also be featured.

Traditional Vietnamese Tết will be seen through calligraphy, bánh chưng (square glutinous cake), bánh tét (cylindrical glutinous cake) and Tết pole (traditionally a decorated bamboo was erected in front of a house to chase demons).

A three-floor flower tower will be built and decorated with butterflies and lanterns.

The images of fishing boats filled with fish will be set up to pray for a fruitful harvest.

At the end of the street will be a waterfall of different kinds of flowers, carrying wishes for a peaceful and wealthy 2018.

More than 100 kinds of flowers, including chrysanthemums, roses, orchids, azalea, lotus and cactus, will be used in arrangements on the streets.

Trần Hùng Việt, general director of Saigon Tourist and head of Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street’s organisation board, said: “This year’s flower street will portray HCM City as a modern, dynamic and fast-growing city with a 300-year history and tradition.”

The Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street will open to the public from December 28 on the lunar calendar to the fourth day of Lunar New Year, which fall on February 13 and 19 this year. — VNS