The HCM City Book Pedestrian Street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 offers reading and cultural activities during the Tết holiday. File photo courtesy of the organisers

HCM CITY -- The HCM City Book Pedestrian Street, one of the most-visited attractions in the city during the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday, saw a decrease of 50 per cent in revenue compared to Tết last year, earning VNĐ500 million (US$21,600).

Lê Hoàng, director of the Book Street Company, said the attraction welcomed around 20,000 visitors, including 2,000 foreigners, from February 10-16.

The number of visitors declined 80 per cent compared to the last Tết, he added.

The book street on Nguyễn Văn Bình Street in District 1 offered a series of reading and cultural activities during the holiday, including a showcase of book and new publications about Tết.

It also held workshops about making lucky money envelopes, writing calligraphy, and painting glasses and bottles made of bamboo.

Local artisans gave instructions on making Vietnamese traditional toys -- colourful figurines made of glutinous rice dough -- as well as different kinds of jams like coconut and ginger, and chocolate for Valentine's Day.

Local painters and calligraphers taught children to paint T-shirts and fabric totes with traditional images such as buffalo and bamboo.

The HCM City Journalists’ Association set up a stall to sell special publications for Tết from the city’s major newspapers and magazines including Trẻ (Youth), Thanh Niên (Young People) and Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (Liberated Sài Gòn). All money from selling the publications will be used for charity purposes.

All staff and visitors to the book street were required to wear face masks, wash hands with sanitiser, and have their body temperature checked.

Opened in 2016, the book street features dozens of book stalls of more than 25 publishers.

It has earned VNĐ181 billion (US$7.8 million) in turnover. More than 3.5 million books on different topics, including 57,000 new titles, have been sold, and 11.5 million people have visited the street. -- VNS