CategoriesNews By Ánh Ngọc Trương

Fireworks to light up Ho Chi Minh City skies on April 30

Ho Chi Minh City will organize fireworks displays at 30 locations on the evening of April 30 to mark the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975–2025).

Ho Chi Minh City plans to launch fireworks at 30 locations on April 30 to celebrate the National Reunification Day.

Specifically, fireworks displays are scheduled to take place from 9:00 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. at two high-altitude and 28 low-altitude locations across districts, towns and Thu Duc City.

The two high-altitude firework performance will take place at the Sai Gon River crossing tunnel area (in Thu Duc City) and Ben Duoc Memorial Temple (Cu Chi District).

Meanwhile, 28 low -level fireworks avenues include: Giong junction (Hoc Mon district); Ben venom memorial temple (Thu Duc City); Memorial Memorial Martyrs Sac (Can Gio District); An Phu Dong war zone (District 12); Lang Le Cultural Park (Binh Chanh District); Binh Tri Dong residential area (Binh Tan district); Thong Nhat Hall and Ba Son Bridge (District 1); Thanh Da peninsula (Binh Thanh district); Tan Thuan Bridge (District 4); North West Industrial Park (Cu Chi District); Cultural Park in Go Vap District; People’s Committee of Nha Be district; Administrative center of District 7; Dam Sen Cultural Park (District 11); Binh Dien Market (District 8); Resettlement area 38ha Tan Son Nhat (District 12); An Binh area (Tan Phu district); and Binh Phu Park (District 6).

In addition, some locations on barges in the Rach Chiec area, the Saigon River area, the Van Phuc Urban Area, and Ben Bach Dang wharf will host firework displays. 

Ho Chi Minh City also organizes high-altitude fireworks displays for two consecutive Saturday evenings (April 19 and April 26) to serve people and tourists. The shooting time is from 9:30 p.m. to 9:40 p.m. at Sai Gon Riverside Park (Thu Duc City).

The national-level celebration and a military-civilian parade celebrating the 50th anniversary of the liberation of the South and national reunification (April 30, 1975 – 2025) will begin at 6:30 am on April 30 along Le Duan Street and key city routes in the southern metropolis.

The ceremony will feature a 30-minute art performance, flag-saluting, speeches by top leaders and representatives of war veterans and young people. It will be followed by the parade and a symbolic release of balloons and doves.

The full dress rehearsals on Le Duan Street (HCMC) are scheduled on April 18 and 22.

Joint drills for the armed forces will be held on April 11 and 15 at Air Regiment 935 in Bien Hoa City. Full-dress rehearsals for the military parade are set for April 18 and 22 along Le Duan Street in downtown HCMC. These are being directed by the General Staff of the Viet Nam People’s Army.

Source: VGP – en.baochinhphu.vn – Apr 11, 2025

CategoriesNews By Ánh Ngọc Trương

Travel firms offer various tours during upcoming holidays

Travel businesses in Ho Chi Minh City are offering various tours to attract domestic and foreign visitors in the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and Labour Day (May 1).

Diverse night tours

A music performance on the evening in front of Ben Thanh Market in District 1 (Photo: SGGP)

When the streets are lit, it is also the time for local and international visitors to explore the vibrant nightlife of Ho Chi Minh City.

A few days ago, Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens launched its first-ever night tour, offering visitors a unique opportunity to explore the nocturnal world of wild animals.

The tour takes place every Saturday evening in two sessions, from 7:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and from 8:15 p.m. to 9:15 p.m. Each tour will last for one hour, with a capacity of 10-20 visitors. The program requires visitors to comply with regulations aimed at ensuring the safety of the animals and preventing any disruption to their natural behaviors.

One of the tours that has recently attracted many domestic and foreign travelers is “The Colors of the Night” provided by the People’s Committee of District 1 in coordination with Vietluxtour under Fiditour Travel Company. The five-hour trip offered visitors a different experience to explore the charming beauty of the city at night, such as visiting District 1’s cultural and historical sites, museums, Nguyen Hue and Le Loi walking streets, Ben Thanh Market, and enjoying A O Show at the municipal Opera House and foot massage.

A full moon night tour in the revolutionary resistance base in Cu Chi District is also bustling with groups of visitors. The program depicts the daily life and nightly activities of the people in Cu Chi who lived in the liberated zone from 1961 to 1964. Visitors will have a chance to experience digging a network of tunnels, weaving baskets, grinding rice, exchanging poetic verses in the rice fields, market gathering under the moonlight, and the sounds of bombs, artillery, and enemy aircraft flying overhead.

There are also city sightseeing tours, food tours, a trip in a double-decker water bus operating along the Saigon River to enjoy panoramic views of the southern metropolis.

New highlights

Tourists visit Do Phu café –Dai Han Com tam (Vietnamese Broken Rice with Grilled Pork) restaurant in District 1 in the “Biet Dong Sai Gon” (Saigon Rangers) tour. (Photo: SGGP)

Ms. Tran Thi Bao Thu, communications director of Vietluxtour, said that the company always strives to create difference in each product to attract clients. The diversity of products, uniqueness, and novelty in each tour make customers spend more and have a complete experience during their stay in Vietnam.

According to Deputy Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, Le Truong Hien Hoa, during holidays on the upcoming Reunification Day (April 30) and May Day (May 1), the city will offer many attractive tours to domestic and international visitors, such as “50-year journey connecting cultural regions” exploring unique destinations and introducing Vietnamese dishes of the country’s regions; the “Saigon – Ho Chi Minh City Imprints, 50 years of memories from the past to the present” to visit the Biet Dong Saigon (Saigon Rangers) Museum; experiencing panoramic views of the city from the observatory deck on Landmark 81, Vietnam’s tallest skyscraper; trips in a double-decker water bus operating along the Saigon River to enjoy a dinner and panoramic views of the southern metropolis; river cruise visiting Thieng Lieng community-based ecotourism in Can Gio District.

There are also tours visiting Rung Sac (Sac Forest) war base historical relic site, Monkey Island, and Rung Sac Martyrs Cemetery in Can Gio District, Cu Chi Tunnels in Cu Chi District, Reunification Palace and Nguyen Hue walking street in District 1.

Tourism product design expert Phan Yen Ly said that Ho Chi Minh City’s tourism industry is striving to connect travel businesses, offering products that cater to the tastes of visitors and gradually meeting their sightseeing and entertainment needs. However, in addition to serving domestic and international tourists, it needs also to focus on serving and tapping into residents who live and work in the city to stimulate day and night tours and make them even more vibrant.

According to the latest data from the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism, in the first three months of 2025, the city’s tourism industry achieved revenue of VND56,662 billion (US$2.21 billion), presenting an increase of 26.7 percent compared to the same period last year when it reached VND44,710 billion (US$1.75 billion). Specifically, in March 2025, the tourism revenue is estimated to exceed VND19,000 billion (US$743 million).

Source: SGGP – en.sggp.org.vn – Apr 1, 2025

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