Saigon prepares for not one, but four New Year fireworks shows

Ho Chi Minh City is going to throw four firework parties on New Year’s Eve instead of one as announced last week, pending government approval. 

The 15-minute shows are set to take place at Thu Thiem Tunnel that links districts 1 and 2, Dam Sen Park in District 11, Cu Chi Tunnels in Cu Chi District and Rung Sac Square in Can Gio District.

Fireworks are also planned for the Lunar New Year, or Tet, at the above-mentioned locations, as well as the outlying districts of Nha Be and Hoc Mon.

A light show in front of the city’s town hall on Le Thanh Ton Street and a countdown just a short walk away on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in District 1 are also on the list.

The city intends to use private funding to pay for the celebrations. 

Major Vietnamese cities, including Saigon, Hanoi and Da Nang, skipped their fireworks shows to celebrate the new year in 2017 following the Communist Party’s call for austerity. The Party asked cities and provinces to reallocate the money planned for fireworks shows to help the poor and the needy, especially those hit hard by natural disasters.

Flooding and storms left 390 people dead or missing in Vietnam in the first 11 months of 2017. The toll surpassed last year's losses, when disasters killed 264 people.

HCMC also skipped fireworks shows for its Reunification Day on April 30, but brought back the lights for the country’s National Day on September 2, to a lot of fanfare.