HCMC to set off Reunification Day fireworks

The city will hold two high-altitude firework displays: one over the Thu Thiem Tunnel that links Districts 1 and 2 and another at the 81-storey building Landmark 81 in Binh Thanh District.

Two other low-altitude fireworks shows will be held at the Dam Sen Park in District 11 and Can Thanh Commune in the outlying district of Can Gio, said Vo Trong Nam, deputy director of the municipal Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The fireworks displays will last 15 minutes from 9 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

City authorities have called on residents to strictly observe pandemic prevention measures amid high risk from Covid-19 outbreaks in neighboring countries.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam has requested HCMC to severely punish those who do not wear masks in public places, noting that new Covid-19 cases have increased by around 34 percent in nearby countries like Cambodia, Thailand and Laos over the past week.

Fireworks displays to mark major national celebrations like the Lunar New Year holiday or Tet, Reunification Day on April 30 and Independence Day on September 2 are a long-standing tradition in Vietnam. The country will celebrate a four-day national holiday April 30-May 3.

During the latest Covid-19 outbreak detected in late January, HCMC and many other localities canceled fireworks shows for Tet to limit crowds. So far, the country has gone over one month without community transmissions.

Several tourist attractions across Vietnam, including Quang Ninh and Khanh Hoa, will also set off fireworks on the night of April 30.