At 8 p.m. on Feb. 15, Nguyen Hue Flower Street officially opened after half a month of construction. At the main gate in front of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee headquarters, crowds gathered to admire and photograph the main horse mascot, which stands about 11 meters tall including its base.
The Year of the Horse flower street carries the theme “Spring Converges–Steadfastly Moving Forward,” featuring large-scale installations that trace historical milestones and highlight Ho Chi Minh City’s new stature following the merger with Binh Duong and Ba Ria–Vung Tau.
This marks the 23rd year the flower street has been held during Tet in the city center, becoming a distinctive cultural hallmark.
The walkways were filled with people on the first day of opening. The “Leisurely Steed” installation, highlighted by a nearly 7-meter-tall horse model, drew large numbers of visitors.
Beyond the horse displays, the “Brilliant Region of Memories” installation features a spinning lantern more than 6 meters tall and 6.4 meters in diameter. Its rotating axis recreates traditional Tet folk scenes, celebrating cultural values and national identity.
Hoang Sa’s family took the metro from Thu Duc to visit the flower street and take photos beside the Year of the Horse mascot.
“We know the opening day is always very crowded, but every year our family wants to visit early. The installations and horse models are all beautiful and have their own style,” he said.
Nhu Y, 30 (R), poses with a friend beside the horse mascot.
“For city residents, the flower street is part of Tet’s identity, so no matter how busy we are, we make time to visit,” she said.
In addition to the themed displays, this year’s flower street also features booths selling traditional folk toys such as folded coconut leaves, “to he” figurines, and pottery.
As the night wore on, the flower street grew even more crowded, with people jostling for photos. Security staff repeatedly reminded visitors not to climb into the displays or pick flowers, and encouraged them to follow the designated walking direction to avoid congestion.
The flower street is open to the public from the evening of Feb. 15 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 22, the sixth day of the Lunar New Year.
