A shared playground for the community.
As usual, from 5 PM on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays each week, the children in the Chaozhou Shaolin traditional martial arts class ( thuộc the Public Service Center of Tang Nhon Phu Ward, Ho Chi Minh City) gather at Thu Duc Book Street to practice. The class currently has about 40 students.
Mr. Nguyen Thanh Phuc, the class leader, said that previously, the class didn't have a fixed place for activities and training. Sometimes they had to practice on the sidewalk of Ho Thi Tu Street, and whenever it rained, both teachers and students would run to find shelter. Since the Thu Duc Book Street opened, the class has had a much nicer and more organized training space, with a roof and lighting, allowing the children to practice comfortably. Not only the children but also their parents really like this space. While waiting for their children to practice, they can sit and watch their children learn, and have a place to relax, drink coffee, and read books.
During the day, Thu Duc Book Street mainly organizes activities related to books, becoming a tourist destination with many iconic landmarks such as the Heroic Vietnamese Mother Ho Thi Tu, the Truong Sa landmark, or the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space…
At night, the place comes alive with a variety of activities. These include a free electric vehicle playground, a community reading area, and a traditional games area with games like O An Quan (a Vietnamese board game), bean sorting, and Jenga. On weekends, many book stalls are even more bustling with book-related activities, storytelling sessions, and a children's reading area.
Recently, Thai Ha Bookstore has regularly organized Dong Son chess competitions, taking players on a journey to connect with traditional cultural values through the imagery of the chess pieces, tactical gameplay, and creative competitive spirit. These activities gradually contribute to satisfying the need for knowledge, enhancing cultural and spiritual life, as well as providing relaxation and entertainment for many families.
Meeting the needs of the people
Like many other young families, on weekends, Ms. Luu Thi Ha (from Tang Nhon Phu ward) and her husband and two children go to Thu Duc Book Street. While the youngest child (2 years old) and her husband participate in traditional games, Ms. Ha and her older child (12 years old) visit the book stalls before going to read at the community reading area.
“Since the Thu Duc Book Street opened, my family has come here almost every week. Here, we all stroll around, enjoy the spacious atmosphere, let the children read, choose and buy books, and sometimes we participate in folk games and cultural activities… During the day, my husband and I work, the children go to school, and only at night do we have time to go out together, so having a space like the Thu Duc Book Street is really very helpful,” Ms. Ha expressed.
According to Mr. Le Hoang, Director of the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Company, after more than two years since its establishment, Thu Duc Book Street has gradually become a familiar destination for residents of Tang Nhon Phu ward and surrounding areas. Because the book street is located in a densely populated area, mostly inhabited by workers and immigrants, including many young families, the need for entertainment after work is very high, resulting in a large number of visitors at night. Surrounding the book street are universities such as the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, the University of Finance and Marketing, the Posts and Telecommunications Institute, and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy, bringing in a significant number of student visitors.
“Previously, this area lacked space for people to rest and relax at night. The creation of Thu Duc Book Street has provided such a space. Besides satisfying their intellectual and cultural needs, people can also enjoy a green space with many amenities such as comfortable seating, beautiful scenery, coffee and refreshment services, free reading, and traditional games… This is a great advantage, and we are also focusing on developing suitable activities to take advantage of this, attracting more people to the book street regularly,” Mr. Le Hoang added.
Thu Duc Book Street was established at the end of 2023 on Ho Thi Tu Street (then part of Hiep Phu Ward, Thu Duc City, Ho Chi Minh City). The book street is over 190m long, with a total area of over 3,500m² and 22 book stalls and supporting facilities. After the two-tiered local government model comes into operation from July 1, 2025, Thu Duc Book Street will be transferred to Tang Nhon Phu Ward for management...
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/khong-gian-van-hoa-huu-ich-o-duong-sach-thu-duc-post851882.html
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