Notes when visiting lantern street in Ho Chi Minh City

Choosing the right sightseeing route and time to take photos is something tourists need to keep in mind when visiting the lantern street during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City was established more than 50 years ago, specializing in the production and trading of lanterns and lion and dragon dance tools. Since 2020, the streets surrounding the lantern selling area including Nguyen An - Phu Dinh - Luong Nhu Hoc have become a dining and shopping area with the common name "lantern street" every full moon in August. This is an inner-city tourism product of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism. The lantern street is open to visitors freely.

Ms. Huong Ly, who works in tourism communications in Ho Chi Minh City, shares some notes when visiting and having fun in this area during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Parking

For the convenience of sightseeing and entertainment, visitors who come by motorbike must park outside. There are many motorbike parking spots on Nguyen Trai, Tran Hung Dao and Luong Nhu Hoc streets, the price is 20,000 VND per motorbike, so ask the price before parking. The closer to Mid-Autumn Festival, the more crowded the lantern street becomes, often congested. If you are traveling in a large group, you can consider calling a taxi to save time finding a parking spot.

Main streets

Many people are used to saying "Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street", however, Luong Nhu Hoc street has few stalls selling lanterns. The main gate of the lantern street is on Nguyen Trai street, other entrances are on Tran Hung Dao and Luong Nhu Hoc streets.

Crowded lantern street, evening of September 25. Photo: Quynh Tran

The most attractive corner of the "lantern street" is about 100 large and small stalls selling traditional bamboo-framed lanterns or electric lamps. This is a small street, easy to miss if you go there for the first time. From the welcome gate on Nguyen Trai - Nguyen An street, turn right onto Phu Dinh street, go about 300m to reach this area.

Photo shoot time

In the evening, the street lights up. This is also the time when the lantern street is most brilliant, the ideal time to take pictures. However, during the Mid-Autumn Festival, the street is crowded with visitors even on weekdays, so it will be difficult to choose a good angle.

If you want to take beautiful photos with many angles, you can visit the lantern street in the morning or afternoon, before 6pm. Before taking photos at the stalls, you should buy a few small items to support the stall owners. This year, some shop owners have invested in additional decoration corners inside the house, serving customers who come to shop and take photos but do not want to be too crowded.

To limit traffic congestion and affect the business of small traders, you should consider the time to take photos, do not stop too long at one point.

Tourists take photos at the lantern street, evening of September 25. Photo: Quynh Tran

Fun activities

On the lantern street, bamboo-framed lanterns and colored glass paper lanterns are made in a variety of shapes, from modern cartoon characters to traditional carp and rooster. Traditional lanterns cost an average of 40,000-120,000 VND depending on the design and size.

This year, the stuffed animal lanterns in bamboo baskets are a popular product with many customers. Prices range from 35,000 to 80,000 VND each.

At the end of the lantern street is Nguyen An Street, where many food stalls are concentrated, mainly selling street food such as grilled skewers, grilled squid, sausages, cotton candy. In addition, there are also some shops selling Chinese dishes such as dumplings, candied fruit, and ginseng water. The average price of food here is from 20,000 VND per portion.

The main routes in the lantern district are 300-500 m long and 2-3 m wide, but the large number of visitors makes it difficult to move around, especially on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival. During this time, visitors should pay attention to protecting their personal belongings to avoid cases of thieves taking advantage of the situation.

Van Khanh - Bich Phuong

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