The bustling pedestrian street in Nghe An is in a state of 'clinical death'.

GĐXH - The pedestrian street and night shopping area in the center of the former Vinh City, which once attracted thousands of visitors every night, is now deserted, in a state of 'clinical death', with not a soul in sight.

Over three years ago, Nghe An province launched a pedestrian street in the former Vinh City with the hope of creating a highlight for the night-time economy . However, after a short period of bustling activity, the street had to cease operations due to a declining number of visitors.

From a popular weekend hangout spot to a deserted neighborhood.

On weekend evenings, the pedestrian zone in Truong Vinh ward has almost lost the bustling atmosphere it once had a few years ago. Along Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Van Cu, and Nguyen Tai streets, many stalls are closed. The musical fountain is out of operation, and some decorative elements are peeling and covered in moss. Occasionally, a few groups of people pass by and quickly leave because "there's nothing to do." Few would have thought this place was once expected to become a highlight of the nightlife in the old Vinh City.

The pedestrian street in the center of Vinh City (formerly) used to attract thousands of visitors every night, but is now deserted. (Photo: QA)

In May 2023, Nghe An officially inaugurated its pedestrian zone with four main streets: Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Tai, and the alley connecting to Nguyen Trung Ngan. The pedestrian zone operates on Friday and Saturday evenings every week, with the expectation of creating more entertainment and shopping spots, attracting tourists to stay overnight.

In the early days, this street was quite crowded. People flocked there to take photos, eat, and watch art performances. Many businesses hoped this would be a new opportunity. "Every weekend night it was packed with people. It was even difficult to find a place to park," recalled Ms. Nguyen Thi Hien, a small business owner who used to sell food on the pedestrian street.

However, the initial vibrancy didn't last long. After just over a year of operation, the number of customers began to decline sharply. The stalls thinned out and then closed down en masse. At its peak, there were over 200 fixed and mobile vendors, but that number quickly dropped to about half before they all left due to poor sales. "I rented a stall for the first few months, but then the number of customers decreased more and more. Some days I sat there all evening but couldn't even cover the electricity bill, so I had to close," said Ms. Hien.

The pedestrian street in the center of Vinh City (formerly) officially opened in May 2023 with the expectation of becoming a scenic highlight and boosting the night-time economy. (Photo: QA)

According to many locals, the pedestrian street lacks activities attractive enough to keep visitors coming back. "I had high hopes that this would be a weekend destination for my family, but after visiting a few times, I found there was almost nothing new. The shops and restaurants are all similar, and the performances are rarely innovative, so it gets boring quickly," said Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh, a resident of Truong Vinh ward.

After the implementation of a two-tiered administrative system from July 2025, this pedestrian street will also cease operation because there is no longer a unit directly managing it.

The situation is similar not only for Truong Vinh pedestrian street but also for Cao Thang night market in front of Vinh market. In 2019, the former Vinh City invested billions of dong to upgrade infrastructure and beautify the landscape to create a night shopping and entertainment street with over 100 stalls. Besides shopping, it also hosted art performances and folk games to create more experiences for tourists. However, the hustle and bustle only lasted for a short time. Currently, many stalls are closed and deserted. A few small traders remain, mainly selling clothes, but sales are very low. According to the traders, the biggest weakness is that the night market lacks distinctive products, experiential activities, and doesn't create a reason for people to return. "Customers come around once and leave because the goods are no different from those in the market. Meanwhile, entertainment activities are not regular," one trader said.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, local authorities attempted to restore operations but were unsuccessful.

Simply setting up a stage doesn't automatically create a night-time economy.

Many tourism experts believe that pedestrian zones or night streets, in order to thrive, must be linked to cultural identity, unique experiences, and a stable flow of tourists. Adding more pedestrian streets in urban areas is beneficial, especially given the dwindling public spaces and increasingly fast-paced lifestyles. Pedestrian streets emerged as a solution to create relaxing spaces and also to develop tourism and promote the cultural industry. However, too many of them can become illogical and wasteful, implemented simply because of a "trend" regardless of whether the area is suitable or attractive enough.

Many of the paving stones in the art garden area of ​​the pedestrian street are peeling, cracking, and breaking.

Meanwhile, night market models in Nghe An province have mainly focused on small, individual stalls, lacking cultural products and failing to create a sufficiently attractive range of activities. "You can't just close roads, set up stages, and expect a night economy to develop. The important thing is to have unique experiences to retain tourists," commented a long-time tourism professional.

Many features on Truong Vinh pedestrian street are currently in a state of disrepair. Check-in points, art gardens, and the musical fountain area show signs of peeling paint and cracks, affecting the urban landscape.

• Why are the night streets of Hue Imperial Citadel devoid of tourists?

According to Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Phong, Vice Chairman of the People's Committee of Truong Vinh Ward, the ward is currently proposing that the province allocate funds for repairing and renovating dilapidated facilities, and also requesting the transfer of the project to a provincial-level unit for management and operation.

However, the biggest challenge now remains how to attract locals and tourists to return.

Years after their grand opening, the streets once envisioned as vibrant nightlife hubs are now sparsely lit and filled with closed stalls. The question remains: what will the local authorities do to prevent these night markets from continuing their short-lived success?

The pedestrian street is deteriorating after more than 3 years of operation.

Launched on a trial basis in April 2022 and officially inaugurated in May 2023, the pedestrian street in the center of Vinh City (formerly), now located in Truong Vinh ward, was once expected to become a highlight of the urban landscape and contribute to boosting the night-time economy.

However, after more than three years of operation, many features here have shown signs of deterioration. In the art garden and fountain area, many sections of the paving stones are peeling, cracking, and exposing the reinforcing steel. The outdoor electrical cabinets show signs of being unsafe, while the paving stones, planters, railings, and some decorative elements are damaged and faded over time. Many areas also have dry leaves and trash, affecting the overall aesthetics.

Vinh pedestrian street comprises four main routes: Ho Tung Mau, Nguyen Van Cu, Nguyen Tai, and the alley connecting to Nguyen Trung Ngan.

According to the Nghe An Department of Construction, based on current regulations on the decentralization of technical infrastructure management, the responsibilities for managing, operating, repairing, and maintaining items in the art flower garden area under the Truong Vinh Ward People's Committee have been outlined. The Department has requested the local authorities to inspect the current condition, determine the causes of the damage, and promptly develop a plan to rectify the situation in order to ensure safety and preserve the urban landscape.

Source: https://giadinh.suckhoedoisong.vn/pho-di-bo-sam-uat-o-nghe-an-roi-canh-chet-lam-sang-17226052517310844.htm