VI
EN
Around this time of year, streets in District 5 such as Tran Hung Dao, Luong Nhu Hoc, Phu Dinh, Nguyen Trai, and Nguyen An are bustling with stalls displaying lanterns and toys. This is a neighborhood with a large Chinese population and some households that have been making traditional lanterns for nearly 20 years.
Here, in addition to the latest lantern designs on the market, visitors can find many types of traditional handcrafted lanterns that are no longer sold in many places in Ho Chi Minh City. There are even many meticulously crafted, sophisticated, and expensive models that are rarely bought, but the sellers still choose to display them. On the stalls, alongside Vietnamese lantern designs, there are also many traditional Chinese lanterns. Many shops write their names in Vietnamese, some in Chinese, and some in both languages.
Currently, the Luong Nhu Hoc street area has begun barricading the road to welcome pedestrians, with many food stalls and traditional games set up inside. From 4 PM onwards, many stalls were ready to welcome customers. According to Travellive's observations, just 20 minutes later, the number of people and vehicles pouring into the area increased significantly, causing traffic congestion.
Families bring their children to stroll along the lantern street.
People enjoy choosing from a variety of toy items.
After two years of the pandemic, Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street is gradually becoming bustling again. Many vendors here express their joy as the lantern and toy business begins to flourish. One lantern vendor said that although the price of raw materials has increased slightly, raising production costs, they have maintained the same selling prices as in previous years, only slightly increasing them for a few special designs. In addition to the usual paper lanterns and star-shaped lanterns, many new and innovative electronic lanterns are also attracting many children.
Luong Nhu Hoc Street also attracts many young people who come to visit and take photos for social media, despite the crowds. Many young people living far from the center of Ho Chi Minh City also take the time to come to the lantern street to have fun and find the perfect spot for photos.
"It's so crowded, it's hard to take pictures. My friend and I don't care about the photos being beautiful; we came here for the Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere," Kim Thoa, a young woman visiting the lantern street, told Travellive. When asked if she felt tired from the crowds, Kim Thoa smiled and remarked that it was part of the spirit of this lantern street during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Young people jostled to take check-in photos at the lantern street.
It's difficult to find a good angle when it's crowded.
The father and son posed for a photo under the lanterns.
Parents take their young children for a stroll through the lantern-lit street.
Besides traditional and modern lanterns, the stalls here also sell other items such as lion heads, masks, lanterns with candles inside, crowns, angel wings, etc. As evening approaches, many parents bring their children to choose and buy lanterns early in the morning.
The toys are diverse and come in many designs.
The lantern street stretches along all the roads in District 5.
People gathered near a shop selling lanterns.
Luong Nhu Hoc Lantern Street possesses unique beauty that changes with the day and night. During the day, the street appears gentle and charming with lanterns of various colors and traditional patterns displayed for sale. At night, the street becomes bustling and lively with crowds of people visiting and shopping for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Mid-Autumn Festival is a lucrative time for the lantern street.
