VietNamNet Bridge – Fashion shops on Nguyen Trai Street linking District 1 and District 5 in HCMC has become crowded these days with a lot of people rushing to buy clothes, shoes and other items in the run up to the Lunar New Year holiday, or Tet.

People shop at Nguyen Trai Street in District 5

The outlets on the street section in District 1 sell products of famous brands such as Levi’s, Mango, Charles & Keith and Adidas while the shops on the street in District 5 offer for sale made-in-Vietnam items and those imported from China at lower prices.

The shops usually open doors at 9 a.m. while vendors on the pavements of the street start to sell a wide selection of products like clothes, shoes, handbags, accessories, scarves and hats at around 5 p.m. until 10-11 p.m. with T-shirts for women from VND35-50,000 (US$1.6-2.3) and for men from VND75,000.

Shoppers, mainly young people, flock to the area after the sunset. The shopping street also entices many students as it is located near universities, including the HCMC University of Pedagogy, the University of Natural Sciences and Saigon University.

Nguyen Trai Street also reminds me of a nice experience when I was a sophomore. Around three weeks before Tet, my close friends and I spent more than two hours walking along the street to purchase items for us and our relatives. After that shopping night, my friends got on coaches with what they had bought for trips back to their hometowns for family reunion during Tet.

Along Nguyen Trai Street, there are not only fashion shops but also eateries which serve many Vietnamese dishes such as pho (noodle soup with beef or chicken), com suon (steamed rice with grilled pork), hu tieu (noodle soup with pork or seafood food) and banh mi thit (meat bread).

Strolling on the street these days, you will feel and understand how the city turns busy several weeks before Tet and locals make preparations for the country’s biggest holiday, which falls on February 19. It may take motorcycle riders more time to get through the crowded street but many people enjoy the bustling atmosphere of this street.    

SGT