Nguyen Hue oedestrian street was originally a canal named Kinh Lon (big canal) which was built by Nguyen Anh in 1790 to take water from the Saigon River into Gia Dinh city (from Bach Dang Wharf to the city People's Committee at present). In 1861, French admiral Charniet renamed the canal Charniet. In 1887, the French filled the canal to turn it into the boulevard Charniet and in 1956 it was renamed Nguyen Hue Boulevard.

This avenue has always been the busiest road of the city with many high-rise buildings alongside architectural monuments that have existed for hundreds of years. This historic street became HCM City’s first pedestrian road in February 2015.

As one of the famous ancient architectural works, the headquarters of the HCM City People's Committee is now 107 years old. The work was designed by architect Femand Gardes and was built from 1898 to 1909. In the French colonial period, the building was called Hôtel de ville in French or Dinh Xa Tay in Vietnamese. Since 1975, it has been the office of the HCM City government.

The building is designed as a high bell tower – the architectural style popular in northern France. The façade was decorated with an embossed image of a robust woman representing France and a child.

Saigon's luxurious Rex Hotel with 5 floors was built in 1927. Originally it was used as a garage and an auto salon of two floors. In 1959-1975, the work was upgraded to the hotel "Rex Complex". After 1975 it was renamed Ben Thanh and in 1986 the old name was again used.

The original architecture of the Tax Trade Center was built in 1880 and re-designed and rebuilt in 1922-1924. The building is the oldest commercial center in HCM City with an area of 9,200 m2 in the heart of district 1, surrounded by the roads of Nguyen Hue, Le Loi and Pasteur.

The city government planned to demolish the Tax Trade Center in 2014 to build a complex of offices and hotels in early 2015. However, based on public opinion, the city told investors to work with agencies to research and preserve the ancient features of this work.

On October 12, the project to build a new complex and conserve parts of the Tax Trade Center began.

In addition to the HCM City People’s Committee building, the municipal state treasury is the second building that still preserves basic features of French colonial architecture.

During the French colonial period, this was the Saigon Treasury and under the Saigon regime, this was also General Treasury Department.

Built in the French colonial period, over hundreds of years, many 2 storey townhouses along Nguyen Hue, Ngo Duc Ke, and Huynh Thuc Khang still retain the old architecture.

These houses are painted with various colors but their old structure is maintained.

The houses of European style at the corner of Nguyen Hue - Huynh Thuc Khang.

An old house painted is used as a restaurant.

Located at the corner of Ton Duc Thang-Nguyen Hue is the back part of the HCM City Customs Department headquarters. The house was built by Mr. Vuong Thai. In 1883, the French government bought it for 45,000 Indochina dong (225,000 frances). In 1887, the French architect Alfred Foulhoux finished repairing the house with 37,000 Indochinese dong.

Unlike the prosperous, bustling world outside Nguyen Hue Street, this alley is quiet. 

Another alley called Hem Tranh (painting alley) linking Dong Khoi and Nguyen Hue.