VietNamNet Bridge – Formerly the "smelly" canal, Nhieu Loc - Thi Nghe, which runs through the five major districts in central Ho Chi Minh City, has been revived and is about to become the ideal place for visitors to enjoy boat trips.

The HCM City People's Committee has permitted the Saigon Boat Co. in District 4 up to offer boat trips in the canal from September 2015. The company director - Tran Anh Thy - said the firm has been preparing this project for nearly 2 years.

"I got the idea during a boat trip on the canals of Venice in Italy and I thought we would build a unique boat tour in HCM City," said Thy.

Thy said the first boat trip will be held on September 2, on the occasion of the National Day.

Although the canal is not yet completely green and clean, visitors will see many interesting things.

"There are many beautiful and very peaceful temples along the canal," she said.

The tour will start from a wharf in Binh Thanh District or another wharf on Hoang Sa Road, with 10 southern-style boats with a height of about 1 m and 20 seats.

To attract tourists to the unique tour of Saigon, the company has designed some special music programs, which will introduce southern folk music to visitors on the boat.

An official from the Department of Tourism, Culture, and Sports said that to avoid pollution to the canal, all boats will be rows manually.