The Central Post Office in downtown HCMC is a famous tourist attraction as it is one of the architectural works of historical and cultural value. Those visiting the post office can see street art performances just in front of the French-built building every Saturday morning, starting from the middle of this month.

Artists play traditional musical instruments in front of the Central Post Office in downtown HCMC every Saturday morning from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

A group of member artists of the folk dance and music club “Gio moi” (new wind) under District 1’s Cultural Center and students from the HCMC Conservatory of Music stage the public performances from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. to entertain visitors to the post office and passers-by.

Traditional musical instruments are used to play Vietnamese folk music, such as don ca tai tu, a genre of folk music popular in southern Vietnam recognized in 2013 by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage of humanity.

The launch of the art performance program is aimed at contributing to boosting tourism in the city and Vietnam as a whole, and preserving the unique cultural values of traditional art.

Bui Thi Ngoc Han, a 22-year-old student from HCMC Conservatory of Music, told the Daily last Saturday morning that she is overwhelmed with joy as she has a chance to perform at this well-known site of the city and introduce Vietnamese culture to guests, especially foreign tourists. 

The performance attracts a lot of locals and foreigners

“This is the first time I have performed before a large crowd. I feel a bit nervous but it is a great surprise for me as the performance has heaped praise from local and foreign spectators,” Han added.

A 48-year-old Dutch woman who is taking a tour to the city with her husband and son says that she has visited the 130-year-old post office twice and this time it is quite special for her to see an amazing performance on a sunny morning.

Over the past years, the city government has made efforts to organize street art shows at popular sites in the downtown area, especially on weekends, to woo more visitors to HCMC and make it one of the top destinations for international travelers to Vietnam. 

Since Nguyen Hue Boulevard and Bui Vien Street in the backpacker’s area were turned into pedestrian-only streets, they have become busy promenades for locals and international visitors.

Since Nguyen Van Binh Street, adjacent to the Central Post Office and the Notre Dame Cathedral, the city’s two major landmarks, became a book street in January 2016, it has become a new venue for entertainment for city dwellers and foreign visitors.

Data of the HCMC government shows that the city attracted 4.2 million foreign tourists in the first nine months of 2017, surging 16% against the year-earlier period. Tourism revenue fetched over VND84.5 trillion (about US$3.72 billion), a year-on-year pickup of 10%. The city looks to welcome six million international visitors in all of 2017.

SGT