As the festival approaches, Luong Nhu Hoc Street has grown increasingly lively, drawing large crowds of residents and tourists to shop and take photos.
Known as HCM City's most famous lantern district, Luong Nhu Hoc and Phu Dinh streets glow with thousands of colourful lanterns hanging outside shops, creating a vibrant festive scene.
Luong Nhu Hoc has long been a popular destination for young people during the Mid-Autumn Festival. Many arrive early to take photos amid the colourful displays.
Phuong Dung, visiting the street with friends for the first time, said they had come early to avoid the biggest crowds while looking for lanterns and taking photos.
Families with young children also flock to the area to buy lanterns and enjoy the festive atmosphere. Despite the wide range of modern designs, many parents still opt for small traditional lanterns, giving children a taste of a toy familiar to generations.
The street is busiest between 7pm and 9pm, when hundreds of visitors arrive to browse and shop. Traders, however, say bigger crowds have not necessarily translated into stronger sales.
Ha Vinh Tai, who has sold lanterns on Phu Dinh Street for about a decade, said crowds had been arriving since the start of the eighth lunar month, although many visitors came mainly to take photos rather than shop.
Lanterns are priced from VND25,000 to several hundred thousand dong, depending on their size and design, with traditional models remaining among the most popular this year.
Battery-powered lanterns with lights and colourful effects are also popular with families. Many are designed like toys, including vehicles and animals, to appeal to children.
Tuyet, who sells lanterns made from crystal-like plastic beads and shaped into cartoon characters, said sales this year were significantly lower than last year.
After more than 50 years, Luong Nhu Hoc lantern street has become a familiar Mid-Autumn Festival destination in HCM City, where colourful lanterns continue to evoke the festive spirit and childhood memories across generations.
