In recent days, construction on Nguyen Hue Pedestrian Street in HCM City's Saigon Ward has been exceptionally busy. Dozens of workers and engineers are racing against time to complete various elements, ensuring the Nguyen Hue Flower Street for the 2026 Lunar New Year or Tet Holiday is ready for residents and tourists during the Lunar New Year.
This marks the 23rd year this distinctive cultural event has been organised, contributing to the city's unique cultural identity each Tet season.
The flower street is entering its final completion phase, promising a unique Tet cultural space while marking Ho Chi Minh City's strong transformation into an international megacity.
The giant horse mascot, nearly 7 metres tall and 9 metres long, was transported and installed on Nguyen Hue Flower Street in the early hours of February 7.
The mascot's design is inspired by the image of Saint Giong's horse ascending to heaven, symbolising strength and aspiration. When placed on a 4-metre high pedestal on the flower street, the overall model will reach an impressive height.
A group of workers is assembling the horse's head to its body after transportation. The giant horse mascot is made from foam, divided into several separate parts, and then fully attached to a steel frame. With a dominant yellow colour, this mascot weighs approximately 2 tonnes.
Workers are also constructing a giant revolving lantern, over 6 metres high and 6.4 metres in diameter, designed as a two-dimensional space with an internal lighting system and continuously rotating axes. The lantern recreates the traditional Vietnamese Tet atmosphere.
The welcome gate on Ton Duc Thang Street is gradually taking shape, with its structural frame firmly erected.
The year 2026 marks a significant milestone as Ho Chi Minh City merges with Ba Ria - Vung Tau and Binh Duong. The horse mascot, flying above stylised bamboo groves resembling large waves, symbolises the spirit of convergence, powerful upward energy.
Dozens of workers and engineers are busy, with everything proceeding more urgently and bustling than ever.
The largest mascot on the Flower Street is crafted from environmentally friendly woven bamboo, creating a multi-layered ecological space for visitors to experience.
This is the first time in 23 years that Nguyen Hue Flower Street has been designed with two versions of day and night experiences within the same space, extensively applying lighting technology, Mapping, and AR, offering exciting surprises for visitors.
Many raw materials are also continuously being gathered at the flower street to support the construction work.
The 2026 Tet Flower Street maintains its core value of national pride through the historical figure of Saint Giong's iron horse, a symbol of Vietnamese strength and bravery, while also expressing Ho Chi Minh City's aspiration to rise.
Although not yet complete, many residents and tourists are already curious about this year's mascot on Nguyen Hue Flower Street. Nguyen Thu Thao shared: "Every Tet, the mascots of various provinces and cities become a topic of discussion on social media. I really like the mascots over the years on Nguyen Hue Flower Street, especially the year of the dragon. I hope this year's horse mascot on Nguyen Hue Flower Street will make a special impression on residents and tourists."
Nguyen Hue Flower Street will be open to the public from 7 pm on February 15 to 9 pm on February 22 (from the 28th day of the 12th lunar month to the 6th day of Tet), offering a unique space for entertainment, recreation, and cultural experiences for residents and tourists during the Lunar New Year.
