The night of December 24 was on the weekend, so thousands of people in Ho Chi Minh City flocked to the central districts and neighborhoods to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere.
From about 6:00 p.m., people in Ho Chi Minh City flocked to the central area to have fun in the cool weather. Along the streets and shopping centers, all are shimmering and colorful decorations with miniature pine trees, snow houses or red and blue light strips.
Central roads such as Dong Khoi, Pham Ngoc Thach, Le Thanh Ton, Le Loi (District 1)… are very crowded with vehicles, causing local congestion, making travel more difficult. Many young people are forced to find a way to park their motorbikes on foot so they can have fun and take photos.
At places such as Tan Dinh Church and Notre Dame Cathedral, it is also overloaded with long lines of people waiting to check-in at the church.
Mr. Chien Thang (living in District 1) said: “My children and I took advantage of the opportunity to arrange to go to the holiday early but still encountered traffic jams.”
At intersections and central areas, traffic police and regional security forces are arranged to coordinate traffic and ensure order.
Meanwhile, in the parish of District 8, even though it’s rainy and cloudy, people still enjoy going out early for Christmas. In particular, in the area of Binh An church and Binh Thai church, many families and young people gather to pray for a peaceful Christmas season as well as make memories with their families.
Along Pham The Hien route, many households invest in decorating small landscapes, stone caves, and flashing lights to create a sparkling, magical atmosphere for the whole route.
Minh Anh (20 years old) shared: “The atmosphere today is very bustling. Everyone gathered here to take pictures and wish each other a peaceful Christmas and a lucky new year.”
Like Minh Anh, Ms. Ngoc Chau (District 7) took advantage of Christmas’s weekend to take her daughter to Binh An Church to pray and have fun.
“This year the atmosphere is more vibrant and warmer than last year, the miniature decorations are vivid and colorful. My family has saved many beautiful moments,” Ms. Chau was excited.
A series of photos of the Christmas atmosphere on the evening of December 24 recorded by Tuoi Tre Online :
