Nguyen Hue Boulevard is the city's pedestrian promenade, running from the Hôtel de Ville (City Hall) at its northern end down to the waterfront. The wide tree-lined walkway was created in the 1980s on the site of a canal; it has become the city's main public gathering space, used for the Tết celebrations, outdoor concerts, protests, and evening strolls by Vietnamese families.
The best time to experience the boulevard is at dusk and into the evening, when the City Hall is illuminated and street vendors set up along the edges. The Ho Chi Minh statue in front of City Hall makes an unavoidable backdrop for family photographs. Street food carts congregate at the riverside end. During Tết (Vietnamese New Year, late January or early February), the entire boulevard is transformed with flowers and decorations.