Starting April 18, a new law which bans eating and drinking on Nguyen Hue – along with several other activities – will take effect.
While local media has been quick to celebrate the pedestrian street's rollerblading security guards, free Wi-Fi service, fountain system and underground restrooms, Nguyen Hue is also home to certain behaviors which have failed to impress city officials, such as littering and public displays of affection as well as the presence of street vendors, unauthorized construction and musical instruments.
According to Tuoi Tre, weekends and evenings on Nguyen Hue are particularly troublesome, when young Saigonese gather in groups on the square, snacking or dancing or gossipping. As such, the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee is planning to impose a ban upon eating and drinking as well as “cultural activities that violate regulations on civilized lifestyle, social security and order, and the prevention of fire and explosion”. Loud noises will also be banished from the walking street, including “loudspeakers, horns, gongs, drums and whistles, and assembly of people without permission of competent authorities”.
The HCMC People's Committee has also decided to establish an administrative board to manage this area and will monitor civilian behavior on the square through both the authorities themselves and the use of security cameras.
