A Night Around Ho Chi Minh Square

Ho Chi Minh square is always crowded at night. Especially on weekends. Across the statue of Uncle Ho that stood firm, people were lost in their own enjoyment. There were children playing, street musician, tourists who were busy taking pictures, cats lover club, beverage and food sellers, as well as toy sellers, there were some who were dating, and many more. If Hanoi has Old Quarter district and Hoan Kiem lake, then here they have Ho Chi Minh Square as a public space, where people gather to enjoy the atmosphere. Of course there were more public spaces in the city. For example like Saigon Central Post Office and the famous Notre Dame Cathedral and various city parks that you could visit.

The Ho Chi Minh Square is part of the Nguyen Hue Boulevard, which is a vast pedestrian area stretching from the City Hall, that has French colonial architecture, to Sagion River banks.

In this rather lengthy recording, I was walking through Ho Chi Minh Square with my handy recorder on my hand. It may become unclear for the ear to listen to each and every sound in this recording because all the hustle and bustle had molded into a lump. There were sounds from vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses) with their horns, people conversing, children playing, toys from the toy sellers, music, announcements from speakers, warning sounds from the traffic signs, and much more. Yes, this the hustle and bustle of the nightlife in Ho Chi Minh Square.

When I was listening to the recording again, I felt that the Vietnamese people spirit of progress and unity were reflected in these sounds. The atmosphere of these public spaces in Vietnam is one the most memorable experience during my one month stay in Vietnam. There was always a lively festive atmosphere.

To be honest when I was processing this recording I felt confused and wasted to cut some part of it. As a result you have this nineteen minute twelve seconds recording. A raw recording with its original duration of me strolling around Ho Chi Minh Square and recording with my handy recorder. Enjoy savoring and listening to the recording (the recording was taken on Sunday, 24 February 2019 around 8pm).