Although not yet on the same scale as Ho Chi Minh City’s main Book Street, Thu Duc Book Street on Ho Thi Tu Street in Tang Nhon Phu Ward has increasingly drawn local residents. Its variety of nighttime activities has been praised for being vibrant and engaging, helping transform the area into a unique cultural attraction.
A cultural space for the community
During the daytime, Thu Duc Book Street mainly hosts book-related activities and serves as a cultural attraction featuring symbolic landmarks such as the memorial dedicated to Heroic Vietnamese Mother Ho Thi Tu, the Truong Sa (Spratly) landmark and the Ho Chi Minh Cultural Space.
At night, the venue takes on a lively new atmosphere with a wide range of community activities. These include a free electric toy car playground, community reading areas and traditional folk games such as o an quan (Mandarin Capturing Game), bean sorting games and wooden block pulling games. On weekends, many book stalls become even more vibrant with book exchanges, storytelling sessions and reading spaces for children.
Recently, the Thai Ha book stall has regularly organized Dong Son chess competitions, offering participants an opportunity to connect with traditional cultural values through symbolic chess pieces, strategic gameplay, and creative competition. These activities have gradually helped meet people’s needs for knowledge, cultural enrichment, relaxation and family entertainment.
Serving community needs
According to Mr. Le Hoang, Director of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street Company, after more than two years in operation, Thu Duc Book Street has gradually become a familiar destination for residents of Tang Nhon Phu Ward and nearby areas. Since the book street is located in a densely populated residential area largely inhabited by workers and migrants, including many young families, demand for evening entertainment and recreation after working hours is considerable, resulting in large crowds at night.
The surrounding area is also home to several universities and academies, including Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology and Education, the University of Finance and Marketing, the Posts and Telecommunications Institute of Technology, and the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, contributing a significant number of student visitors.
Previously, there were very few public spaces in this area where residents could relax and spend time at night. The launch of Thu Duc Book Street has provided such a venue. In addition to meeting people’s intellectual and cultural needs, the site offers a green and welcoming environment with comfortable seating, pleasant scenery, coffee, free reading spaces, and traditional folk games. This is a major advantage, and we are continuing to develop suitable activities to attract more visitors and encourage them to return regularly, Mr. Le Hoang said.
Thu Duc Book Street was established at the end of 2023 on Ho Thi Tu Street. The book street stretches more than 190 meters and covers over 3,500 square meters, featuring 22 book stalls and supporting facilities.
After the two-tier local government model officially came into operation on July 1, 2025, management of Thu Duc Book Street was assigned to Tang Nhon Phu Ward authorities.
