Over the past 3 months, the street parades of live music and dancing along the section of Tran Hung Dao between the Rong (Dragon) Bridge and its intersection with Nguyen Thong has helped to ‘awaken’ the city’s cultural space on the eastern bank of the Han River. 

Co-organised by the Son Tra District People’s Committee and the School of Culture and Arts, the event has attracted musicians, stilt walkers, and dancers from the school, a trumpet club, a dance sports club, the May Xanh (Blue Cloud) Dance Club, and the district’s Youth Union organisation.

Chairman of the city’s trumpet club Doan Ngoc Anh said “My club’s members are very excited about becoming involved in this kind of event and demonstrating their skills in front of the public”.

Chairman of the local dance sports club Le Van Tam remarked “My club now has over 400 dancers, and they often practise in the early morning or late afternoon at some public areas, including the Bach Dang riverside promenade and the 29 March Park.  The club’s members are very interested in participating in the street parades of live music and dancing, and they practise very carefully for the event”.

The street parade in March

Deputy Director of the city’s Cultural Centre, Mr Cao Tan Ngoc, remarked that the event, which aims to create a useful playground for local residents, has attracted a great deal of attention from both locals and visitors.  He added “The greatest success of this event is that it has encouraged the whole community to take part in local arts and cultural activities”.

Deputy Director of the municipal Department of Culture and Sports, Mr Nguyen Huu Chien, stressed the need for the city to promote professionalism in this type of cultural activity with a focus on designing eye-catching costumes, creating suitable parade spaces, and adding variety to the performances.

Mr Chien added “The event must be deeply imbued with the city’s own identity and the street parade should be extended to the whole of Tran Hung Dao instead of only one section of the street”.

The street parades take place on the last Saturday of every month between 8pm and 9.30pm.