Tet flowers bring colour to HCM city

Orchids are prepared for Tet in Cu Chi district, HCM City

As Tet approaches once more, flower shops in Ho Chi Minh City are full of buyers. Various kinds of flowers and bonsai have brought colour to the city on the threshold of the Year of the Horse.

 

This year, Ho Chi Minh City has more than 130 flower shops dotted in every corner of the city. This makes it convenient for city dwellers to purchase flowers.

In the flower market at September 23rd Park, besides traditional decorative plants such as apricot trees, peach blossom, orchids and daisies, a lot of varieties of plants with strange shapes at not too high prices are showcased.

Apricot symbolises Tet in the south. This year, small and medium apricot trees range from 300,000 – 1 million dong, not much higher than last year.

Peach blossom, available in the north during Tet, is transported from the north, as well as from the Central Highlands city of Da Lat at cheaper prices.

Due to the lingering economic recession, many customers just come to browse. Therefore, sales are far from sellers’ expectations.

Choosing flower or bonsai pots to decorate houses is the Vietnamese traditional practice during Tet celebrations. Every street seems to be more colourful when flower markets erupt

Tet flowers bring colour to HCM city

HCM City to relicense discotheques after years

The Department of Culture – Sports and Tourism of Ho Chi Minh City is drafting a discos and karaoke parlor planning, under which new discotheques and karaoke bars may be licensed based on the demands and proposals of each district.

After years of halting the licenses of new discotheques and karaoke bars, HCM City Vice Chairman – Mr. Hua Ngoc Thuan has assigned the HCMC Department of Culture – Sports and Tourism to draft the planning for this kind of entertainment services in the city from now to 2020.

Under this plan, the city government will license discotheques and karaoke bars in districts at the demands and proposals of the local authorities. However, management over these businesses will be tightened to control social evils. The license of new discotheques and karaoke bars must have the consent of relevant bodies, not only the local authorities.

HCM City currently has about 750 karaoke bars, studios, 25 bars and discotheques. Since 2005, under the government’s instruction on tightening the operation of sensitive services, the city has not licensed any new discotheques and karaoke bars.

In relation to the operation of sensitive services, earlier this year HCM City proposed the central government to zone an area for “sensitive businesses” to prevent and reduce prostitution, which tends to become more complex and widespread in the city.

If the government approves the idea, the city will select an area which is relatively isolated from the central area to host all bars, discos, restaurants, motels and spa centers.

In addition, all female workers in this area must have a labor contract and have periodic health checks to ensure no spread of the diseases to others.

HCM City to relicense discotheques after years