Bui Vien Street

Bui Vien is the main street of the backpacker quarter of Ho Chi Minh City, a narrow corridor between the low houses of the first district. By day it is almost empty, with lowered shutters, parked scooters and the signboards of guesthouses and noodle eateries stacked three tiers high. In the evening the roadway is closed off, tables are carried straight out onto the asphalt, and the street turns into one continuous pedestrian fair. The Bitexco tower shows in the distance between the signboards, and scrap collectors with huge sacks work along the pavements. It is a convenient place from which to start on the city, since the Ben Thanh market and the Saigon waterfront are both within walking distance.

On the map