September 2nd Holiday: Ho Chi Minh City is filled with flags and flowers, people are excitedly taking pictures and shopping.

September 2nd Ceremony - Photo 1. — Ho Chi Minh City Book Street is crowded with visitors, shoppers, and check-in photographers on August 31 - Photo: NHAT XUAN

This year, cultural and artistic programs and communication campaigns with patriotic themes were organized more vibrantly, attracting a large number of customers, especially young customers.

Cultural and artistic activities attract visitors

Tuoi Tre Online 's observations at the Ho Chi Minh City Book Street on the morning of August 31 showed a bustling atmosphere from the beginning of the day. Hundreds of readers of all ages, from children, students to international tourists, visited the book street to sightsee, shop and take souvenir photos.

This year, the book street is especially attractive as it becomes the place to release special publications of Nhan Dan Newspaper to celebrate the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day September 2.

Unable to hide his joy when holding the special publication in his hands, young Le Hoang Ai Nguyen (25 years old, living in Nhieu Loc ward) shared: "I have known and loved the supplement since April 30 and May 1, but due to the limited number of copies, I have not had the opportunity to own it. This time, I am really excited and very happy to finally have it."

Also walking on the book street early, two friends Nguyen Ngoc Yen Binh and Nguyen Thi My Dung (from Hung Yen ) said they decided to stay in Ho Chi Minh City during the holiday. "The holiday is usually very crowded, if you want to go home you have to book tickets a week in advance. This year, instead of going home, I chose to stay and work to earn more income, and at the same time enjoy the festival atmosphere right in Saigon," Binh shared.

Before going to Book Street, the two visited the City Post Office , Independence Palace and took many souvenir photos. "I wanted to record images at historical sites, then combine them with the song What's more beautiful (Red Rain soundtrack) which is currently 'hot' to share on social networks," Binh said.

September 2nd holiday: Ho Chi Minh City is filled with flags and flowers, people are excited to take pictures, and shop excitedly - Photo 2. — Two young people Nguyen Ngoc Yen Binh (yellow shirt) and Nguyen Thi My Dung (white shirt) excitedly took photos with the special supplement of Nhan Dan Newspaper which is a "hot trend". Photo: NHAT XUAN

A representative of Ho Chi Minh City Book Street said that on this occasion, a series of cultural events will take place throughout, with the highlight being the theme "80 years of Pride in a strip of land and rivers - culture accompanies the nation", introducing nearly 100 books on history, revolution, culture and resistance literature.

Major publishers such as Tre, Kim Dong, Ho Chi Minh City General, National Politics Truth… also participated with discounts of up to 70% and many gifts for readers. The festival space also has souvenir booths, experience areas and check-in points exclusively for young readers.

Bustling shopping malls and supermarkets

At large shopping centers such as Takashimaya (District 1), Van Hanh Mall (District 10), Vincom Dong Khoi (District 1), Emart Go Vap..., the number of visitors and shoppers is quite large, especially bustling at noon and evening.

September 2nd Ceremony - Photo 3. — Many brands offer discounts of up to 80% on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of National Day September 2 - Photo: NHAT XUAN

Ms. Le Thuy Truc Ngu, marketing director of Van Hanh Mall, said that the number of visitors this year is expected to reach about 40,000/day. "The entire center is implementing promotional programs to stimulate demand during the holiday. In addition to incentives from brands, Van Hanh Mall also organizes lucky draws for customers who shop from 1 million VND," Ms. Truc Ngu said.

At Parc Mall, Ms. Lam Thi Kim Trang said that many brands are applying strong discount programs, especially on fashion, cosmetics and household items. Because this year's September 2nd holiday is close to the Mid-Autumn Festival, Parc Mall has invested heavily in a decorative space combining the "Mid-Autumn" theme, lasting from September 1 to October 10, 2025.

"The festival is held for 5 weeks with art and music programs taking place every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening. Besides the music stage, visitors can admire traditional lanterns and participate in the Mid-Autumn Festival fair with many special highlights," Ms. Trang shared.

Meanwhile, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Industry and Trade said that the "City Sale" program will also last throughout the September 2 holiday, gathering more than 500 international and domestic brands with discounts of up to 80%. Many high-end brands will participate, the activity will take place at Ben Thanh station and large shopping centers such as Diamond Plaza, SC VivoCity, Mega Mall Thao Dien, etc.