Saigoneer
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The VND32.5 billion (US$1.4 million) effort will focus on repairing the Trần Hưng Đạo Statue, planting ornamental trees and performing road repairs.
The People s Committee of District 1 recently sent a proposal to the Ho Chi Minh City government regarding renovating Mê Linh Park. Of the VND32.5 billion, VND3.5 billion will be used to fix the statue pedestal, which has shown signs of severe wear and tear, and waterproof the main structure. The surrounding 3,300-square-meter park will receive new granite tiles and orchid, jasmine, and apricot trees along with a new lighting system.
The suggested plan to revamp the park has inspired mixed responses from Saigoneers online. Some questioned the proposal to spend money on aesthetic projects in the middle of a financially straining COVID-19 outbreak, while others feel it s unnecessary to replace the trees and tiles at the site.
Saigoneer
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Flanked by a busy road and overshadowed by an unfinished skyscraper, you d be forgiven if you rarely noticed the Signal Mast (Cột cờ Thủ Ngữ) where Ton Duc Thang and Vo Van Kiet streets intermingle.
Decades of development have isolated this peninsula from the rest of the District 1 waterfront and nearby pedestrian street. But what looks like a glorified flagpole to most is actually a relic of the earliest days of Saigon, and has seen the city transform form a backwater fishing village into a full-blown metropolis. After a recent facelift, perhaps it will get a bit more attention.