Mentioning the so-called capital of industrialization, Binh Duong province, tourists from all walks of life may think of a overcrowded locality surrounded by large-scale and modern industrial parks. However, Binh Duong is more than that with major calm rivers winding around the cities and towns. In particular, the Mid-Autumn Festival has brought the urban Thu Dau Mot of Binh Duong brilliant and magical features of a walking street of Bach Dang.
Not industry alone
After many years of working with local people and living here, I know I have made the right choice of this land as my second homeland to settle down. Perhaps not me alone but people outside the province or local residents will surely be extremely excited and proud to witness the changes and development of the land from a purely agricultural locality to a city with vibrant industrial development echoing far and wide.
Local people are eager to walk and do exercise on the walking street of Bach Dang
To say that Binh Duong is the capital of industry is not an exaggeration at all. Totally 48 industrial parks and clusters in the province have widely distributed in 9 districts, towns and cities. Upholding an open policy of willing to facilitate and support investors and businesses to open factories, the provincial authority has the presence of more than 58,000 domestic and foreign enterprises. Up to now, most industrial parks and clusters in the southern areas of the province have a 100% occupancy rate in the face of the new wave of investment to the northern localities.
It would be a mistake to think that Binh Duong is just a dry industrial land with a fast pace of life surrounding factories and enterprises. To build Binh Duong into a livable land, in addition to well-formed industrial parks and clusters, the province has also planned to develop core urban areas and green - clean - beautiful new rural areas to create a worthy living space along with playing and entertaining time, helping people experience and enjoy a peaceful and rewarding life after hard working hours.
After months of waiting, the people of Binh Duong now receive an ideal entertainment place named Walking Street of Bach Dang night market. Accordingly, Bach Dang pedestrian street and night market is a complex of works bearing the imprint and identity of Binh Duong. On the basis of the embankment along the Saigon River in the central area of Phu Cuong ward in Thu Dau Mot city, the local authority has concentrated investment capital for the project complex to create a meaningful playground for residents and visitors.
As reported, the complex of Bach Dang pedestrian street and night market was invested in construction and officially put into operation from August 2014 of phase 1. After considering and identifying the potentials, the local authority has decided to continue investing in phase 2 to expand entertainment space for residents and visitors. After the construction period, on September 2, 2022, Thu Dau Mot city officially cut the ribbon to inaugurate and put into operation the complex of pedestrian streets and Bach Dang night market to extend the section from the intersection of Ngo Quyen street to the intersection of Huynh Van Cu street. The newly expanded complex is considered as one of the meaningful works with great influence on the socio-economic appearance of the locality and the cultural and spiritual life of the people.
Urbanity peace
Walking Street within Bach Dang night market is an ideal entertainment destination for local residents and tourists from all over on weekends and holidays. Accordingly, within 18:00 to 23:00, people and visitors will have the opportunity to go for a walk to watch the riverside town at night and enjoy cuisine with thousands of deliciously prepared dishes of traditional taste. Statistics of Thu Dau Mot city People's Committee show that on peak days in the pedestrian street area of Bach Dang night market, nearly 350 stalls selling food, fashion, and souvenirs of all kinds would serve residents and visitors. Ms. Nguyen Thi Hoa, a resident of Phu Cuong ward in Thu Dau Mot city, said that as her residence is nearby, her family comes every night to walk and exercise. Although she is in the middle of the city, Ms. Hoa always feels peaceful and comfortable.
"Just a 30-minute walk watching the city and the river altogether at night is how much fatigue and worries disappear," Ms. Hoa confided. Talking to us while taking his children for a walk on the pedestrian street of Bach Dang night market, Mr. Nguyen Van Chung, a resident of Hiep Thanh ward in Thu Dau Mot city said that he has a habit of taking his wife and children to the Bach Dang night market on weekend evenings for walking and dining. Chung shared that eating and watching the streets together not only help him reduce work and life pressure, but also strengthen family chemistry.
"This also helps the children have more life experiences and love their family and homeland," said Mr. Chung.
Not only is an ideal destination for people and visitors in the evening, the Bach Dang walking street and night market complex is also an ideal exercise and sport destination for local people. Present in this area in the early morning of September 9, we noticed that hundreds of people were excited to exercise and do sports. While young people choose highly intensive exercises such as jogging and cycling, older people choose the practice of dancing to music.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu, a resident of Phu Cuong ward in Thu Dau Mot city said that from the day the pedestrian street and Bach Dang night market were put into use, she and her friends in the group often brought a small speaker out to practice dancing to the tune of music. Most of the dances are scripted based on gentle music, so it can be called a nourishing exercise method.
“This area is spacious, airy, quiet and clean, so the fitness groups often come to practice. In the middle of a noisy city, it is great to have such an entertainment spot like this," said Ms. Thu excitedly.
Reported by Dinh Thang – Translated by Vi Bao
