HCM City authorities have made public the city’s plan to welcome the New Year, with six special programs.

Firework shows will take place at seven sites during the 15 first minutes of the New Year.

Nguyen Hue city Road will be decorated with flowers and ornamental trees with the theme “New Height”, as the follow-up for the themes of previous years, including “Integration and Development” in 2005, “On the Road of Integration” in 2006, “Going out to the Sea” in 2007, “Overcoming Waves” in 2008, “Trust” in 2009 and “Spring of Sunrise” in 2010.

This year’s theme shows the city’s effort to attain higher economic and social achievements.

The Nguyen Hue Flower Road will open for public from 7 pm, January 31 2011 until 10 pm February 6 2011. During this time cars will be banned from the road.

Twenty-four districts will organize the “Banh Tet Festival” (banh tet is traditional rice cake of southern Vietnam). On this occasion, Saigon Tourist and the Department of Social, War Invalids and Social Affairs will present 10,000 banh tet to children at orphanages and social centers.

Banh tet offering rituals will be held at the Temple for Hung Kings, the Ho Chi Minh Museum and Ton Duc Thang Museum.

During the New Year festival, the roads of Nguyen Hue, Le Loi, Dong Khoi, Le Duan and Chi Lang Park will be decorated by color lamps from December 17 to January 4 2011.

Families living in these streets will be encouraged to decorate the front of their houses and participate in the Door-shows program.

A special show will take place on Nguyen Hue Road to welcome the New Year’s Eve on the evening of December 31. A light show will be held at the Sunwah and Palace buildings alongside a music show at the outdoor stage in front of the Sunwah building on Nguyen Hue Road. All vehicles will be banned from the road during this time.

PV