Parks in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is famous for being the most crowded city in Vietnam. The streets in the city center are always busy and full of traffic. When you cross the road, you must always pay attention to what is around you. If you feel stressed every time you go outside, you will surely want to find a wide and open place to relax. At times like that, walking, exercising, and taking deep breaths in a large park are very important.

In parks in Vietnam, people of all ages exercise and enjoy their favorite sports. As a Japanese person, I used to think that parks were mainly for older people, but this is not true in Vietnam. There is no clear difference between men and women. Many students look very happy when they play sports, jog, or practice performances together. Sometimes, I even see Western people playing basketball (they seem very outgoing).

The most common sport is “Đá cầu”. This is a traditional Vietnamese sport. The shuttlecock looks like a badminton shuttle but has longer feathers and a heavier base. People use their feet to kick it to each other. This sport is much harder than I expected. You have to use many parts of your foot, such as your toes, heels, and the top of your foot. I don’t know why, but the men who play this sport often have very strong muscles (very impressive!). When they kick the shuttlecock, it makes a fun “chak! chak!” sound. Just watching skilled players is already interesting.

Sometimes, women are even better than men. A few years ago, when I played with my coworkers, the best player was a female vice director. She is usually very gentle, but when she played "đá cầu", she became a completely different person. I was really surprised. Other popular sports include badminton, basketball, volleyball, and soccer. Recently, pickleball has also become more popular.

Most parks have simple gym equipment or stretching machines. These machines are mainly used by older people. Young and muscular people often use pull-up bars. If you only want light exercise, working out in a park is enough, and you don’t need to go to a gym. Parks are very crowded in the morning, so if you want more space, it is better to go at noon. It is a great way to relax your body after long and stressful office hours.

When I walk in the park, on my right side there is a group doing aerobics. They use loud speakers and dance to energetic music to burn fat. Most of them are women over 30. Watching them makes me want to move along with them. On the left side, there is a meditation group with calm and peaceful music. They sit cross-legged, stay still, and keep their minds quiet. I really admire their concentration because even with loud music nearby, they remain very calm.

Vietnamese Lunar New Year usually comes between late January and mid-February. When Tết is coming, parks start preparing for festivals, so jogging becomes a little difficult. Although it is a pity that I cannot exercise freely, the Tết atmosphere is very lively and joyful. There are many stalls and a lot of people. Seeing a different side of the park is also a nice experience.

I really love parks. In Ho Chi Minh City, most large parks are located in the city center. I am currently living in the suburbs, and there are almost no big parks near my place. Having many shops and buildings is convenient, but there are still very few green spaces to relax. I hope that in the future, the city will have more parks.

by Takkun