Paying for prime parade viewing spots

Many people are paying from tens to hundreds of thousands of VND for reserved spots in private homes or restaurants with good views to watch the rehearsals and National Day parade.

With high demand from residents and tourists, many places are selling seats with prime views of the parade. As of the morning of 27/8, sidewalk seats on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street ranged from 40,000 to 50,000 VND. Some homes with good views from their second floors are selling seats for around 300,000 to 500,000 VND per person, not including food and drinks. Some homes are also offering meal reservations for parade viewing, allowing guests to secure their spots in advance.

Aroids Cafe at 29A Nguyen Thai Hoc Street said it has opened reservations for parade viewing with a surcharge of 200,000 VND per guest. During the rehearsal evening of 27/8, the cafe quickly filled up, with people arriving early in the morning to secure their spots. By nearly 11 a.m., the cafe was packed due to early street closures. From its location on the Nguyen Thai Hoc - Trang Thi - Trang Tien axis, cafe patrons can observe the marching parade contingents, including foreign military forces, militia and police.

Other streets with good parade views are also seeing a surge in pre-booked spots. On a section of the Hung Vuong sidewalk, plastic chair rentals range from 40,000 to 50,000 VND, with many people arriving as early as 2 p.m. to secure a good spot.

Hung Vuong sidewalk on the morning of 27/8. Photo: Vo Thanh

Hung Vuong sidewalk on the morning of 27/8. Photo: Vo Thanh

Meanwhile, some restaurants and hotels said they are only selling "very few" seats or not charging surcharges and are not accepting pre-bookings.

A representative of Soleil Sky Bar, located on the rooftop of the Soleil Boutique Hotel on Hang Bong Street, said there are about 30 seats, with 10 prime locations. However, the hotel is only selling a "limited number," reserving the rest for hotel guests. From its 12th-floor vantage point, the bar offers a 360-degree panoramic view of the capital's center. From here, viewers can fully observe the Trang Thi - Cua Nam - Dien Bien Phu intersection, where the parade contingents will march towards the August Revolution Square and Ba Dinh Square.

Parade viewing from Soleil Sky Bar. Photo: NVCC

Parade viewing from Soleil Sky Bar. Photo: NVCC

Laika Cafe at 28 Thanh Nien Street, located near the parade assembly area on Thanh Nien - Yen Phu Street before the contingents merge onto the main Nguyen Thai Hoc - Trang Thi - Trang Tien route, reported a high volume of reservation calls. However, the cafe is not accepting advance bookings or charging additional fees. Guests who arrive early can choose their seats. From the balcony overlooking Thanh Nien Street, guests can observe the motorized contingents carrying military equipment, command vehicles, and some military and police forces moving to join the parade formation heading towards the city center.

In contrast, since the morning of 27/8, Giang Thi Thuy, the owner of a Thai hotpot restaurant at 24A Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, has been busy preparing to welcome people coming to watch the parade completely free of charge. The restaurant has planned to distribute 200 free bowls of seafood noodle soup to parade-goers on 21, 24, 27, and 30/8. Thuy said that during the two previous parades on 21/8 and 24/8, her restaurant opened its doors for people to stand along the parade route, and restrooms were available for free.

Thuy puts up a sign in the morning inviting guests to watch the parade. Photo: Tu Nguyen

Thuy puts up a sign in the morning inviting guests to watch the parade. Photo: Tu Nguyen

"I'm not rich, but I enjoy seeing everyone happy," she said. Around 2 p.m., she arranged over 100 plastic chairs on the sidewalk so that early arrivals could have good seats for the parade.

Nguyen Thi Nhung, the owner of a fish noodle soup and sugarcane juice stall at 34C Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, is also using her available plastic chairs to accommodate parade viewers, with early birds getting the best spots. She plans to offer free sticky rice and porridge on 30/8 and 2/9 for parade spectators.

Since last night, despite prolonged rain due to Typhoon Kajiki, many residents and tourists have flocked to the area around Ba Dinh Square and the streets along the parade rehearsal route. Many three-generation families from distant provinces like Thanh Hoa and Quang Ninh have been queuing and setting up tents on Nguyen Thai Hoc and Hung Vuong Streets since 1 a.m. to secure good viewing spots. They said they weren't tired but were extremely excited to "witness the historic moment" commemorating the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution and National Day on 2/9.

Following four combined rehearsals at the National Military Training Center 4 (Mieu Mon) and two combined rehearsals at Ba Dinh Square, the forces will have a state-level rehearsal at 8 p.m. tonight with the participation of approximately 40,000 people.

The rehearsal will include contingents from the armed forces, marching masses, stationary groups, and an array of military equipment and specialized vehicles. Simultaneously, at the Khanh Hoa bridgehead, there will be live commentary (via screen) on the naval parade.