The edict also bars any kind of skating as well as people laying down picnic mats and sitting on them. Coffee vendors are now unwelcome too and are prohibited from setting up stalls or carts on the street.
Nguyen Hue Street underwent a revamp that cost almost US$20 million and reopened to the general public on 29 April 2015. The date commemorated the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon and the final days of the Vietnam War.
In May, a statue of the founder of modern Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, was erected on the street in memory of his 125th birthday. A pleasing feature is a forest of fountains.
The process of erecting 160 wooden benches in strategic locations has already begun. Artisans are making the benches from wood salvaged when trees that had stood at the front of Saigon Opera House for 100 years were felled to make way for a new underground train station.
Although Nguyen Hue is officially a pedestrian precinct it still has a vehicle lane either side of the main plaza. This allows access to buildings, shops and hotels such as the Royal Hotel Saigon.
Dogs and skating banned on new Ho Chi Minh pedestrian street
News in Asia
Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City have released a list of banned activities on its newly pedestrianised main thoroughfare. All pets, including dogs on leads, are at the top of the list of what is no longer allowed on Nguyen Hue Street.