Bac Lieu, a Mekong Delta province well-known for many historical sites, plans to develop a walking zone to beef up local tourism.
The proposed pedestrian zone will run along the Bac Lieu River embankment and includes an 800-meter Dien Bien Phu street section, which runs from Vo Thi Sau bridge to Bac Lieu market.
Dien Bien Phu is one of the oldest streets in Bac Lieu town. The town's first market dock was located alongside this road and Bac Lieu River.
One of the highlights of the zone is Bac Lieu Mansion, a famous relic site. This mansion used to belong to Tran Trinh Huy, a well-known playboy in Bac Lieu and across southern Vietnam in the 1930s and 1940s. He was so famous that when it comes to Bac Lieu, the most memorable name that probably springs up in people’s minds is ‘Prince of Bac Lieu’- Tran Trinh Huy.
His mansion, inherited from Huy’s father Tran Trinh Trach, was built in 1919 and designed by a French architect with all construction materials imported from France.
According to the consulting unit, the project can be extended to the south of the zone, and the road on the other side of the Bac Lieu-Ca Mau canal can be added to the surrounding space.
The combination of architecture, scenery, lifestyle, urban features, cultural activities, and cuisine on display at the pedestrian zone would present Bac Lieu's identity.
The consultants will examine eight elements to fulfill this design concept, including technological infrastructure, regional identity, architectural works, landscape and environment, service exploitation, space expansion, sociological research, and pedestrian street activities.
Bac Lieu authorities have relocated small vendors along the street to a nearby market to make space for the zone.
Along with the walking street project, the province approved two new urban projects last year, including a night market on Hai Ba Trung street in Ward 3 and a marine park in Nha Mat ward.
Located to the east of Ca Mau Peninsula, the southern tip of mainland Vietnam, Bac Lieu has a diverse topography including plains, rivers, and canals.
Apart from Bac Lieu Mansion, must-see attractions in Bac Lieu as advised by U.S travel company TripAdvisor include the Bac Lieu wind power farm, Tac Say Church, Quan Am Phat Dai Temple, Xiem Can Pagoda, My Uyen Spa, and Kitty Bar & Kitty Sky Lounge.