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Hai Phong needs to develop distinctive and attractive night-time economy models to transform the sector into a new driver of economic growth.
Many residents and visitors still vividly remember the lively evenings at the city's Central Flower Garden during the Hai Phong Red Flamboyant Festival 2026. Food stalls, OCOP (One Commune One Product) showcases, street performances, and crowds of visitors created a vibrant picture of Hai Phong's night-time economy.
In just one week, the event attracted more than 128,800 visitors. Total revenue generated by the 18 participating booths, together with businesses along Tran Hung Dao and Quang Trung streets, exceeded VND 2 billion. Notably, the benefits extended well beyond the festival grounds. Cafés, restaurants, souvenir shops, transport services, and accommodation providers throughout the city center all reported significant increases in customer numbers.
During the Red Flamboyant Festival, Kien An Ward also organized a series of activities under the theme "Kien An Happiness Festival." Cultural performances, hands-on cultural experiences, food stalls, and OCOP products attracted large numbers of local residents and tourists.
Mr. Do The Long, representing Son Thanh Safe Tea Cooperative from Thai Nguyen Province, which participated in the festival, shared: "Events like this give producers from other localities an opportunity to introduce their products to local consumers while adding diversity to the festival's commercial area. I hope there will be more opportunities to return to Hai Phong to participate in similar festivals."
Beyond generating revenue, these activities also helped strengthen community connections, promote local products, and lay the groundwork for Kien An Ward to develop night-time economy models linked to community-based tourism in the future.
From a different perspective, the privately invested pedestrian street at Vu Yen Park, part of the Vinhomes Royal Island urban development, demonstrates another successful approach. After just six months of operation, it has quickly become one of Hai Phong's most popular destinations thanks to its continuous lineup of cultural events, entertainment programs, and festivals. Every evening, its streets are bustling with residents and visitors enjoying dining, shopping, and leisure activities. This popularity has also attracted more than 200 retail brands to establish stores there.
These examples demonstrate that when culture, entertainment, commerce, and services are integrated within a single destination, the resulting economic impact is far greater than simply organizing rows of retail stalls.
According to Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute (Hanoi), Hai Phong possesses all the essential conditions for developing a vibrant night-time economy. What the city still lacks are attractions compelling enough to encourage visitors to stay beyond 6:00 p.m.
Recently, the People's Committee of Hong Bang Ward announced plans to revive the pedestrian street and night market model in the city center with a more professional, permanent operating model. The area could become a year-round venue for themed street performances and cultural events.
Interspersed among the market stalls could be rotating performances featuring cheo, xam singing, dum singing, ca tru ceremonial singing, hau van performances, traditional instrumental ensembles, as well as acoustic music, jazz, DJ shows, street dance, circus acts, and solo guitar performances. Together, these would create a continuous flow of entertainment rather than relying on a single fixed stage. Visitors could also take part in hands-on cultural experiences such as making to he (traditional toy figurines), traditional pottery, painting, calligraphy, and handicrafts, allowing them to actively participate rather than simply observe.
If developed through comprehensive planning, the pedestrian street could bring together stalls showcasing Hai Phong's signature Food Tour cuisine, regional specialties from across the newly expanded city, OCOP (One Commune One Product) products, international cuisine, souvenir shops, and creative local products. Modern sound and lighting systems, photobooths, check-in platforms, and artistic flower displays along the central promenade would further enhance the area's appeal, particularly for young people and tourists.
For many years, the pedestrian street and night market in Le Thanh Nghi Ward have served as a popular weekend cultural gathering place. Community performances, traditional folk games, and neighborhood activities have become distinctive features of local life. However, from an economic perspective, the model has yet to realize its full potential. Its relatively small scale, limited supporting services, insufficient number of vendors, and lack of entertainment offerings capable of keeping visitors engaged have prevented revenues from matching the area's inherent advantages.
“A night-time economy is not simply about selling goods at night—it is about creating an entire ecosystem of night-time consumption. When visitors stay longer, they spend more on dining, shopping, accommodation, and transportation. The resulting added value benefits a wide range of economic sectors,” Mr. Pham Hai Quynh, Director of the Asian Tourism Development Institute, added.
Hai Phong has identified the development of its cultural industries, tourism, and service economy as one of its new growth drivers. If strategically planned and developed while highlighting the city's unique cultural identity, pedestrian streets and night markets can stimulate consumer spending, strengthen Hai Phong's image as a destination, and improve residents' quality of life.
Huy Tuan
