President Trương Tấn Sang led the country's and HCM City's leaders in a celebration kicking of the annual Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street in HCM City on February 5.

The annual Nguyễn Huệ Flower Street in HCM City represents the beauty of the city and its people.

Thus comes just two days before the Tết (Lunar New Year) festival.

This year on flower street, there are more than 100,000 baskets of masterfully decorated flower arrangements, stretching 720 metres on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Square.

The ceremony was attended by former Party secretary Lê Khả Phiêu, Politburo Member Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, vice chairwoman of the National Assembly, Politburo Member Võ Văn Thưởng, head of the Central Party's Propaganda and Education Committee, former secretary of the HCM City Party Committee Lê Thanh Hải, Nguyễn Thành Phong, chairman of HCM City's People's Committee and other leaders.

Also in attendance at the nation's most beloved Lunar New Year holiday celebration was the newly-nominated secretary of HCM City's Party Committee Đinh La Thăng.

During the opening ceremony, Nguyễn Thị Thu, vice chairwoman of HCM City's People's Committee, said that the flower street represents the beauty of the city and its people. The festival takes pride of place for the citizen.

The festival takes pride of place for the citizen.

This year on flower street, there are more than 100,000 baskets of masterfully decorated flower arrangements, stretching 720 metres on Nguyễn Huệ Pedestrian Square.

According to the HCM City-owned Saigontourist, the company responsible for the arrangements every year, beside flowers brought from Sa Đéc City in the Mekong Delta province of Đồng Tháp, Đà Lạt City in the Central Highlands province of Lâm Đồng, a major portion of the flowers was produced in HCM City.

The flower street theme this year is "Hồ Chi Minh City – Peace, Integration and Development."