‘I didn’t expect that even District 3 has a yard, banana bushes… so green, no need to go far’, Le Thi Duyen (living in Binh Thanh district, HCMC) excitedly said. Indeed, right in Ho Chi Minh City, young people can immerse themselves in the green space, not necessarily going up the mountain or into the forest.
“Forest bathing” in urban areas
Le Thi Duyen accidentally discovered the green space at Children’s House in Ho Chi Minh City when she went to an event with her friends. Duyen said that behind the Children’s House is a French villa, surrounded by trees. In the campus, phoenix flowers bloom as red as summer fire, along with porcelain flower branches adorning the ancient space. “I didn’t expect this place to have a whole garden with cool paths, a few potted plants that weren’t pruned much, so it looked natural. There are even banana bushes like in the countryside, sending photos to friends who don’t believe it is in District 3,” Duyen said. So, the 27-year-old nature-loving girl has more places to visit. 
Green spaces like these are easy to find in the city Not only Children’s House, Ho Chi Minh City also has many places for young people to relax their minds in green space. Working in District 1, in the afternoon after work, Tran Thanh Tu (30 years old, living in District 4) tried to visit Tao Dan park on Truong Dinh street. “Around 5 o’clock, the afternoon sun scattered on the treetops was very beautiful. I bought a loaf of bread, sat on a stone bench and ate it, and walked around. In the past, I never tried to do that, always dragged my friends to the barbecue restaurant or went home to surf the phone,” Thanh Tu said. According to Thanh Tu, another great place to stroll is the Reunification Hall. Coming here, young people can both visit and learn about the architecture and history of the palace, while walking in the campus. “For those of you who like to take pictures, this place also has many interesting shooting angles, such as the fountain area, and the library room window looking out like you are in Da Lat,” Thanh Tu shared. There are many other places where young people in the city can enjoy green. According to some explorers, many people often think that Saigon Zoo and Botanical Garden is nothing “monumental”. But all week you have been sitting in the air-conditioned room, not knowing what nature is but the tiny potted plants on the desk. So, with just 60,000 dong for a ticket, young people can walk under a giant tree hundreds of years old. There are many interesting things here, including an agricultural orchard that grows corn and rice and a cottage. Green journey of the day Luu Thi Kim Thoa’s group of friends (33 years old, living in Tan Phu district) enjoys traveling by day trips right in the city. Thoa said: “We went to Can Gio not to swim, but to temporarily stay away from the dust. The group has gone 5-6 times already, just as fun as other places. What I like most is that this place is not many tourists, everything is very rustic.” Last time, Thoa’s group was very excited when they discovered that on the way to Can Thanh town, there was a restaurant with a large yellow scorpion tree in full bloom. “We dropped in right away. The tree bloomed so much that it fell into a carpet, everyone looked at it closely. The owner also made a swing for guests to take pictures with the mangroves behind. Not only this restaurant, but on the way, the group also “adventures” with the green forest on both sides, watching the dense vines that look like elephant tusks, or stopping by the quiet green bridges jar. Friend Le Thi Duyen also suggested a simpler journey. Last weekend, Duyen and a few friends rode motorbikes from An Suong intersection (District 12) to Song Hanh Street, Highway 22 and decided to explore this area instead of going to Cu Chi. On both sides of the road, there are still empty fields, there are makeshift pubs right under the field trails. Duyen’s group ordered fresh coconut 20,000 VND/fruit and sat down to enjoy the cool breeze, “eight” stories to delight. “You can go to some small streets, visit a net house to grow vegetables, then try eating fish porridge with melaleuca mushrooms and some dishes like pancakes, beef with guise… both cheap and delicious. On high wind days, it is said that people also bring kites to fly,” Duyen said. Ho Chi Minh City has many other green spaces, which just need young people to spend a little time. On Facebook groups about content to explore the city, young people can also find suggestions about green places: Ao Dai Museum, Thao Dien area (Thu Duc city), Cu Chi tunnels… If one day If you soon get bored or miss the trees, don’t forget to put on your sneakers and go to one of the places mentioned above. The Japanese have the art of forest bathing. No idea that being immersed in nature can help heal the mind and body. If you can’t go to the forest, young people can find a green space for their soul to relax. As long as your body and mind are relaxed, you will be wise to live more happily, then you have more or less “bathed in the forest”.
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