| Phạm Ngũ Lão Street | |
| Former Names: |
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| Namesake: | Phạm Ngũ Lão |
| Length Km: | 1.2 |
| Country: | Vietnam |
| Location: | Phạm Ngũ Lão, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City |
| Metro System: | HCMC Metro |
| Metro: | Bến Thành station |
| Coordinates: | 10.7685°N 106.6928°W |
| Junction: | Phạm Ngũ Lão – Nguyễn Thái Học – Nguyễn Thị Nghĩa |
| East: | Quách Thị Trang Square |
| West: | Thái Bình Market roundabout |
Phạm Ngũ Lão street is located in District 1 of Ho Chi Minh City, formerly Saigon, Vietnam. It was named after Phạm Ngũ Lão, the national hero. The street together with Bùi Viện, Đề Thám and Đỗ Quang Đẩu streets create a quarter known as the "Backpacker District" of Saigon which is "phố Tây Ba lô" in Vietnamese, as there are so many bars and cafes in this district are conveniently located around Saigon's city centre that attracted affordable foreign tourists who enjoy traveling the city by walking the whole day with backpacks on their back.[1] [2]
The Phạm Ngũ Lão quarter is also known for its affordable guest houses and mini-hotels as well as the availability of tourist agencies which primarily cater to budget tourists, similar to Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand.
Phạm Ngũ Lão street is an east-west axis in the downtown, starts at Thái Bình Market roundabout in the west, intersect with streets of Nguyễn Trãi and Cống Quỳnh, go along with 23 September Park and Lê Lai street to Trần Hưng Đạo street then go a bit further through the Quách Thị Trang Square and One Central Saigon to end at Phó Đức Chính street in the east.[3]
This street was formed when the French built the second Saigon railway station (the third and current Saigon station in District 3 previously called as Hòa Hưng station). Initially the street was temporarily called rue Latérale Sud de la Gare (South side street of the station), until 1917 when the station was put into operation, the street was named rue Colonel Grimaud.[4]
In 1955, the street was renamed to Phạm Ngũ Lão street, this name is never changed and still kept until now.[5] During the Republic of Vietnam period, The street is also known as the "street of press" of Saigon, as along the street at that time there were many editorial offices of daily newspapers, weekly newspapers, magazines and also publishing houses, distribution houses, and printing houses.[6] The area of Pham Ngũ Lão, Đề Thám and Bùi Viện streets is also known as the "International Crossroads" (Ngã tư Quốc Tế).[7] [8]
In 1978, the government of Ho Chi Minh City decided to relocate the Saigon station to Hòa Hưng station in District 3, the old train station was renovated into the current 23 September Park.[9]
The "Backpacker District" is where selling goods and services with affordable price to tourists. Currently, along Phạm Ngũ Lão Street, there are many large standard hotels, restaurants, cafes and travel agencies.[10] Next to the street is 23 September Park. In the section B of the park is the Dramatic Red Lotus Stage (Sân khấu Sen Hồng), which is temporarily closed since 2019 for park renovaion, and an outdoor shopping mall at the basement of the section named Central Market (formerly known as Sense Market) is the city's first underground food and shopping market that opened in 2017.[11] [12] There are also some notable mordern landmark buildings around here, included the New World Saigon Hotel and the grade-A 26-story A&B Office Tower, both on Lê Lai street opposite the crossroads off Phạm Ngũ Lão – Nguyễn Thị Nghĩa street.