'Livelihood Stalls' on Google Maps: New platform lets users contribute to street vendor map in Ho Chi Minh City

The 'Ganh Muu Sinh' (Livelihood Stalls) pins on Google Maps gained widespread attention online in Ho Chi Minh City, helping people find street vendors, including elderly sellers, and support their livelihoods by buying from them.

Inspired by the initiative, Lu Minh Tri, CEO of HYPER ONE, has developed a dedicated platform where users can find vendors, update their information, and share their visits.

Community-powered updates for street vendors

Ganh Muu Sinh is a nonprofit web application developed and operated by Lu Minh Tri and his team.

According to the project’s website, the platform has listed 89 street vendors.

Initial data was drawn from publicly available locations on Google Maps, then supplemented and verified through community contributions.

Users can browse a map of street vendors, search and filter locations, add new vendors, upload photos, check in, and share their purchasing experiences on a public feed. 

A points and membership-level system rewards contributions, with users earning 10 points for each new vendor they add, for example.

A key feature of the platform is its ability to incorporate updates from people who visit and buy from the vendors in person.

Because street vendors may change locations, close early, or sell out, a fixed address alone may not be enough to help customers find them. 

Real-time confirmations from the community can help keep listings accurate and reflect actual trading conditions.

According to Tri, user-submitted information is reviewed by a dedicated team before being published.

The project also uses AI to help screen and cross-check addresses and selling hours against Google Maps and publicly available social media information, flagging duplicate, potentially inaccurate, or outdated data. 

The platform also allows users to submit feedback and request corrections. 

Speaking about the inspiration behind the platform, Lu Minh Tri said he had also used Google Maps to find street vendors, buy from them, and chat with the sellers. Through these visits, he realized that location information alone could not fully reflect their day-to-day selling conditions.

“Once, I drove more than 15 kilometers to buy a bunch of bananas from an elderly vendor based on a Google Maps listing, only to find that she was nowhere to be seen. These vendors don’t have fixed stalls where you can simply show up and expect to find them,” he told Tuoi Tre (Youth) online newspaper.

These experiences inspired him to develop a tool that allows users to upload photos and update vendors’ selling status after each visit. He said the approach could help customers support vendors who have limited access to technology.

“What I hope most is that 'Ganh Muu Sinh' stays true to its name, which reflects people earning a living through their own hard work. I want the platform to help vendors reach more people, connect with potential customers and gradually build a base of regular customers," Tri said.

"Buying and selling can go hand in hand with kindness and human warmth while preserving vendors’ independence and dignity,” he added.