Public art unveiled at Ho Chi Minh City’s largest metro station

The inauguration ceremony was held on Wednesday by Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway No. 1 Company Limited, Tan Ha Noi Art Company Limited, and partner organizations.

The project features six artworks created by artist Nguyen Thu Thuy and her team.

It is the result of cooperation between state management agencies, the metro operator, and private enterprises to integrate art into public transportation spaces.

The centerpiece is a 3.36-meter-tall ceramic clock installed beneath the station's toplight.

Inspired by the lotus flower, the sculpture features 12 stylized lotus petals formed from 96 folded triangular ceramic panels.

The clock is built on a steel frame covered with blue-glazed ceramic set against a white porcelain background.

Each triangular lotus petal is decorated with traditional Vietnamese cultural motifs, including Lac birds, stilt houses, images of Hung Kings-era residents, and Dong Son bronze drums.

According to Nguyen Thu Thuy, sunlight passing through the station's glass roof between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm each day creates lighting effects that highlight the artwork and the station's central space.

"It is a combination of nature, architecture, and fine arts, as well as tradition and modernity," she said.

Beside the ceramic clock are three large ceramic murals depicting iconic scenes of Ho Chi Minh City: Nguyen Hue Flower Street during the Lunar New Year, a metro line No. 1 train crossing the Saigon River with Landmark 81 in the background, and fireworks over the Saigon River celebrating Vietnam's National Day (September 2).

Created using ceramic and painting techniques, the murals reflect the city's transformation from tradition to modernity.

Near the station's exit is another installation, Vietnam bon mua hoa (Vietnam's Four Seasons of Flowers), spanning four columns. The artwork showcases the country's natural beauty, cultural heritage, and regional diversity through symbolic floral imagery.

The project also includes mosaic ceramic panels displaying historical photographs of the areas around Ben Thanh, Opera House, Ba Son, Van Thanh, and Tan Cang Stations, giving passengers an opportunity to learn about the city's history when they use the metro.

Van Thi Huu Tam, deputy director of Ho Chi Minh City Urban Railway No. 1 Company Limitet, said incorporating public art into Ben Thanh Metro Station enhances the aesthetic value of the transport facility while helping transform it into an open cultural space where residents and visitors can experience art in everyday life.

She added that the completion of the project marks the beginning of a broader effort to integrate cultural and artistic values into Ho Chi Minh City's public transport network and strengthen the image of the metro as not only a means of transportation but also a cultural space in a modern urban environment.