Trash fills downtown Ho Chi Minh City after Reunification Day fireworks

The fireworks show was part of the activities to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the liberation of southern Vietnam and Reunification Day (April 30, 1975–2025).

Thousands of people gathered at Bach Dang Wharf Park to watch the dazzling fireworks show.

However, shortly after the event were scenes of widespread littering. 

Trash of all kinds—plastic bottles, nylon bags, foam containers, and leftover food—was strewn across the lawns, walkways, and park edges.

A rain that followed the fireworks show worsened the situation, causing the trash to stick to the roads and grass, severely affecting the urban landscape.

Under a light drizzle, dozens of sanitation workers were busy collecting waste. They had to labor intensively in slippery, cold conditions.

One sanitation worker from District 1 Public Services Company Limited shared that the rain made the trash soggy and sticky, so it was hard to sweep or collect. Sanitation workers had to pick it up by hand to return the area to a clean state before a parade rehearsal on Sunday morning.

“Today is one of the hardest days we’ve had,” the worker noted.

Despite repeated calls from Ho Chi Minh City authorities urging the public to maintain cleanliness in public spaces, scenes of indiscriminate littering continue to occur after large gatherings.

The accumulation of waste not only tarnishes the city’s image but also places a heavy burden on urban sanitation efforts.