Danger lurks as wedding tents block walkways in Nghe An.

Wedding tents "swallow up" the entire street.

As the year draws to a close and wedding season reaches its peak, the sight of wedding tents erected haphazardly on sidewalks, even completely occupying the road itself, reappears on many busy streets and residential areas. It's not uncommon to see iron frames, tarpaulin roofs covering walkways, tables and chairs crammed together, and powerful sound systems operating for hours on end, transforming public spaces into party venues.

According to a reporter's observations on January 5th, along the Lam River embankment road, in the Truong Vinh ward (formerly part of Hung Hoa commune), a wedding tent over 100 meters long was erected, completely blocking the road. All passing vehicles were forced to turn around or take a detour.

Not only on this road, but also on the main thoroughfares in Thanh Vinh, Truong Vinh, Vinh Phu wards… and many residential alleyways, the encroachment on sidewalks and roads to erect wedding and party tents is quite common. In some places, tents are set up from early morning until late at night, disrupting the daily lives and traffic of surrounding residents.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Van, a resident of Truong Vinh ward, expressed her frustration: "Some wedding tents are set up irresponsibly, blocking the entire road. Motorbikes have to climb onto the sidewalk to compete with pedestrians, and cars can't pass through at all."

Besides obstructing traffic, illegally erected wedding tents also lead to many other problems. The haphazard strung electrical wires for lighting and sound pose a fire hazard; guests park their cars indiscriminately on both sides of the road, narrowing the lanes; and the prolonged noise disrupts the lives of nearby residents.

According to our research, the main reason for this situation stems from limited economic conditions and available land, especially in urban areas. Many households cannot afford to hold wedding receptions at restaurants or hotels; houses on main streets or in narrow alleys lack sufficient space to accommodate guests, so they choose to set up tents right on the sidewalk or road.

More worryingly, some households are willing to accept fines thinking, "The fine is cheaper than renting a restaurant." This disregard for legal regulations makes it difficult to handle violations, leading to prolonged recurrence and directly affecting urban order and traffic safety.

Flexible solutions

Faced with the problem of sidewalks and roads being occupied for setting up wedding tents, local authorities have been strengthening management, inspection, and enforcement efforts to restore urban order.

Recently, on January 3, 2026, on Hoang Thi Loan street in Ben Thuy 10 block, Truong Vinh ward, a household in NQB brazenly erected a wedding tent, completely blocking the road and preventing pedestrians and vehicles from passing. Immediately after receiving the complaint, the People's Committee of Truong Vinh ward dispatched officials to the scene to inspect, record the incident, and request the household to voluntarily dismantle the tent and restore the common passage.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Nguyen Van Ngoc, Vice Chairman of the Vinh Hung Ward People's Committee, said: "The ward's stance is to resolutely prevent the erection of wedding tents and party tents that encroach on sidewalks and roads, causing traffic safety hazards. When couples come to register their marriage, the ward clearly explains the regulations and requires them to sign a commitment not to violate them. In cases of deliberate violation, they will be required to dismantle the tents and be fined according to the law."

In reality, in urban order management, some localities do not mechanically apply "absolute bans" but instead consider a balance between ensuring traffic safety and the legitimate needs of the people. For cases where households proactively report and seek the authorities' opinion, or organize weddings on small roads with low traffic volume and short durations, and have plans to ensure temporary access and traffic safety, some localities still consider flexibly facilitating these arrangements while maintaining strict management and control.

However, this flexibility only applies when people fully comply with the authorities' requirements, such as: not erecting tents that completely block the road, not causing prolonged traffic congestion, not using loud music that disrupts order, providing traffic guides, and committing to dismantling everything immediately after the ceremony ends. Local authorities also regularly send personnel to inspect and monitor throughout the event to promptly remind and correct any shortcomings that arise.

Conversely, for cases where tents are erected without permission, disregarding warnings, and on main roads with high traffic density, causing traffic congestion and posing a potential accident risk, the authorities will resolutely handle the matter according to regulations. Violators will not only be required to immediately dismantle the wedding tent but will also be issued a written report and fined administratively to deter and prevent the practice of "building first, getting permission later."

To curb violations, some localities have implemented various flexible approaches. Notably, they have facilitated residents borrowing community cultural centers or the courtyards of ward offices on weekends to hold wedding receptions. This approach both meets the legitimate needs of the people and helps to end the encroachment on traffic space.