A photo of an old apartment building occupied by shops and cafes on Nguyen Hue Street in downtown Saigon has featured on National Geographic Channel. 

The photo, taken by Samsara Tran, was on the official Facebook page of the British pay television late last week and received warm appreciation. It has garnered 43,000 likes and 18,000 shares on Facebook.

The old nine-story apartment building, called the Café Apartment, has been turned into a home for coffee shops, restaurants, and coworking spaces.

The 'Café Apartment' on Nguyen Hue Street in District 1, Ho Chi Minh City.
Photo by Samsara Tran.

It has for long been a popular rendezvous for young people and foreigners in the city. There are also beauty salons, fashion boutiques, and accessories stores in the building.

"It's very funny. You could easily spend a whole day exploring this apartment building," Samsara Tran said.

Many people seemed intrigued by the photo.

Kaweeporn Wachirarangsiman, a Facebook user, commented: "Love it loads. Some of these cafes become funky pubs in the evening."

Another, Kwai Ping Tong, said the apartments look "colorful."

Facebook account You Han commented: "Such a beautiful one, even photos taken at stairs behind, or at the back alley are great too!"

Nguyen Hue Street, where the building is located, has been receiving thousands of visitors every day since its median strip was made pedestrians-only, and gets particularly crowded during weekends and holidays.