HO CHI MINH CITY - Vietnam's Ho Chi Minh City has set a target of receiving some 1.5 million Chinese visitors by 2020, up from 540,000 in 2017, the municipal Department of Tourism said Wednesday.

To this end, Ho Chi Minh City will establish more tourist attractions in District 5, further develop waterway-based tours, better manage shops, especially those sell raw or processed salangane nests or rubber mattresses, and promote the city's destinations in Chinese localities.

Vietnam welcomed nearly 1.8 million Chinese visitors in the first four months of this year, or 32 percent of the total international arrivals, posting a year-on-year rise of 39.7 percent, said the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Last year, Vietnam hosted over 4 million Chinese visitors, up 48.6 percent against 2016.