The municipal circus troupe of Hồ Chí Minh City was set up in 1976. It comprises 60 performers who specialise in 50 different acts, most of them graduates of the Việt Nam Circus School although a few trained in Russia. Many of its performers have been awarded top medals and prizes for their work. At the time of writing the company gives regular performances at the 23 September Park and in the city's Zoological Gardens and also tours to southern and central provinces, mainly during the dry season. It has undertaken numerous overseas tours. In 2004 the Hồ Chí Minh City authorities gave the go-ahead for the construction of a brand new state-of-the-art 1,500-seat circus arena for the troupe within the Phú Thọ Sports Centre at a cost of more than US$10 million. The complex will occupy 5,500 square metres and will have four stages for different types of performance