50 years of watching Saigon change through each frame, what is left in our memories?

Book Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, changes through frames (1975 - 2025)

With the chapters Saigon, through the memory; Saigon - Cho Lon wandering; Saigon changes; Saigon: passing through some new towns; Saigon, the rural city; Urban soul, the 272-page photo book by photographer Tam Thai has recreated the changes of the land and people over the past 50 years.

My favorite photo of Saigon

Through real-life images, the author takes readers back to the past, when the city had just entered the war and officially lived in an atmosphere of peace and independence.

There was a period of subsidy and hardship, people sought knowledge through popular education classes, there were touching stories of making a living to start the process of building a developed economy.

Readers can also see the street scenes, the once-familiar landmarks, the old and modern structures that are changing every day such as Lang Ong in Ba Chieu, Ben Nha Rong, Ho Chi Minh City Post Office...

Photo of the old river wharf, taken at Me Coc wharf in 1984, printed in the book

Or the simple markets that have been deeply ingrained in the memories of Saigon people such as Cau Ong Lanh, Cau Muoi, Cau Kho, Binh Tay, Bai Say, Cho Ray, Ba Hom, Ba Chieu, Ba Queo, Thu Duc markets...

Then life gradually developed, the city appeared high-rise buildings and modern bridges connecting the two banks, roads connecting traffic more conveniently. The pace of life in the city is always bustling but still warm with human affection.

Looking back on his half-century journey of wandering around with his camera, collecting pieces of Saigon's urban life, the most memorable photo for Tam Thai is the Old River Wharf (taken at Me Coc Wharf in 1984).

In 1997, when he held an exhibition "Saigon in the past and present" at the Youth Cultural House, "old man of the South" Son Nam came to see it, walked back and forth, looked around several times and then commented:

"Looking at the boat's eyes and the row of houses, you can see the scene of Saigon, unmistakable" and then... asked for the photo to hang. Mr. Son Nam also took a pen and wrote: "The photo of Saigon that I like the most".

Saigon lifts the veil for those who know how to see

Spending 10 months to complete the book manuscript, photographer Tam Thai hopes that readers will recall and explore many aspects of the past and, most of all, have subtle observations and reflections on the progress of the city.

"The work of the past generation is the memory of today's generation. Facing the stormy changes of life, each photo promptly preserves existing values ​​before they disappear. Images are the shadow of the past, connecting the present and connecting with tomorrow. Looking back at the past is a way to learn and also to avoid mistakes" - Tam Thai shared.

The photos in the book capture the changes and gradual development of a dynamic Saigon.

Associate Professor, Dr. Pascal Bourdeaux (Extreme Oriental Institute) read the book Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City, changes through frames (1975-2025) and pondered:

"These photos make us think about what was in the past and raise questions about the future of a dynamic city like Saigon today. With a history of development in both space and population, Saigon lifts the veil for those who know how to look."

Photographer Phan Tam Thai was born in 1953, in Quang Nam - Da Nang.

He won the Vietnam Art Photography Golden Cup (2007), the World Art Photography Golden Cup (2008) and had works in the 20th Century Vietnamese Photo Book.

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Source: https://tuoitre.vn/50-nam-nhin-sai-gon-doi-thay-qua-tung-khung-hinh-ta-con-lai-gi-trong-ky-uc-20250507091910293.htm