Relive the past with Google Maps.

"Just looking at what my hometown looks like on Google Maps, I was suddenly struck speechless when I saw the image of my mother sweeping the yard. It's been two years since she passed away, but it feels like she's still here," said TH, a young person working in Ho Chi Minh City. Like many other young people, TH is participating in a recently emerging trend: using Google Maps to view images of familiar and beloved places.

Google Maps is a widely popular online map application worldwide . Recently, Google Maps has become a topic of discussion due to its provision of street view images in Vietnam. Simply by enabling Street View when accessing Google Maps and finding the address of a desired destination, users can see images of the streets and surrounding houses. Because the images were taken quite some time ago, viewers might even spot the faces of loved ones unintentionally captured by Google Maps' camera.

“My younger sister messaged me, telling me to check out our house in the countryside on Google Maps. I noticed her voice sounded unfamiliar, so I did as she asked, but I thought to myself, 'It's so familiar, what's there to see?' However, the Google Maps image showed many people standing in front of my house, mostly relatives. It took me a few seconds to realize it was the whole family waiting for my father to be brought home from the hospital. That was the day my father passed away! Even though it happened several years ago, seeing this image online still makes my heart ache,” shared HN (an office worker in Ho Chi Minh City).

The story of TH, HN is not an isolated one. Although the images aren't very clear, these random, coincidental moments captured have become a "train" that takes many people back to the past. Each video and image shared tells a story that makes many pause to reflect and feel nostalgic. The descriptions are just a few lines long: "Google Maps took me back to my house 8 years ago. I got to see my grandfather again," "The image of my father still sleeping in front of the house, now I can't even dream of seeing him anymore," "That's my mother, this image is from just a few months before she passed away due to cancer...", but it's enough to say it all.

With increasingly sophisticated technology, capturing images has become incredibly easy, yet we often forget which moments are precious and which are truly valuable. The image from Google Maps was just a random snapshot, but unintentionally, it made many people, even if only for a moment, realize that those seemingly obvious, simple moments are priceless when spent with loved ones. "I wish I could fall asleep and wake up many years ago. Grandma would still be healthy, her hair still black…" – these heartfelt comments from viewers are filled with emotion. Although it was just a social media trend, it left many people with unforgettable feelings.

NGUYEN VY

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/boi-hoi-qua-khu-voi-google-maps-post802543.html