The road is covered with falling tamarind leaves…

In the early 1980s, I first traveled to Nha Trang by train. Stepping out of the station, the cyclo rickshaws gliding along the quiet Thai Nguyen road, with its wide, cobblestone sidewalks and rows of ancient tamarind trees, left an indelible impression on me. Even now, whenever I travel along the road passing Nha Trang station, my feelings for that road remain as strong and nostalgic as they were that first time…

Thai Nguyen Street connects to Nha Trang train station.

Thai Nguyen Street, running from Ma Vong to the six-way intersection, is the main traffic artery of Nha Trang. Before 1975, it was called Gia Long Street. In 1978, the government renamed the street Thai Nguyen to commemorate its sister province Thai Nguyen during the years of resistance against the US. At the end of Thai Nguyen Street, Loc Tho High School was also renamed Thai Nguyen Junior High School. Similarly, in the center of Thai Nguyen, there is also Nha Trang Street and a school named Nha Trang.

The route connects Nha Trang Railway Station, Vo Van Ky Park (October 23rd Park), and the Children's Cultural Palace… Nha Trang Railway Station, inaugurated on September 2nd, 1936, is one of the most beautifully designed railway stations in the country, still retaining its unique French colonial architecture with a large park in front. This is where the people of Khanh Hoa rose up to fight, firing the first shots against French colonialism.

In the old days, Thai Nguyen Street had very wide sidewalks paved with split stone. On both sides of the sidewalks were unique rows of ancient tamarind trees. Under these old tamarind trees were small roadside coffee stalls. Customers sat drinking on small chairs, watching the tiny tamarind leaves fluttering in the wind. Hearing the unusual greeting, "Come in for coffee, young man," made me, accustomed to the sharp, boisterous chatter of the tea vendors around my dormitory in Hanoi , reluctantly stop and order a cup, gazing dreamily at the falling tamarind leaves. Thai Nguyen Street felt like my first gentle friend in this strange land because in the 1980s, train and bus stations were the most chaotic and complicated places in society. When my friend took me to Hanoi train station to catch the train to Nha Trang, he held my hand tightly when we encountered a group of menacing-looking people trying to solicit customers. Therefore, after two days and two nights on the train, Nha Trang station and Thai Nguyen Street felt like a peaceful oasis to me. There was also a lot of inviting and persuading, but it was so gentle… That first impression of a place will stay with me for the rest of my life.

I remember that along Thai Nguyen Street back then, the houses were very small. I only remember two large buildings: the Cultural and Exhibition Center, now the Provincial Children's Cultural Palace, which hosted events a few times a year. A little further on was the bustling construction company with motorbikes coming and going; it was later dissolved, making way for the Maximark supermarket… My memories of that street are always of tiny roadside coffee stalls, sugarcane juice carts nestled under ancient tamarind trees, and the genuine, down-to-earth greetings. How strange!

As the city developed, Thai Nguyen Street underwent several renovations to achieve its current appearance. The elderly residents were heartbroken when the ancient tamarind trees were cut down to widen the road, but thankfully, the entire row was replanted to preserve the old charm. The Cultural and Exhibition Center was dissolved, and the province dedicated this prime location to building a Children's House. Then, with economic growth, every spring, the Children's House becomes a flower market, and Thai Nguyen Street transforms into a flower-lined road.

Time flies. So many years have passed since the first time I came to Nha Trang, and millions of people from all over the country have arrived by train. The Thai Nguyen railway line has always been as quiet as a friend, welcoming them first. How many of them know that this road once had ancient tamarind trees, small roadside stalls, and sweet invitations: "Come in, brother, for coffee or sugarcane juice..." to peacefully admire Nha Trang on an afternoon when tiny tamarind leaves flutter and settle on their shoulders and hair.

Let's wait for these tamarind trees to grow into ancient trees over the years!

MERCURY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/nhung-goc-pho-nhung-con-duong/202601/con-duong-co-la-me-bay-352294f/