Saigon alley, unforgettable memories of the land of generosity and humanity

Anyone who has lived in Hanoi will surely not forget the small, winding street corners, with an ancient look, existing as an unforgettable memory. The small alleys in the memories of Saigon people are similar, although full of bustling and bustling sounds, they are still strangely lovely and affectionate. It feels like the alley is not only a place but also contains many unforgettable memories of a generous and humane city like Saigon.

Hẻm Sài Gòn, ký ức khó quên của vùng đất hào sảng tình người- Ảnh 1. — It seems that in the mind of any modern person there is an alley that belongs to him or her.

I myself am always curious about small alleys. Perhaps that is why, when I have the opportunity to travel to some places in the world , I often find a way to sneak into small streets and alleys, hoping to feel a different pace of life compared to the bustling urban life out there.

It could be a small alley in Thailand on a spring afternoon. A few Thai men, with dark skin, sat on their motorbikes, sipping some slightly sour lemon tea. Behind them was a small house in the traditional Thai style, old as if it had never known the changes of the modern city. The sky was dark and a plate of chicken rice was hastily served by a waiter with a frowning face. He sat calmly watching the customers eat, not bothering to ask a question, occasionally sniffling.

It could also be the small alley near Senkawa Station, Japan. Every time I left university early, I would stop by the AI Book store that was open until midnight. The alley was small but neat, dotted with pots of blooming hydrangeas in front of tiny houses with black tiled roofs. Occasionally, a few young men with the quiet, discreet gait of the Japanese, dressed elegantly but with strangely introverted and gentle personalities, walked by.

In the moments of traveling around the world, looking at alleys with different cultures, strangely, still makes me miss Saigon so much. It seems that all the streets of modern cities are always identical with lanes, red and green traffic lights and noisy car horns. But the alleys, which are the smallest paths in the city's road system, contain all the emotions of daily life. The rhythm of life in the alleys is still bustling and bustling like what is inherent in a modern and vibrant city, but interspersed with that are enough quiet moments for us to clearly feel life through each day. It seems that in the consciousness of any modern person, there is an alley that belongs to them.

Hẻm Sài Gòn, ký ức khó quên của vùng đất hào sảng tình người- Ảnh 2. — In the minds of Saigon people, alleys are narrow spaces where people come in and out to meet, say a few casual greetings or occasionally chat about human affairs.

My house is located deep in a small alley on Tran Cao Van Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Like any other noisy and bustling alley in Saigon, the area at the beginning of my alley is full of motorbikes from neighboring shops. Friends and relatives who visit always shake their heads in dismay because of the narrowness and inconvenience of moving around. However, if you are a little more patient, going deeper inside, a spacious and airy space suddenly appears.

In harmony with the bustling pace of the city, the alleys in Saigon are often awakened very early by the noisy footsteps of grandparents, uncles and aunts doing morning exercises, the sounds of street vendors waking up early to catch their shipments, or the sounds of night shift workers just finishing their shift and going home... It is not until late at night that the cries of vendors at the beginning of the alley gradually quiet down, and the space in the small alley falls asleep.

In the mornings, waking up in the middle of a dream in my house in a small alley, I often daydream because of the cries. My father often jokingly said that this was an automatic alarm clock coming from many of the most wonderful regions of Saigon's small alleys. Also, just by listening to the voices of the people in the alley, from the parking attendant, the woman pushing a bicycle selling steamed bananas, roasted peanuts or the woman grilling sizzling meat on charcoal..., we can vaguely guess that they come from all over the countryside. But this is okay, when every alley in Saigon is a place for strangers from all over the countryside to become close, to love each other and share many stories about culture.

In the minds of Saigonese, alleys are narrow spaces where people come in and out to meet, exchange a few casual greetings or occasionally chat about human affairs. In moments of meeting, whenever there is nothing urgent, Saigonese stop to chat about their children and daily life. Therefore, although the alleys are not as wide as the main roads, they are filled with countless different stories. As the years pass, the pace of life in the city is becoming more and more developed, and the lives of people in the alleys have also changed a lot. However, somewhere in the bustling alleys of Saigon, there are still stories of neighbors, stories of hard work, stories of human affairs...

Alleys in Saigon inherently have different spaces depending on the location of the house. There are alleys located right in front of the house, just step outside and you will reach the alley. There are also alleys behind the house and next to the side wall. There are alleys that flow down from the main road, a steep and steep slope, to enter the alley you have to dive headfirst down. There are also alleys that have no sunlight during the day, and no lights at night. Saigon is splendid but also has thousands of poor alleys. The love in the alleys is always warm, full, and sharing. There are charity alleys that are not only common paths but also have first aid kits for victims, burial facilities for the needy, charity bread, and free drinking water. During the days when the whole of Saigon is isolated, the alleys, even though their doors are closed, are still the places where people share the most love with each other, when they are willing to share each bunch of vegetables, onions, and other necessary necessities.

Saigon alleys have only two seasons, rainy and sunny, but they still have all the stories of the four seasons. Although they are the smallest paths in the urban road system, the alleys contain within them joys, angers, loves, hates, and the impermanence of the human world. Entering the alley means entering a purely Vietnamese space, but very unique, typical of Saigon, full of hustle and bustle, but also interspersed with many strangely quiet and peaceful moments.