Waterdrop Park - Photo: TGCC
A migrant worker struggling to find their place, at their most precarious moments, only strangers reach out to help, their voices sweet as honey, "Honey."
The city on the first day of encounter
I arrived in Ho Chi Minh City with my acceptance letter for law school and a bag of belongings my mother had sewn up after repurposing a tarp she used to dry noodles.
Back then, the campus in Binh Trieu was completing its final construction phases before opening for teaching. The school's nameplate was still covered in dust and patches of white paint that hadn't been cleaned yet. I followed the surrounding area, looking for a row of student dormitories behind Dai Doan Ket market.
The room housed four people, the hallway stretched endlessly, and it was there that I first learned about measuring every kilowatt of electricity and every cubic meter of water. Ho Chi Minh City is so generous, yet the first lesson it taught me was precisely this meticulous frugality.
I remember there was a long median strip in front of the school. On the first day of school, a team of student volunteers was standing there to "guide" the freshmen.
Holding a flag to signal for passage, and holding our hands, their lips always curved into a smile: "Excuse me, sir/madam, could you please let us cross the road?" Several large vehicles stopped before the line, waving to signal them to go first.
The city's "compassion" first emerged in me at that very moment. Amidst the intricate traffic system, there was still the generous waving of hands, yielding to each other, even though they themselves might be rushing to make a living.
I gradually got used to this place, and then discovered many more "love" codes. I remember back then, there was a woman selling bread near my school, originally from the Mekong Delta but living in Ho Chi Minh City for decades. She would often add extra gravy to my bread every time I bought a plain loaf to munch on at the end of the month. One day, she even refused to take the money, saying, "Just eat it as a token of appreciation."
The city has never lacked people struggling to make ends meet, but compassion and kindness are never scarce. I savored that kindness throughout my student years, from the bread lady who would call me "Honey" to the mechanic at the end of the alley who inflated tires for free. It's surprising how honest and endearing Saigon can be!
The sight of the backs of those volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic left me with many thoughts.
The pandemic and bags of purple sweet potatoes
Long-time residents of Ho Chi Minh City surely won't forget 2021. When the Covid-19 pandemic broke out fiercely, the entire city was locked down and quarantined. It was a time of crisis with so much loss, but it was also the time when the code of "compassion" spread to its fullest extent.
I vividly remember that last afternoon after work before the lockdown was implemented, on the Soviet-Nghe Tinh road heading towards Binh Trieu 2 bridge, there was a bald man standing in front of a coffee roasting shop, with hundreds of kilograms of purple sweet potatoes piled into bags at his feet.
He waved to each person, inviting them in, "Take a bag home to eat, it's free," accompanied by a beaming smile behind his mask. At that time, vegetable prices were skyrocketing, and a bag of purple sweet potatoes was enough to fill the stomachs of countless struggling people.
I held a bag of potatoes and felt as if the code of "love" was gradually etching itself into my genetic code without me even realizing it. It seems Saigon always has a way of making you feel out of place, in a city where license plates from different provinces are as diverse as the culture. As a result, some people fled back to their hometowns, while others decided to stay in the city and fight the pandemic to the end.
The wailing sirens from the ambulances were probably the most haunting sound for me during that period, as people in the neighborhood fell ill one after another...
What revived us was the sound of soldiers delivering vegetables, the sound of oxygen trucks driving into narrow alleys to bring life to every heart and lung. The firm affirmation, "no one will be left behind," helped the city to revive. And today, a bustling Saigon has "come alive" in every alley.
One drop of water - A million reflections
"Coming back to life," indeed, the city is reviving day by day after the Covid-19 pandemic. It's no coincidence that Saigon built the iconic water droplet symbol in Ly Thai To Park No. 1.
This project was inaugurated on the evening of February 12, 2026, with the attendance of many high-ranking city officials and citizens. It served as a moment of quiet gratitude to the doctors and nurses who dedicated themselves to saving lives, to the losses that cannot be described in words, and to the solidarity of the people of Saigon in overcoming the pandemic.
Nestled amidst the city's greenery is a drop of water dissolving into Mother Earth, shattering into a hundred scarred fragments, then embraced and embraced again within the lake. A transformation from painful losses, to together reach for brighter horizons.
A tiny drop of water, yet it carries the image of millions of city dwellers. It is the sweat of doctors and nurses, the tears of those left behind, the primordial drop of life. To love this city means not forgetting the past. We cherish the pain, so that each person in this generous land may further appreciate the life they have.
I spent Saturday afternoon in the park watching the city heal its scars. A young man helped his mother sit down on the steps, recounting a few stories about his father who had died from the pandemic.
There was a girl holding a bouquet of flowers placed on the memorial stone, along with a card for her husband and son. There were smiling eyes, and there were tearful eyes. Eyes that knew how to love the city, even though it had endured countless sorrows.
For 50 years, this place has borne the name of Uncle Ho, and for that same amount of time, countless generous people have tirelessly built a city densely packed with the code of "commerce".
The "50 Years of My Compassionate City" contest is open to Vietnamese people living in Vietnam and foreigners living in Vietnam (members of the judging panel, staff, reporters, editors of Tuoi Tre online newspaper and sponsors are not eligible to participate).
Articles should be a maximum of 1,200 words, and include accompanying photos and videos , written in Vietnamese. The organizers reserve the right to edit and process submitted entries in accordance with the standards of Tuoi Tre online newspaper and press law.
The submitted entry must not have been entered into any previous or ongoing writing competition, nor has it ever been published in any media or social network.
Contest participants are responsible for the accuracy of the information and images they submit. If an entry is found to be in violation of copyright after publication or awarding, the prize will be revoked and an announcement will be made on the Tuoi Tre online newspaper. Entries that violate the contest rules will be disqualified without prior notice.
The organizers are not responsible if entries are lost after being sent to the contest via email; they are not responsible for entries providing incorrect personal information, resulting in the inability to contact them; the organizers have the full right to use selected or winning entries for printing in books or for promotional activities without paying any fees.
Winners are responsible for paying personal income tax as required by law. The organizers will only handle any complaints regarding the competition results within 24 hours of the results being announced.
Entries should be sent to Tuoi Tre online newspaper via email at 50tpnghiatinh@tuoitre.com.vn. Participants must clearly state: author's full name, pen name (if any), year of birth, gender, occupation, contact address, email address, phone number, citizen identification number, and bank account number. Multiple entries may be submitted, but the full name or pen name must be consistent.
Submission period: 50 days, from July 2nd to August 20th, 2026.
The closing ceremony, awards presentation, and book launch for "50 Years of My Compassionate City" are scheduled for September 2nd, 2026.
The competition organizers reserve the right to make the final decision.
My City of Compassion Award for 50 Years
(The total prize value is 50 million VND for 27 prizes)
●1st Prize: 10,000,000 VND.
● Two second prizes: 5,000,000 VND each.
● 3 Third prizes: 3,000,000 VND each.
● 10 Consolation Prizes: 1,000,000 VND each
● 11 Reader's Choice Awards: 1,000,000 VND each (Awarded to articles with good viral spread and high view counts based on star ratings, hearts, and likes).
● Plus gifts from the organizers.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/mat-ma-cua-thuong-100260703063306784.htm
