Book launch 'Community Area - Rediscovering the Dream of Paradise'

Photo caption — Discussion "Community area - Rediscovering the dream of paradise". Photo: HP

The book “Residential Area - Rediscovering the Dream of Paradise” is a collective work co-edited by Dr. Tran Hau Yen The and Associate Professor Dr. Dinh Hong Hai, with the participation of many other prestigious authors.

Published by the Vietnam Education Publishing House, the book recreates the space of the apartment complex, where the culture and life of urban people are preserved. The apartment complex, after all, is not only a place of residence, but also a heritage space with the ability to adapt and transform, typical of the Vietnamese people. It accumulates many life values, creates its own beauty and is a place of tolerance for many human fates.

Through three main parts: “Historical Heritage”, “Humanistic Urban Area” and “Dream of Paradise”, the book not only recreates the journey from dream houses in the post-war period, with elements such as “machinery”, “tiger cages” or “AIDS goods”, but also analyzes the values of humanity, community and creativity in urban living spaces.

The preface of the book by Associate Professor, Dr. Architect Nguyen Hong Thuc emphasizes: "The collective housing area, for its residents - the insiders, has become a collective memory of youth, humanity and a place to return to in the mind." The book provides a multi-dimensional view, from architectural history to residential culture, contributing to the preservation of Vietnam's urban heritage in the context of rapid urbanization.

Part 1 titled "Historical Heritage": Presents the formation and development process of the collective housing model in Vietnam, especially Hanoi, from the 1930s to the end of the 20th century. This part gathers many articles and real stories about life in collective housing such as: dream houses with private factories, tiger cages with people living in them, AIDS goods in Kim Lien collective housing area... Those simple, everyday stories clearly reflect the socio- economic context, housing policies with the community living model of the subsidy period.

Part two, titled "Humanistic City": A collection of articles, research and notes on the spiritual life, behavioral culture, community life and neighborly love of residents of the collective housing area. Film footage of the collective housing area, the sparkling lights on the old collective housing floor or the House of Light movement in the 30s of the last century... are vividly recreated, depicting the "humanity" and high community spirit in the old collective housing areas.

Part three, titled "Dream of Paradise": Contemporary perspectives on the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the value of collective housing in the heart of modern urban areas, where "villages within the city" still exist, a blend of nostalgia and creativity. This part opens up a dialogue between the past and the present, between collective housing and modern apartments, between community memories and the aspiration to create a humane and sustainable urban area in the future.

In addition, the book “Residential Areas – Finding the Dream of Paradise” has collected and selected many paintings, documentary photos and vivid practical stories about life in famous residential areas in Hanoi such as: Kim Lien Residential Areas, Van Chuong, Khuong Thuong, Thanh Cong... Each image, each story is a piece of memory, contributing to recreating the living space, cultural activities and community spirit of urban people during the subsidy period, a period rich in emotions and humanity in the development history of the Capital.

According to News

Source: https://baohaiphong.vn/ra-mat-sach-khu-tap-the-tim-lai-giac-mo-thien-duong-524744.html