Saigon Moments is a touching story about a Saigon

Nguyễn Kỳ Anh và ngoại Hoa bán bánh tai yến - Ảnh: NVCC — Nguyen Ky Anh and grandmother Hoa sell bird's nest cakes - Photo: NVCC

Choosing the visual language to tell each person's story and sharing it on his personal page with the Saigon Moments project, Ky Anh did not expect to receive so much support, and even found ways to help those characters. Up to now, he has completed 27 photo series about the lives of people struggling to make a living in the middle of Saigon city.

Sharing with Tuoi Tre , Ky Anh said:

- I started this idea in 2021, at a time when Ho Chi Minh City was struggling with the fluctuations of an unprecedented pandemic. Those movements moved me to many situations and the fate of people making a living on the streets.

Born in a poor countryside, I have always loved and admired the beauty of labor since I was a child. Every glimpse of a hard-working figure, even for just a moment, gives me special emotions. I want to tell everyone those stories through pictures.

Occasionally, I visit or meet the people I photographed on the way and am very glad that their work is still going well. Many people who saw my posts came to learn more and support me. The love between Saigon and Ho Chi Minh City is always so lovely!

NGUYEN KY ANH

* Why is this a photo series about ordinary people in the middle of a city considered to be the most dynamic in the country? What were the criteria for choosing the characters?

- I choose people with low-income jobs or people with jobs that I feel are inspiring, such as selling food, childhood toys... They are also elderly workers or people with disabilities who struggle to make a living every day.

From my hometown in Dong Thap to Ho Chi Minh City to study and work, I feel the hustle and bustle of a dynamic, prosperous but also very exciting urban land when Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City always opens its arms to embrace millions of lives from everywhere coming here.

* What do you think makes anyone who comes to Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City fall in love with this city?

- Maybe this person will like the hustle and bustle of this city of tens of millions of people. But for others, that land seems to be opening up many job opportunities for them, meeting new friends, or maybe someone will find conditions to develop their scientific and technological abilities.

Surely each person will have their own impressions of Ho Chi Minh City. The old Saigon or the present Ho Chi Minh City will remain in the memories and thoughts of each person very differently. But whatever it is, perhaps the feeling of "being able to live" in this place is the most important to each person, in their own way.

* If you need to contribute to the development of tourism in Ho Chi Minh City in particular and Vietnam in general, what is it to you?

- I think it is very important to preserve traditional cultural values and historical architectural works. Along with the development of technology and world trends, this must be done even more because there are people who chase after money and immediate benefits, which has a significant impact on traditional and cultural values. The attraction of tourism in a country comes from the values, unique cultural stories, and distinctive features of that place.

* After this project, there will be any other community projects, a personal photo exhibition or a photo book for example...

- I have thought about a personal exhibition or photo book, but I still need to learn a lot and experience more to be able to do that. The project could be about the cuisine and architecture of the Western region.

Every land is a sky of discovery

* You travel a lot, how does each place make you feel and which part of the country makes you most passionate?

- I have been to more than 30 provinces and cities across the country. Each place is always a new horizon for me to explore because each land will carry within it the length of history, the depth of culture - society and the beauty of architecture, people... I always learn about these things before planning a trip.

The most fascinating thing for me at the moment is Trang An - Ninh Binh. That place gives me the feeling of a majestic but poetic country with a very cinematic beauty. I study architecture so I am especially interested in the elements of architecture, art and culture.

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