Over time

“Following the Steps of Time” (Kim Dong Publishing House, 2025) can be considered a travel guidebook about the architectural works of Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City through historical periods presented in the form of an Artbook. This is a line of books that are made with fine art, elaborateness and high quality, aimed at readers who not only read books but also satisfy the desire to own a valuable cultural item, and Kim Dong Publishing House is also one of the pioneers towards this.

With 80 large-format pages printed in full color on good quality paper, flipping through each page with vivid illustrations and concise information, the book will take readers on a unique "time-travel" journey through space and time, admiring more than 50 typical architectural works of this land through historical periods. These are ancient structures bearing the mark of more than 300 years of formation and development of the ancient Gia Dinh land such as: Thong Tay Hoi Communal House, Tomb of Ta Quan Le Van Duyet, which are ranked as national architectural and artistic relics with ancient beauty and sophisticated carvings, or the historical relic of Thu Ngu Flagpole built in 1865... A series of French architectural mansions hundreds of years old, the mark of an urban area once known as the pearl of the Far East, have now become symbols of the city such as the People's Council - People's Committee building, Notre Dame Cathedral, post office , Ben Thanh market, museum... Public works such as: Tropical Diseases Hospital, Le Quy Don School, Continental Hotel, State Bank of Vietnam... are also introduced. In addition, there are also ancient religious structures, the mark of a good land that embraces immigrants from all over, such as: Tue Thanh Assembly Hall, Nghia An Assembly Hall (Thien Hau Pagoda and Ong Pagoda) of the Chinese in District 5, Chandaransi Pagoda of the Khmer, Musulman Mosque of the Muslims, or Mariamman Temple of the Hindus.

Not only stopping at nostalgic architecture, "Following the steps of time" also marks historical resistance periods through works such as: Independence Palace, Cu Chi tunnels. Next are symbols of a modern, dynamic Ho Chi Minh City such as: Thu Thiem tunnel, Ba Son bridge, Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien metro line... These works not only demonstrate technical progress but are also symbols of a city that is growing strongly in the 21st century.

Vo Thi Mai Chi is a familiar author of the Artbook series, having won the Writers' Association Award in 2024 with the book "The Flying Bus". This time, collaborating with illustrator Ho Quoc Cuong, she has brought readers a book that is both contemplative and has a profound and attractive cultural beauty. This is a wonderful gift for those who love Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City.

AI DUY

Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/202506/theo-buoc-thoi-gian-2cf32dd/