FOREWORD
Through the eras, Saigon has gone through many drastic changes. Therefore, it’s always fascinating to come across stories archive from decades ago, when parts of the old Saigon scarcely exist amongst the hustle and bustle city.
I’ve grown up and lived in Saigon for all my life, but despite how prosperous it is now comparing to other parts of the world, I am still in love more with the Saigon of the past. The Saigon that was once the Pearl of the Orient, the Saigon that speaks every time I pass by the very old buildings, and the Saigon from my parents' stories.
How was it then? How is it now? My curiosity for this place grows stronger the more I grow up, and with that burning desire to explore the place, I decided to spend weeks wandering around my area, the place that had once defined Saigon: Cholon.
This illustrated article for Vietnam Heritage magazine takes readers back in time, talking about how modernisation has changed Saigon’s identity and how parts of it still stay true to its root after decades, leaving people nostalgic for what could have been but will never be.
Saigon Cholon:
A walk back in time.
Saigon and Cholon were thought to be inseparable until modernization came along. They were intertwined, they are now distinguished. The emergence of modernization has brought about a buzzing Saigon with high buildings and hasty people. Cholon, meanwhile, seems to be immune to the flow and remains the same without much difference. Cholon always brings me a nostalgic feeling of the old Saigon, and when I walk through the alleys of Cholon, I know that everyone, too, feels the same way.
Walking around Cholon is like going back in time to the old land of Saigon. Most parts of Cholon are left unchanged and are surprisingly preserved. Sacred buildings such as Thien Hau temple, Quan Am pagoda and Cha Tam church stay almost the same.
Thien Hau temple is flooded with foreign tourists.
Peaceful Quan Am pagoda locates on the small Lao Tu street in District 5.
The old Cha Tam Church in Chinatown that has Chinese textures and structures.
Thien Hau temple is flooded with foreign tourists.
Binh Tay market was built in 1930. Everywhere I go, I see old corners with significant textures and old signs that now exist only through old photographs. Along the trip, I met some friends from “Luu Chu - The Lost Type Vietnam” Facebook page and they told me about their passion to restore the fonts that they afraid will disappear one day. “These signs here were created from 1930 and you can tell right away that they are not from this generation. The fonts and marks are different, but they are very simple and very Saigon. This market is going through a new restoration soon, and I don’t think these signs will be kept this time.” - They said.
Binh Tay market then and now.
First time or not, people coming to Cholon always get overwhelmed by the old houses that remain. You can spot them just by a glance at their dusty walls, old and rusty balconies, big rooftops with Chinese and dragon textures on them, and so forth. Some of them are very old to the point of destructive.
An old block on the street of District 6, all linked together by their rooftops.
An old house with dusty walls and broken balcony.
An old block on the street of District 6, all linked together by their rooftops.
The beliefs of the Chinese is what keeping these old architectures alive and making people feel like modernization has forgotten to pass by. Chinese people have a strong belief in feng shui; so if their business is running well, no changes will be made to their accommodations. They don’t show off nor divide classes in their community, so the appearances of their houses are nothing to worry about. Phan Chan Vu, my Chinese Vietnamese friend said: “Many people left their house and migrated to foreign countries in and after 1975. Some houses have been abandoned ever since while others Chinese that stayed lost their interest in extending the business.”
Old houses are what easy to see when you are wandering through the streets and alleys of Cholon, but it’s the atmosphere, traditions, and customs that keeps them alive through time. Unlike the busy life of Saigon, here in Cholon, people live slow and really enjoy it. You can see people going to temples on weekdays, praying for happiness and prosperity, paying tribute to their gods and their ancestors.
Tran Phuong Trinh, a 20-year-old Vietnamese girl who lives in Cholon since birth, said: “It is easy to feel the old atmosphere whenever Tet and big celebrations come around. The markets, temples, clubs will be full of people and Chinese songs will be played along the streets, bringing a really festive but lovely mood. What makes me feel nostalgic is how their day starts very slow and peaceful as they wake up late for breakfast and drop by coffee shops to read old newspapers. It has eventually become a part of my life too, but as urbanization came along the way, some of its parts have disappeared.”
People go to the temples on weekdays to pray.
People go to the temples on weekdays to pray.
Tran Phuong Trinh was taking pictures of Binh Tay Market’s old corners.
People go to the temples on weekdays to pray.
My dad used to work in Cholon, so he has many many memories talking about the place. He took me to one of the old restaurants he once visited that is located in a tiny alley on the busy Ly Thuong Kiet street. “It has been nearly 40 years since the first time I came here, and still nothing changes. You can feel the atmosphere of a Chinese restaurant, small and noisy. The waiters wear shorts and shirts now, they only wore shorts back then.” - He told me with a smile in his eyes.
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Le Trung Tinh, the chairman of Ho Chi Minh city Association for Passenger Transportation and Travelling, travels to work every day from Cholon to the center of Saigon. He shared: “I have lived here since 1969. I can see that this place remains unchanged, and people here maintain the atmosphere as well as the lifestyle from the old Saigon-Cholon period. Hard-working people, crowded markets, endless motions are what you see here every day. They are family-oriented. They eat dinner together and sit in front of their house chit-chatting until they go to sleep. I must say the Chinese here are very supportive of each other and I hope they will continue to keep all of this.”
“It has been nearly 40 years since the first time I came here, and still nothing changes."
An old Chinese restaurant in the alley of Ly Thuong Kiet Street.
The business runs at day and night in Chinatown.
“It has been nearly 40 years since the first time I came here, and still nothing changes."
I am thrilled to see how much Cholon has retained and how it has created deep affections to the Saigonese from different generations. Yet, I don't know whether the younger generations will feel the same way. Modernization is inevitable, but to develop without losing the roots of a place is important. Nevertheless, Cholon makes me think that it is okay to live a little slower and to be a little older. Everyone should feel the same way and we should preserve every old part of Saigon.
Unlike the Chinatown in other countries, Cholon (Chinatown of Saigon) is the combination of district 5, district 6, and a part of nearby district 11. It is the biggest Chinatown in the world. Cholon was originally a village of Minh Huong people, who left China to run away from the Thanh dynasty and ended their journey here in the south of Vietnam. The village was built in 1968, which was named “De Ngan”, “Thay Ngon” in Cantonese, and was later transformed into “Saigon”. Under the French colonialism, they used “Saigon” to name Ben Nghe city, and “De Ngan” was changed into “Cho Lon”. Cholon has ever since become an important trading center of the South Vietnam.
People were surrounding Tan Kieng market in the 17s,
which is now Cholon Post Office.
The old store signs inside of Binh Tay market that age up to 80 years old.
The scenes in The Lover (1992) and that same place in 2016
