Saigon's green walking trails
It is easy to walk the streets of Ho Chi Minh City/Saigon, and see nothing but the chaos of modernity.
Occasionally, the chaos dissipates as you come across a large peaceful strip like Nguyen Hue Street (Flower Street).
Occasionally, the chaos dissipates as you come across a large peaceful strip like Nguyen Hue Street (Flower Street).
It might surprise visitors (and some residents) that across many decades Ho Chi Minh City planners have kept and added many green and peaceful areas.
Nguyen Hue street was once a busy canal joining the heart of the trading town to the nearby Saigon River.
The very useful canal was then filled in by the French, so the French elite could drive their few cars around the city heart.
This 1955 black and white photo shows that Nguyen Hue street was a wide tree lined street with garden strips dividing the lanes.
The photo below was taken 50 years later and the road is still wide with trees and gardens (photos courtesy of the famous French photographer Raymond Cauchetier).
The photo below was taken 50 years later and the road is still wide with trees and gardens (photos courtesy of the famous French photographer Raymond Cauchetier).
One of the world’s densest cities, 6,200 people per square kilometer, has a surprising amount of urban green-space. One reason for this, is Saigon’s historic canals and waterways.
Visitors to Saigon often miss the fact that Saigon is a canal city, as much as Bangkok or Venice. Travelers to Ho Chi Minh City can take short strolls from their hotels, and re-discover many beautiful, historic canals, many edged with trees and parks.
The above 1955 photo shows the banks of the Saigon River lined with half-on, half-off stilt houses.
The photo below taken 50 years later shows tree-lined boulevards lining both banks.(photos courtesy of the famous French photographer Raymond Cauchetier).
The gentrification of Ho Chi Minh City's waterways in recent times, has impacted positively on all canals and waterways in and around Saigon, resulting in miles of peaceful, green and shady walking tracks for the lucky residents and visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.
The photo below taken 50 years later shows tree-lined boulevards lining both banks.(photos courtesy of the famous French photographer Raymond Cauchetier).
The gentrification of Ho Chi Minh City's waterways in recent times, has impacted positively on all canals and waterways in and around Saigon, resulting in miles of peaceful, green and shady walking tracks for the lucky residents and visitors to Ho Chi Minh City.
There are 1,000s of kilometres of canal systems radiating out from central Saigon. The canals have always connected remote rice farming areas to the heart of the busy, international Port of Saigon.
*NOTE* Look closely at the above Google Earth photo, See what looks like a spider web covering the countryside. Now ZOOM IN. Canals everywhere! Amazing!
*NOTE* Look closely at the above Google Earth photo, See what looks like a spider web covering the countryside. Now ZOOM IN. Canals everywhere! Amazing!
CANALS AND THE RICE THEY TRANSPORTED,
CREATED THE NATION THAT WE NOW KNOW AS VIETNAM (1802).
CREATED THE NATION THAT WE NOW KNOW AS VIETNAM (1802).
If you know your history and literature you may recognize certain places along the canals. The canals drip history. You can feel it, breathe it!
On some canals you will come across half-on, half-off still houses, this type of practical trading house was here well before the French came. You will also see original French trading houses and factories which line the canals.
If you are walking the Ben Nghe canal, to the north of the city, you will find the Da Kao bridge mentioned in Graham Greene's The Quiet American. Under this bridge Pyle's body was found.
- Expect to walk through communities which have lived along the canals for hundreds of years; their ancestors dug the canals.
- Drink Vietnamese iced coffee under shady trees at genuine Vietnamese coffee shops.
- Chat with friendly residents as you explore their districts.
- Discover dinhs, chuas and ancient shrines.
Don't worry about the language too much; just smile and laugh a lot. Many youngsters know English.
As you stroll along these endless green-spaces, you will discover stuff rarely seen by foreigners.
Let your imagination go wild.
Take your camera.
Have fun!!
As you stroll along these endless green-spaces, you will discover stuff rarely seen by foreigners.
Let your imagination go wild.
Take your camera.
Have fun!!
LEAVE A COMMENT:
Have you visited Saigon?
What did you think?
Did you walk the canals?
Did you know about the canals?
Have you visited Saigon?
What did you think?
Did you walk the canals?
Did you know about the canals?
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