Nguyen Duc Canh Street - A street that evokes memories

(Baonghean)Like several other streets in Vinh City, Nguyen Duc Canh Street evokes a range of emotions due to its winding shape, varying widths, and the bustling activity of buying and selling interspersed with quiet stretches of streetscape, a mix of old and new constructions…

Nguyen Duc Canh Street

In the early 1980s, this street was a small, bumpy dirt road. The unnamed road at that time originally led from Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street to the Lien Co residential area. After intersecting Le Hong Phong Street, it deviated significantly from the centerline on this side, leading to the Biology Faculty of Vinh University of Education (formerly) and military units stationed deep within the residential area of ​​Hung Binh ward. It wasn't until 1998 that the road was officially named Nguyen Duc Canh Street and its current planning was established.

According to its current street sign, Nguyen Duc Canh Street is only about 1 kilometer long. However, according to the planning map, after passing through the school area of ​​Hung Binh ward and crossing Nguyen Quoc Tri Street, it should continue to Nguyen Van Cu Street. Because the last 100 meters or so remain undeveloped, creating a typical "bottleneck" in inner-city traffic, the remaining 300 meters connecting to Nguyen Van Cu Street have to accommodate two alleys (Alley 3 of Nguyen Quoc Tri Street and Alley 333 of Nguyen Van Cu Street). It's also possible that this long-standing "bottleneck" is why the section of Nguyen Duc Canh Street running east from Le Hong Phong Street, despite recent plans for widening, has repeatedly failed to be reclassified as a specialized commercial street.

The western section connecting Le Hong Phong Street with Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street is densely populated, resulting in a narrower street with a narrow road and sidewalks. Trees densely cover both sides of the street, crammed with small businesses, evoking the old-fashioned atmosphere reminiscent of northern cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, and Nam Dinh. In reality, the street's appearance only began in the early 1990s, when land from inter-agency housing complexes was sold to employees and auctioned off along the street. At that time, the lifestyle of civil servants dominated the street life. While not ideal for commercial activities, it was perfect for those who preferred a quiet, orderly life. The buildings along the street, surrounded by a few office compound walls, left behind narrow alleyways that branched off into patches of lush green land, ideal meeting places for couples who enjoyed the moonlit nights of the countryside in the early days of streetlights. Later, houses sprang up densely, and although those alleys were squeezed into tiny spaces, their two facades remained perfectly aligned and twisted into a labyrinth, making Nguyen Duc Canh Street quickly become a bustling, urban area with cosmetics shops, beauty spas, fashion boutiques, and more. The general merchandise shops didn't look as shabby and cluttered as on other streets; instead, they were small, carefully selected, and set up as if just for a fair...

A new apartment complex is being completed on Nguyen Duc Canh Street.

In contrast to this side, the eastern part of the street (starting from Le Hong Phong Street near Dien Anh 2 Cafe) has a few scattered breakfast eateries alongside small cafes. The inner stretch of street, where it intersects with Kim Dong Street, opposite the schools and the Hung Binh Ward Martyrs' Memorial, has almost no developed services. The outer section, where it intersects Le Hong Phong Street, seems to be getting more lively, perhaps in anticipation of large construction projects such as the high-rise apartment buildings nearing completion. This section is probably the only street in Vinh City with kiosks selling paper offerings. Gold paper money is neatly arranged in various colors, glittering on the walls and shelves. This street branches off into two very wide alleys that are often mistaken for a major street if you didn't see the "civilized alley" signs at the entrance.

Initially, the eastern side of this street was lined with dilapidated single-story houses. Later, as the government planned the road, the houses were demolished, leaving behind small square windows facing the street for "services." A thin, prematurely aged artist, muttering about his tobacco, his clothes sloppily stained with green and red paint, copied paintings and drew beautiful wall posters and slogans with graceful, flowing lines. Meanwhile, the bicycle repairman, a retired official, always wore his sandals, neatly tucked-in clothes, and a radio playing 30 minutes of folk and traditional music, would awkwardly patch one tire only to puncture another... Yet, they got along well; every now and then, one would bend down and squeeze through the small window to eavesdrop on the other's conversation. On days when one was absent, the other seemed to go crazy. Then there was that stall selling boiled snails in baskets and trays, a favorite gathering place for the staff of a cultural agency in the rented office across the street… Now, those shops selling paintings, mending, and snails are gone, the street has become more lively and the streetscape more presentable, but the old-timers still find it hard to forget the old feelings. Perhaps that's why, besides the shops selling paper money and offerings, there are now shops selling wedding gifts, broomsticks, and bamboo brooms… all evoking something old-fashioned?

Perhaps soon, once the bottleneck at the eastern end of the street is cleared, Nguyen Duc Canh Street will experience brisk traffic and become a specialized street for a particular type of goods, as my friend, an urban planning official, predicted. But I believe that a part of Nguyen Duc Canh Street will forever retain its charming, old-fashioned atmosphere, just as it does now.

Dinh Sam