Phan Boi Chau Street: Bustling with people coming and going.

(Baonghean) - Perhaps few roads are as familiar and filled with so much nostalgia as Phan Boi Chau Street (Vinh City). City dwellers rarely mention the street's name, simply calling it "the road to the train station" or "the train station market road." Perhaps those who have traveled this road to Vinh train station all carry within them an indescribable feeling: a mother driving her child away from home for the first time to university, the journey filled with advice and worries; a loved one driving slowly, hand in hand, wishing for the train station to be far away, for a long time…

Phan Boi Chau Street is a long, winding road connecting major intersections: one side connects Truong Chinh - Le Ninh, the other connects Le Loi - Mai Hac De - Nguyen Sy Sach. This road, barely a kilometer long, carries the stories of many people struggling to make a living. Turning onto Phan Boi Chau Street from the bustling city, you're immediately struck by rows of shops selling building materials, corrugated iron, steel, and rafters… And scattered along both sides are old rickshaws, their owners always sitting with their feet propped up, patiently waiting for customers. These aging rickshaws were once a familiar and effective means of transportation for many passengers at Vinh train station and the women at the train station market. Now, motorbikes and taxis have quickly taken over, and the rickshaw drivers along Phan Boi Chau Street, though few in number, still cling to this road as a familiar way of life, a means of earning a living.

Phan Boi Chau Street, the section leading to Vinh train station.

That street, in the minds of the older generation of city dwellers, despite the many changes and ups and downs of time, and the numerous brightly lit hotels and restaurants that have sprung up, still retains, amidst all the new glamour, a sense of nostalgia. Behind most of the modern buildings are still old kiosks, houses bearing the distinctive architectural features of the 80s and 90s, and the elderly of the street, morning and evening, when the hustle and bustle of making a living has temporarily subsided, still diligently donning their brown robes, strolling along the sidewalks lined with stalls. Can you believe it, one day, driving to the train station, you suddenly see a herd of cows leisurely grazing on the sidewalk! So surprised that you slammed on the brakes, your best friend behind you tugged at your shirt: "What's so strange about that? We've seen this several times before." The women carrying young children in front of me also made the effort to turn their vehicles around so their children could have a chance to admire the rural scenery, even though it was somewhat awkward and unsafe in urban traffic, but it was so touching to see the innocent charm of these children who weren't born in the village.

Phan Boi Chau Street is a blend of modernity and antiquity, youthfulness and old-fashionedness, harmony and disharmony. That's the opinion of those who love the street, and it's not without reason, because along that street stands Ha Huy Tap High School, where the daily sounds of students' laughter never cease. Ha Huy Tap High School is famous for its beauty contests, so it's no surprise that at the end of the school day, electric bicycles rush out, carrying beautiful ao dai dresses and bright, sweet faces, often captivating passersby. Almost simultaneously, around noon, the Ga market closes, and the unshaven Honda Cubs, with their flimsy front panels removed, are laden with baskets, trays, and other goods. There were fish and shrimp, vegetables and fruits… and the carriers were almost always women – women who never had a moment to show off their soft features, always wearing masks, knee-high plastic boots, faded blue work clothes or full raincoats on rainy days.

However, when mentioning Phan Boi Chau Street, the bustling, hurried, and lingering arrivals and departures of trains are undoubtedly the most familiar image. Even though, on the map, Vinh Station isn't actually located on Phan Boi Chau Street, but on Le Ninh Street. But that doesn't matter, because once you've reached the station, you've arrived at your destination. All the lingering feelings, longing, regret, and wistfulness—every emotion—have been recorded by Phan Boi Chau Street. There are no specific statistics to count how many people travel on Phan Boi Chau Street to Vinh Station each year. Perhaps those who have traveled this road to the station all carry within them an indescribable feeling: a mother carrying her child away from home for the first time to university, along the way, offering advice and worries; lovers traveling slowly together, hand in hand, wishing for the station to be far away, for a long time… On Phan Boi Chau Street, there have been journeys that were both first and last.

I intended to write briefly about the familiar streets of the city, and sow gentle feelings for a twilight evening without a crimson sunset, yet my thoughts still lead me astray into a labyrinth. Perhaps I should conclude these rambling thoughts with a few exquisite verses by the poet Quách Thoại:

This morning I stepped out into the city.

To hear the streets speak of new and unfamiliar feelings.

I hear the sounds of cars and horns on the road.

All the sounds of people's lives

A smile flickered between her rosy lips…

Phuong Chi