Thai Phien Street - A spectrum of emotions

(Baonghean) - The road, about a kilometer and a half long, passes through several of the busiest intersections in the center of Vinh city, each point offering a different perspective. The road seems unique to Vinh in its segmented "strategic sections," and especially because of the rich historical stories surrounding it…

Thai Phien Street.

In 1901, the book "General Overview of Annam" wrote: "Vinh is 400 kilometers from Hue and 296 kilometers from Hanoi, with 40 Europeans, 161 Chinese, and 12,000 Vietnamese. It is the provincial capital of Nghe An. Two years ago, Vinh became a real city with beautiful, straight cobblestone streets, streets lined with shops owned by Chinese and Vietnamese merchants, and shops specializing in crafts such as ironwork, embroidery, umbrella making, paper crafts, and wood and bamboo trading. The area where the Chinese resided had many beautiful, tall houses with neatly arranged stone courtyards..." This densely populated Chinese residential area was then called the Guest Street, mainly located along the trade route from Cua Tien to Vinh Market. On the left side of Vinh Market, Thai Phien Street stood out as a distinctive feature. In the memories of the elderly, Thai Phien Street in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, despite being next to bustling wholesale markets, lacked the vibrant atmosphere of residential architecture. The lives of laborers and craftsmen were more heavily influenced by the atmosphere of the city streets than by the rhythm of small-scale trading. At that time, Thai Phien Street was primarily inhabited by ordinary working-class people, serving the shops, stores, and the lively buying and selling activities of the market.

During the centrally planned economy era, cooperatives emerged as well-organized collective business models, and the Thong Nhat Woodworking Cooperative became a highlight at the end of Thai Phien Street. I completely failed in my attempts to find documented sources about the market street at that time. Fortunately, the sidewalk culture helped me meet some respected elderly people. In their memories, the emulation movements for excellent labor and production spread strongly, creating a vibrant atmosphere. At that time, the Thong Nhat Woodworking Cooperative mainly produced household wood products, serving the practical needs of people's lives. All buying and selling was done through ration coupons, and the stretch of Thai Phien Street in front of the cooperative's gate was always bustling with people coming and going, queuing for their turn.

In front of the Thong Nhat Woodworking Cooperative's gate stood an ancient tamarind tree, its wide, lush canopy shading a stretch of road in the summer. Beneath the tree was Mr. Thao's tea stall, once famous for selling acne patches. Young men and women, and even elderly people, would often sit there, sometimes quietly playing a few games of chess to pass the time, other times chewing betel nut and sipping green tea while chatting about everything under the sun until closing time. Later, the stall closed due to declining customer demand, remaining closed for several decades, seemingly permanently shut down. However, it suddenly "reopened" a few years ago. It's still the same makeshift stall, with the same plastic containers clattering peanut candy and a few rickety wooden chairs. The owner is Mr. Thuc, Mr. Thao's younger brother. Every morning and evening, passing by, one still hears the bustling sounds of laughter and conversation; the customers are mostly factory workers and general laborers from warehouses, loading and unloading points for porters, rickshaw drivers, and market vendors.

It's often said that walking along the streets is the best way to truly experience the essence of city life. The hustle and bustle, the peaceful tranquility, or the melancholy emptiness—all are reflected in the streetscape. Starting from the intersection with Dinh Cong Trang Street, then crossing the Ngu Hai intersection, continuing a little further past the Tran Phu intersection, and past rows of shops overflowing with all sorts of goods, you reach the Ngo Duc Ke intersection. At this point, the street softens with the colors of rustic cuisine before culminating at the intersection with Ben Den Street, and finally ending at the junction with Cao Xuan Huy Street. Thai Phien Street crosses the territories of three wards: Quang Trung, Hong Son, and Vinh Tan. These numerous meeting points create a unique and emotionally rich street in Vinh City.

Each intersection serves as a starting point for new and unfamiliar sensations. The street begins peacefully with a few cozy coffee shops; then there's the bustling trade of garment materials, fashion shops, birdcage vendors, fishing gear sellers…; and further on, there are fried dumpling stalls, Thai tea shops, and fragrant Hue-style noodle soup…; passing by Ben Den, the atmosphere of daily life seems to overshadow the hustle and bustle outside. To the left of the street is a fairly busy area of ​​residential buildings, some with impressive four or five stories, while to the right, it remains quiet with mechanical workshops, fine art woodworking shops, and scrap metal dealers, their fronts always cluttered with rickshaws tied with rubber bands, ready for transport. The street carries the heavy imprint of a bygone era of hard work, partly due to the row of collective housing units of the Thong Nhat Woodworking Cooperative located right along the roadside. The cooperative has long since dissolved, but that atmosphere still lingers today, as the dilapidated collective rooms retain their original architectural style from the 1980s…

Although the street isn't famous for its ecological features, it's still pleasing to the eye due to the density of trees providing shade. There are trees of all sizes and species, sheltering the residents from the scorching hot summer winds. And when it rains, standing on a high vantage point to admire the street is also a delightful experience. The bustling traffic rushes by in the daily grind, the murmur of bargaining fills the air below the shops. Leaning out a little, you can take in the expansive, wide-open space of the street, feeling a newfound affection for this place!

Phuong Chi