Vo Thi Sau Street: Preserving the old charm in a modern city.

(Baonghean) - Every time I pass by Vo Thi Sau Street in Vinh City, I often wonder why there's such a unique street, from its shape to its scenery? It's not an exaggeration to say that if it's carefully planned and renovated now, with deliberate preservation, this street could become one of the most attractive routes for visitors wanting to learn about the life of a leading city in Nghe An province...

Nowadays, if you ask about Vo Thi Sau Street, people will immediately direct you to the turn-off from Phan Dang Luu Street (near the eastern fence of Vinh Brewery); however, the houses on the street are numbered from the Vinh University side outwards, which means that in the past, the street was bustling with activity starting from the residential areas further inside, where the street's spirit remained strong despite the changing seasons.

Vo Thi Sau Street.

Nearly two kilometers long with unexpected bends, Vo Thi Sau Street evokes a range of emotions, from the scenery and people's faces to the sounds of the street. The vibrant, lively part is found in the interior, starting from the abrupt intersection with Bach Lieu Street where Nguyen Huy Oanh Street abruptly cuts across it; countless old and new alleys contrast with the bustling street, creating a mossy, weathered look; and the oldness of these alleys reflects a bustling, somewhat impoverished atmosphere reminiscent of Hang Dao, Hang Ma, and Hang Dau streets of Hanoi, the imperial capital of the North, largely forgotten in the masterpieces of Thach Lam, Vu Bang, and Nguyen Tuan.

This short stretch of Vo Thi Sau Street in Vinh City must have only recently been officially named by urban management authorities; because many alleys running across the eastern side of the street still bear signs reading "Alley No. X… belonging to Block Y… of Ben Thuy Ward." The street is narrow, with only one lane for vehicles, and lacks sidewalks; it's a jumble of services primarily catering to students and young people in general, attending various schools and working in various jobs in Vinh City, many of whom come from across North Central Vietnam to rent accommodation around Vinh University.

Therefore, houses inside are rented out as rooms, while outside, kiosks are crammed together for rent to sell goods. Most numerous are online shops selling all kinds of trendy fashion items, many of which are rented by hardworking and energetic students to earn money for their studies; then there are services like games, computer and phone repair, sewing, hair washing, and student haircuts... But what's noteworthy is the abundance of snacks, affordable rice, pho, and noodle dishes... including guava, pickled starfruit, preserved fruits, coffee, porridge, rice noodles, steamed rice cakes, grilled corn, Hanoi green rice flakes, Hue sweet soup, Quang noodles... evoking images from the writings of the author Thach Lam about the gifts from the countryside that people from the four provinces bring back to the city, filling it with fragrant scents all year round...

The nice thing is that the street isn't noisy with crowded bars and restaurants, but it lacks the usual chaos, disorder, and boisterous haggling. The vendors are mostly quiet and polite, mostly students from rural areas who aren't flashy with their hair, are thrifty, and diligent in their studies. This lifestyle of the younger generation inspires older people to follow suit and set a good example in their speech and manners. Amidst the flashy, colorful online shops and mini-restaurants, you occasionally see a country woman selling local snacks, chewing betel nut, or a few bicycle repairmen sitting at a chessboard in their free time, sometimes facing young university students…

The narrow streets lack tall trees, but just a few magnolia trees, green fig trees with drooping roots, or shy bougainvillea bushes by the window frames, and the alleyways revealing moss-covered bricks, contribute to imbuing the street with a soul that blends the past and present. These people, these sights, these flavorful local delicacies, are being swept along by the vibrant flow of life in a unique "student street" of Vinh.

No other street in Vinh has two "layers" of house numbering like Vo Thi Sau Street. This means that before the extension of the section intersecting Nguyen Huy Oanh Street with Bach Lieu Street was installed, this section was numbered separately.Streets without official signs are simply referred to by word of mouth as "street block number," depending on which block the residents belong to, and are numbered sequentially. Therefore, the street now has two sets of house numbers, ranging from 1 to 10. The second "layer" of house numbers starts from Nguyen Huy Oanh Street and runs outwards, which originally belonged to Truong Thi Ward.

From here to the traffic light intersection with An Duong Vuong Street, the street is a vibrant stretch with Truong Thi Market on the east side and well-built houses on the west side, housing many large retail stores. It can be said that this is the most "promising" section of Vo Thi Sau Street and still offers opportunities for urban planners because the east side still has open space for many undeveloped or simply modified plans, allowing for the consideration of a plan to complement the unique "student street" further inside.

But most unusually, the stretch from the traffic light intersection with An Duong Vuong Street to the end of the line where it intersects with Phan Dang Luu Street is a tranquil streetscape throughout the four seasons. Walking along the street, one feels as if they've wandered into some romantic highland city. The road is wide and smooth, yet few people pass by day and night; in summer, the sun is scorched by the hot, dry winds from Laos, in winter, the north wind blows fiercely, and in autumn, the sidewalks are often covered with a thick carpet of fallen yellow leaves. In spring, the trees on either side of the street, rarely pruned, sprout new, unspoiled leaves, giving it a wild, pristine appearance.

Those feelings might stem from the lack of bustling streets at the beginning of the road, which is mainly lined on both sides by the walls of the Vinh Brewery and the headquarters of Roadway Zone 4; or perhaps from the sparse population, mostly middle-aged and young civil servants, couples and children working and studying, busy all day and into the night. The houses along this stretch are mostly built in the old style; some houses have renovated their facades in a modern style, but they still exude a sense of modesty and seclusion. Along the entire length of the street, there is only one shop selling rice, fish sauce, bamboo brooms, and reed brooms.

Last year, there was a small shop on the west-facing wall owned by an old retired painter. It had rickety wooden tables and chairs, sold children's candy and rice wine to accompany dried fish and pickled vegetables. Every afternoon, it was usually a gathering place for a former commando from the Sac Forest, an architect, a contractor who had lost his job, and a few newly hired journalists. They would chat about everything under the sun, ancient and modern, human affairs and current events, and became addicted to it; you could never miss a single one! One day, the commando from the Sac Forest had a relapse of his battle wounds, fell ill, and passed away. Immediately afterwards, the architect became engrossed in his passion for antiques… and so the group gradually dispersed, and the old painter closed his shop. The street felt a void.

The street is long and narrow, but not dull; walking along it is always a pleasant experience. As mentioned, if Vo Thi Sau Street is carefully and thoughtfully maintained, it will become one of the most attractive streets for visitors from afar, showcasing the subtle and interesting interplay of urban life in Vinh. We believe that the larger the street grows, the deeper and broader its Vietnamese urban culture will become, contrary to the concerns many have about the increasing number of online fashion shops, for example…

Text and photos:Dinh Sam