"Sài gòn vang bóng" | Lý Nhân Phan Thứ Lang

“Sài Gon vang bóng” of journalist Ly Nhan Phan Thu Lang is a book that contains full of documents about the old Sai Gon. It is the story about Ben Thanh Market in the past and present and Xa Tay Palace - the current People’s Committee of Ho Chi Minh city building. The book mentions how Independence Palace was built and how the thrilling story about Khai Tuong Pagoda was decipher, etc.

It can be said that the stories related to historical sites and famous characters in “Sài Gòn vang bóng” are very familiar at first glance, as if they have been read for a long time. However, besides the familiar things, there are still strange stories. That strangeness firstly comes from the refraction of the author's memory, and secondly thanks to the “marvelous encounter” when the author has the original materials. Most of these documents are handled cautiously with comparisons from many points of view, including a review of witness. It's a blessing that not every author has.

Saigon's glory is certainly about Sai Gon with not only airy spaces and subtlety but also meditation and nostalgia. Saigon used to be very beautiful, and still shimmering today, but it is clearly a different beauty with a different mood and perspective. Saigon's glory, of course, is not "the glory of a time", but will always be, if we know how to recognize, cherish, and take action to preserve and build those beauties. Likewise, through the pages of the book, we gradually fill up for deficiencies or mistakes in order to have more special works about Sai Gon yesterday and today.