Book on HCM City history published

HCM City (VNA) - A new book highlighting the sports and printed press history of HCM City was launched on July 22.

The overseas Vietnamese author Nguyen Duc Hiep wrote Sai Gon – Cho Lon, The Thao Va Bao Chi Truoc 1945 (Sai Gon – Cho Lon: Sports and Printed Press Before 1945).

The book is a part of a series about old HCM City, formerly known as Sai Gon. The book series also includes Sai Gon – Cho Lon: Qua Nhung Tu Lieu Quy Truoc 1945 (Sai Gon – Cho Lon, History as Described from Documents Before 1945) and Sai Gon – Cho Lon, Ky Uc Do Thi va Con Nguoi (Sai Gon – Cho Lon, Memories of A City and Its People), which were both published earlier by the Culture, Literature and Arts Publishing House.

The first two books were mainly composed of material Hiep published online and in various journals over the past six years of research.

"The new book was written during the beginning of this year to cover two subjects: sports history, which often does not attract much interest; and printed press and journalism, which were extensively studied in academia and popular literature. Hiep researched valuable special sources. It makes his book distinctive from others,” Huynh Thi Xuan Hanh, director of the publishing house, said.

“I told him to write more three books about HCM City which will be launched at the end of this year”.

Hiep was born in HCM City and showed a keen interest in its history from an early age. He later moved to Australia to study engineering and environmental sciences.

He currently works at the New South Wales Office of Environment and Heritage in Australia.

In addition to his scientific publications on the subject of environmental sciences and climate change, Hiep’s interests also include heritage conservation and urban development.

He has since returned to Vietnam multiple times to visit and collaborate with colleagues in research institutes and universities in Vietnam on environmental and urban development issues.

Since the late 1990s, HCM City’s urban landscape changed rapidly due to economic reform policy.

Many old colonial buildings and architecture from the last century continue to be replaced by modern high rise commercial and residential buildings.

“One of the reasons I wrote these books about HCM City is to preserve its past collective memories,” Hiep said.

“The various articles cover streetscapes, stories and narratives of people and societies in the past centuries, based on archival material from the National Library of France, the National Library of Vietnam, the National Library of Singapore, private collectors and online sources”.

The same day, Author Hiep delivered a talk with two English researchers, Tim Doling and French Daniel Caune, at Nguyen Van Binh book street in HCM City.-VNA