HÀ NỘI — Writer Trần Hữu Phúc Tiến, a native of HCM City with a background in journalism and history, has launched a new book that delves into the vibrant essence and miraculous life of the city's waterways and its people.

Sài Gòn: Kinh Đô Sông Nước (Sài Gòn: The River Capital) narrates the process of developing HCM City's strengths from its rivers and seas, favourable geography and talented people to its service economy and training industries.

Particularly with the city's expansion, the author emphasises the potential of maritime and heritage economies.

The book not only evokes urban memories but also reflects the hopes that residents place in the future of the city. It combines rich textual and visual documentation with unique current events.

The city has been and continues to be a 'magnet' attracting a significant influx of people, capital and technology from all regions and corners of the world and is increasingly growing in terms of population, construction space and modern amenities.

Its strength lies in its strategic location near rivers and seas, connecting the Southern region with the rest of the country and Southeast Asia. Over the centuries, the Vietnamese have developed HCM City into a capital in the south, a beautiful river city contributing in many ways to the nation and the world.

The author said: "The Sài Gòn River is not a hidden stream but a river that reaches out to the vast sea, giving rise to bustling ports and cities that attract talents from near and far."

He compares HCM City to leading river cities around the world such as London, New York and Shanghai, highlighting the the potential for development by leveraging its 'waterway resources' to shape a promising future.

Preparing to enter the third decade of the 21st century, a 'super city' is being designed with a multi-centre approach. Major infrastructure projects and economic initiatives are rapidly being completed or launched, including ring roads, large bridges connecting to Thủ Thiêm Peninsula, the Metro network, the Hà Nội-HCM City-Cần Thơ high-speed railway, the Cần Giờ international transhipment port, the Long Thành airport and the 'innovative city' of Thủ Đức, along with an international financial centre in Thủ Thiêm. These developments will soon create a remarkable landscape of growth, bringing the city in line with international urban centres.

The merger with Bình Dương and Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu provinces since July 1 will open up new economic opportunities for HCM City, creating a seamless economic space from the upper to the lower reaches of the Sài Gòn River and expanding its coastal front. Historically, these three regions share close geographic and cultural roots, all located within the boundaries of Gia Định Province since the late 17th century.

With over 300 pages in colour and a large format designed as a 'coffee table book', Sài Gòn: The River Capital combines research, reportage, and photography. Hundreds of photographs taken, collected or purchased by the author from various domestic and international sources vividly depict the life of the waterways and the city's appearance throughout different eras.

A particularly valuable resource was the collection of rare Indochinese postcards belonging to Nguyễn Đại Hùng Lộc, an antique collector and the Vice President of the HCM City Stamp Association.

Additionally, the book features a wealth of carefully cited materials from historical sources, newspapers, conferences, and on-site surveys, including interviews with local residents and experts.

The author said: “Above all, it results from a sense of empathy, including the ability to feel pain and react to the things that threaten and destroy the beauty of the city and its people.

“We, including myself, have been and continue to learn from Sài Gòn, drawing from our predecessors the good and beautiful things to preserve and contribute to a more humane life before we part ways."  

Born in 1962 in Sài Gòn, Tiến has worked as a reporter for various publications, including Tuổi Trẻ (Youth), Saigon Times, Thế giới mới (New World) and FBNC. He graduated in History and completed a journalism fellowship at Oxford University (UK) under the Reuters scholarship.

The author has published several books on culture, tourism and urban architecture, notably Kiến trúc Pháp - Đông Dương, Dấu Tích Sài Gòn - Hòn Ngọc Viễn Đông (French Architecture - Indochina: Traces of Sài Gòn - The Pearl of the Orient) in 2025, which won the Gold Prize for Publications from the Vietnam Urban Planning and Development Association. VNS