Saigon Weather

XOM CHIEU
Where the veneer of urbanity cracks easily

At first glance, it is like any other alley in the city.
A narrow path that begins just a few metres away from busy Nguyen Tat Thanh Street that runs alongside Nha Rong Harbour where traffic of bicycles, motorbikes and three-wheeled lambrettas has perforce to be slow.
But Xom Chieu Alley holds a few surprises for new visitors.
From time to time, the alley seems to become a free parking lot for the lambrettas and motorbikes, and in typical Vietnamese fashion, many of the houses also double up as shops selling various items. Then there are push carts which offer haircuts, bicycle repairs, shoeshines and other services.
The sense of camaraderie between the shop owners is palpable as they smile and chat easily with each other. And it also seems to extend to their patrons, young and old alike, who seem to linger for longer than usual after completing their purchases, whiling away their time talking to the shop owners.
The shops selling food and alcohol are noisier than the others, as is their wont, and it can be predicted with near certainty that the cyclo drivers, porters and bicycle mechanics will drop into one of the many shops on their way home to enjoy a few cups of wine and one or two dried cuttlefish.
While the visitor is taking in the sights and sounds of Xom Chieu Alley, including the hardships that residents have endure, it is also noticeable that he or she herself is under observation by the locals.
The steady, non-committal stare that a visitor gets clearly shows that the locals know that the visitor does not belong, is a newcomer to the street. However, all the visitor has to do is seek some kind of guidance or ask some question, and the reserve drops off as if by magic, and the age-hold hospitality that marks country folks comes to the fore.
Then the residents are eager and enthusiastic about helping the visitor find his way around or just to talk, sharing information with ease about people who live in the alley or even those who have moved out.
The brisk and noisy ambience in the alley fades along with the light, and slips into quietude suddenly as the families go indoors and settle down for dinner and TV, reading or listening to music.
Xom Chieu then wears a deserted look that is broken occasionally by motorbikes returning home from the city centre, moving faster along the winding path due to the absence of push cart shops and parked vehicles.
But towards the end of the alley, a spacious square comes to life in the evening. Located in the square is thronged by church-goers, parents and cycle drivers waiting for students to return from their classes and the devout to return after prayers.

Making history

It is good time to talk about the alley’s history with old residents.
The account begins with the arrival, without any fanfare, of the first settlers-poor farmers from the Hong (Red) River Delta province of Thai Binh – in the later half of the 18^th century.
With their focus on survival, the settlers would not have paid much attention to the ongoing protracted war going on between the Trinh Lords from the north and the insurgent Nguyen lords from the north and the insurgent Nguyen Lords over the Saigon-Gia Dinh area-an area that included their new home.
But they were part of the fighting in that they’d followed the troops of the Nguyen Lords in order to reclaim a large swampy area. The call for land reclamation had been made by Nguyen Anh – the eventually victorious Nguyen Lord.
The area sat in vast wilderness on the western fringe of the newly built seaport to set up home and seek their fortune.
There was also another reason for choosing the area. They were surrounded by undulating forest of reeds, and their traditional occupation-the only thing that they’d carried to the new land besides meagre clothing and other belongings-was making mats.
They worked day and night to produce mats and soon set up a market in the newly formed village, much on the lines of the one they’d left behind on their home in the north. The mat maker’s village gradually become as famous as the two neighbouring ons of Khanh Hoi and Binh Y. More than a century later, the original name of the mat makers’ village – Xom Chieu – has survived, but the occupation itself has not.
The urbanization process kicked off during the French colonial times saw the reed forests destroyed for developing residential areas.
Many residents of Xom Chieu drifted to other places to find new jobs and those who stayed behind come to depend on the Nha Rong harbour for their livelihood.
The “provincial look” that Xom Chieu retains despite the rapid changes in the Saigon is a source of delight for casual visitors stepping off from the hustle retains despite the rapid changes in the Saigon is a source of delight for casual visitors stepping off from the hustle and bustle of the nation’s commercial hub.
Of course, most of the old make-shift huts comprising plywood, cardboard and corrugated sheets – have been replaced with brick houses. The more well-off residents have built multi-stories houses with small yards dotted with decorative plants and flowers.
And behind the different facades still lurks the communal spirit that gives Xom Chieu alley its special flavour. – VNS