HCM 247.

As dawn rises, the noise of Ho Chi Minh City swells with crowded traffic, a lively song for a new day. The morning air is marked by exhaust, road dust and early wind, together a familiar scent. Each morning a new beginning.

Every morning in Ho Chi Minh City begins with a familiar question. The choices seem endless: a plate of broken rice with grilled pork, still smoking with charcoal; a strong cup of coffee; a box of savoury sticky rice smelling of new glutinous rice. Breakfast is not only the first meal of the day but a moment where old flavours and human warmth meet.

In Ho Chi Minh City, however busy life becomes, the smoke of agarwood incense still brings calm. Saigon, through its ups and downs, always keeps still moments in its pagodas, where people return to reflect and find peace.

When the summer heat in Ho Chi Minh City seems to reach its peak, sudden rains bring a welcome cooling. The rain pours down, at once softening the harsh sun, and carries the smell of damp earth, of fresh rainwater caught on leaves and pavements.

The air of District 1 on a summer afternoon is filled with endless horns and the calls of street vendors. The afternoon sun is still glaring, yet it does not stop the stream of people on the streets. Every step through this area is something new and full of life.

When Ho Chi Minh City reaches rush hour, from five to six in the evening, the streets are lit by a soft late sun and crowded with people pouring in from every direction. Ba Thang Hai, Dien Bien Phu, Cong Hoa are all filled with exhaust and blaring horns. The true signature of rush hour is the scent of empathy and sharing after a long day of work.

When the afternoon sun is no longer harsh and clouds drift slowly, kites begin to rise into the cool blue sky of Ho Chi Minh City. In the middle of the noisy city, an empty lot becomes the place for people to set modern life aside and return to childhood through each bright kite. No phones, no noise, only wind and the scent of fresh grass and damp earth.

In the heart of busy Ho Chi Minh City, the food court of a shopping mall stands out with the smell of crisp fried chicken, hot bread and steaming hot pot, drawing the steps of passers by. A place of many flavours, where each dish is a creation with its own style.

Nguyen Hue walking street is always lively under neon lights, a meeting place for every age, and especially for the young. Along the street, it is easy to find stalls of peach tea, lychee tea and iced tea, where people stop to enjoy something sweet and cold. The energy of the walking street is the backdrop for glasses of colourful tea.

On afternoons walking along Bach Dang wharf, watching boats glide softly on the Saigon River, the artist feels a calm hard to describe in the middle of the bustling city. The sunset lays golden light on the water and on the tall buildings. A light wind passes, carrying the particular smell of the river.

Ho Chi Minh City falls again into the heat of the dry season, when even the wind turns sultry, as if everything were evaporating under a burning sun. Though the heat seems to slow everything down, the pulse of the city does not weaken. Its people, used to the harsh sun, move calmly along every road.

After living in Saigon long enough, the artist easily comes across sidewalk coffee spots, from busy streets to quiet corners of parks. Here, no fine tables or elegant rooms are needed; a few old tarps and plastic stools are enough to sit down, order a coffee and take in the fresh air of early morning or late night.

When the pink trumpet flowers bloom in Saigon, streets like Vo Van Kiet and Dien Bien Phu turn a soft pink. The pink trumpet is not a vivid beauty; its flowers are pale pink and fragile. Though they bloomed late this year, the faded pink on the street is still enough to make passers by stop and look up.

The peach tea stall by the City Opera House is always welcomed by Gen Z whenever they come to the centre to go out. Its taste cannot compare with many famous brands, yet the Opera House peach tea has its own pull. Set right in the centre of the city, it is a familiar stop on evenings spent wandering.