In the latest installment of Sai Gon Vi Vu’s documentary series Saigon’s Gentlemen, we follow the life story of Duong Van Ngo, the last remaining public letter-writer at Saigon's Central Post Office.
The city’s Central Post Office is perhaps one of the most recognizable buildings in the city center, but the story behind its employees remains a mystery.
Duong Van Ngo’s history with the post office began when he was 16. “Except for the phone booth, I have gone through every position in the front office,” he shared with Sai Gon Vi Vu. Ngo only started helping people with letter-writing in 1990, composing letters in Vietnamese, English and French for people who have relatives overseas.
Now 86, Ngo still cycles to work from his home in Thi Nghe, sits on a bench in the middle of the post office and writes away on postcards and letters for people in need. “When I finish the letters, I have the responsibility to forget everything I wrote,” he said.
Enjoy the episode about Duong Van Ngo, "the man of love letters", courtesy of Sai Gon Vi Vu, below:
[Video via Sai Gon Vi Vu]
