In recent years, development in Saigon has exploded, giving rise to towering skyscrapers, office towers and residential complexes throughout the southern hub. But even as the city’s modernization hits hyper speed, small, canal-side communities across town continue to exist in precarious circumstances, as city officials aim to relocate approximately 20,000 such households along various canals throughout the city. Here is a glimpse into the lives of residents in Binh Thanh’s xóm nước đen near Bui Huu Nghia Street.
Modern apartment buildings rise in the background.
Though the water is very dirty, a large number of fish still live in this canal near Binh Thanh’s Bui Huu Nghia Street.
Children fish in the canal.
Ms. Thanh, a resident of Xom Nuoc Den, brushes her three-year-old niece’s hair while her daughter does laundry.
An alley in Binh Thanh District’s canal community.
Almost all of the people in this alley make noodles for a living.
Chú Chau, who often takes me along the Cau Bong Canal on his boat.
When he’s not working, chú Chau often takes care of his niece.
On weekend afternoons when work is finished, canal residents often gather for a drink on their boats.
An environmental sanitation team picks up garbage along the canal.
