Nam Dinh city was originally a collection of villages. Until the beginning of the 20th century, when the French brought in European urban culture, the "village soul" in the old Nam Dinh streets slowly faded away. And until now, it is still lingering, there are still Vi Hoang and Nang Tinh - the names of two ancient villages. And the village alleys still have names that exist today such as Van Nhan alley, Yen The alley, Dien Hong alley, Phan Chuong alley... Small streets, small alleys, small sidewalks so neighbors cannot help but greet each other, that is, the village customs are faintly visible. Nam Dinh people are still proud of those street names, alley names that evoke nostalgia, like a little bit of the distilled, lingering flavor of an old urban city. The streets that Nam Dinh people fondly remember often have the appearance that is in the poems of poet Tu Xuong, or in the paintings of artist Ho Y.
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Nam Dinh streets, unlike Hanoi, the streets and alleys in Nam Dinh are more modest, more slender, still remaining quiet and private. Therefore, Nam Dinh people have the habit of walking around the city at night, leisurely strolling in a leisurely mood, to enjoy the remaining ancientness. And only then, the old Nam Dinh people can hear the gentle sound of temple or church bells mixed with the sound of falling leaves. Nam Dinh at night is long, quiet and deserted streets, when the musty smell of the past returns, and when the night cries of street vendors make us feel the most moved. Everything seems to return to itself, leaving behind all the worries of a tiring day of work.
Nam Dinh people still talk about a city with 40 old streets, a city that had a "town" before establishing a "street", so Nam Dinh today still has the appearance of a town, full of small-scale trading. There is a corner of the sidewalk from 5am to 8am that is for noodle sellers, after 8am to the afternoon it becomes a place to sell clothes, children's toys, in the evening: coffee, tea. The streets have no time to rest. The streets are like a hard-working country mother picking up things all day long, doing one thing after another, always busy. Not to mention the street vendors who come and go like pedestrians, sometimes with a shoulder pole, sometimes with a bicycle with a basket on the back of the saddle containing everything from a bunch of vegetables, a fish, a bunch of flowers, to sticky rice, sweet soup, steamed cassava, fruit... Everything that life needs. Those small streets and alleys are so simple, just flowing naturally and peacefully.
Nam Dinh street, also known as the land of street food. Just a few steps from the corner of the old street, you can enjoy and contemplate the whole culture of Thanh Nam through its own unique dishes. These are: roasted peanuts with basil, red-light roasted corn; steamed rice rolls; dried beef salad with spring rolls; one-eyed lady's rice cake; green bean sticky rice from Mrs. Thi; Thai Lan's chicken porridge; mixed sweet soup from Mrs. Duong; shrimp cakes from Mr. Xuyen; sticky rice with lumps from Mrs. Hong; sticky rice with pork from Mr. Hong; vermicelli with pork from Mrs. De; rice rolls from Kenh village from Mrs. Phuong; sticky rice with black bean sweet soup from Mrs. Chung; sticky rice with sweet soup from Mrs. Hoi; stewed chicken from Mrs. Nga; pho from Mrs. Dan; vermicelli with grilled pork from the church, wonton noodles from Le Hong Phong, etc.
Nam Dinh city has now expanded a lot, the small streets and alleys are noisier than before, but in people's minds, the small streets and alleys still maintain their peace. That is a layer of culture that has become sediment that anyone who is observant walking along the streets can still encounter. After that crowded and crowded area, a Nam Dinh with small alleys and alleys with people from the old urban land still appears in behavior, communication, and that is the way of life./.
Tran Huyen Nga
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