Hao Si Phuong: From a soap factory to a living heritage
📍Hao Si Phuong Alley, 206 Tran Hung Dao Street, Cho Lon Ward (formerly District 5), Ho Chi Minh City
People often say that Saigon is a city that never sleeps, where the swirling vortex of traffic washes away all traces of time. However, just by turning into No. 206 Tran Hung Dao Street in Cho Lon Ward (former District 5), you will be astonished to realize you have just stepped into an “old dream” that refuses to wake up.
Hao Si Phuong exists as a peaceful pause, completely detached from the honking horns and busy dust of the world outside. This is not merely a nostalgic photo spot, but a living entity, an authentic piece of Cho Lon tourism that anyone who loves local experiences in Ho Chi Minh City should visit at least once.
1. Secrets from the Soap Factory of the Chú Hỏa Clan
Shaped under the master planning of the renowned bourgeois Hứa Bổn Hòa (commonly known as Hoa Uncle), this U-shaped residential structure boasts an age of over a hundred years. It once served as a sanctuary for hundreds of families during the migration wave of the Chinese community settling in the ancient land of De Ngan.
Few know that the alleyway’s designation is not just a dry administrative label assigned at random. In Chinese characters, the word “Phuong” represents a guild or a craft village; meanwhile, “Hao Si” was originally the name of a prominent soap factory owner of that era. This entire nostalgic residential quarter was originally built as a dedicated settlement for hired workers in the soap industry during the early years of the last century.
2. Hao Si Phuong’s Architecture and Balconies That Bind Neighbors Together
2.1. Yin-Yang Tiled Roofs and Corridors That Extend Time
The uniqueness of this residential quarter lies in its subtle blend of Chinese and Vietnamese architectural traits. The time-worn, moss-covered yin-yang tiled roofs stack neatly upon one another, paired with a system of long, winding corridors that link the living spaces across both floors. This design not only optimizes living spaces in a cramped urban environment but also transforms the entire alley into a cohesive block, shielding generations of residents through the sun and rain of changing times.
2.2. A Poetic Way of Life and Multi-Layered Scents of Nostalgia
The true soul that sets this place apart is the balconies built right next to one another. The distance between apartments is so narrow that someone on one side only needs to reach out their hand to touch the opposite house. This physical proximity has molded a deeply affectionate community lifestyle. Residents here still maintain the habit of handing each other a bowl of sweet soup or leaning against the balustrade for casual small talk at dusk.
Over a century later, the scent of industrial soap from the old days has given way to new layers of nostalgic aromas. It is the pungent, warm fragrance from nearby Chinese herbal medicine shops, the comforting aroma of freshly baked pastries, or the sweetness of traditional sweet soups shared hand-to-hand during the full moon of the seventh lunar month.
3. Local Ho Chi Minh City experiences with Localis
Because this is a real living space for local residents and not a pre-arranged movie set, respect is of paramount importance when you visit. Please walk softly and speak quietly so as not to disturb the peaceful atmosphere of the elderly reading newspapers on the porch or children playing along the corridors.
As you stroll through, dedicate your slow observation to the micro-details: from the bright red Heaven-and-Earth altars (am thờ Thiên Địa) hanging outside the balconies and the parallel couplets pasted in front of doorways, to the way residents arrange their greenery. These are the very places hiding the most authentic identity of a deeply profound Cho Lon.
If your heart is overwhelmed with urban anxieties, try spending a weekend afternoon seeking out No. 206 Tran Hung Dao Street. Join Localis to leave the hustle and bustle behind, step slowly on the bricks of time, and listen to the story of a completely different Cho Lon.