Amidst a bustling and noisy HCM City, there is still a place like Tran Nhan Ton, which is quiet, witnesses no bargaining – just books, books and book lovers.

On the left side of Tran Nhan Ton street are bookstores so local residents call it the “bookworm road”. All stores sell used books of all contents, from literature to social, economic, politic, music, painting, philosophy, cooking, and health volumes. Books are piled up in different categories, in stores and on the pavement. As all bookstores are small, clients have to be very quiet and gentle while seeking books.

There are many modern and big bookstores in HCM City, but small bookstores on Tran Nhan Ton street are very attractive to book lovers, who find it special and interesting to search for the book they need among piles of old books. The book may be very old but its content is not old.

The owners of these stores are “scholars” who know everything about the books that they have. Nghia, the owner of Tin Nghia bookstore, said: “I previously collected books. It is pity that each time I moved to a new place, I had to sell my books. Then I decided to collect books again and I thought, why should I not make my habit a common habit for everybody? And this bookstore opened.”

HCM City has many streets that specialise in one commodity or another, for example Su Van Hanh with electronic ware, Duong Tu Giang with lanterns, and Nguyen Trai with clothes. These streets share the same thing: they are very crowded and noisy. But the road of books is different. It is very quiet and has only books and book lovers.

Tran Nguyen Nhat