This is Tim’s second guidebook to the built heritage of the southern metropolis, and takes the form of a much expanded and improved version of his 2014 book Exploring Hồ Chí Minh City.

Now comprising over 680 pages, the book starts with an expanded overview of the historical development of Saigon-Chợ Lớn and a short section entitled “Saigon-Chợ Lớn built heritage under threat,” which considers the systematic destruction of built heritage in recent years and ways in which this issue might be tackled.

The book then presents no fewer than 21 self-guided tours aimed at independent travellers. These include 10 tours of Saigon and its suburbs, six tours in and around Chợ Lớn, and separate chapters on Gò Vấp, Thủ Đức & District 9, and Cần Giờ. It also includes a new chapter on nearby Biên Hòa, which has a long shared history with Saigon-Chợ Lớn. Each tour chapter includes larger and easier-to-follow route maps.

Throughout the book, historical material is supplemented by special box features on specific topics like Architect Marie-Alfred Foulhoux, Wang Tai and the Cochinchina Opium Monopoly, A History of Saigon Port, Saigon Tramway, Hui-Bon-Hoa (“Uncle Hoa”) and his family, A History of the Naval Port, Jean-Baptiste Louis-Pierre, Father of Saigon’s Greenbelt, the Spectacular Rise and Fall of Madame de la Souchère, The Tour de l’Inspection, Jean-Baptiste Pétrus Trương Vĩnh Ký (1837-1898), Quách Đàm – Chợ Lớn’s “King of Commerce,” The Canal Bonard and the “Three-Arch Bridge,” Trương Văn Bến and the Story of Cô Ba Soap, Dinner with “Tổng Đốc” Đỗ Hữu Phương, Tạ Dương Minh – Thủ Đức’s Founding Father, and Biên Hòa ceramics.

For art lovers, there’s also a short feature on “The Art Scene in Hồ Chí Minh City,” kindly contributed by Sophie Hughes.

As always, the book ends with a directory of modern and historical street names of Saigon-Chợ Lớn.

Minh Khai bookstore would like to introduce