The city I love, grows longer and wider

On the first morning of July, the people of Ho Chi Minh City woke up with a new mindset. Not only because the familiar city has now expanded its administrative boundaries, but more than that, everyone hopes for new opportunities.

I was not born in the city named after Uncle Ho, but I have chosen to live and be attached to this place as my second homeland. In this historical moment today, my heart still beats as it did when celebrating Tet or the first day of first grade. There is something both sacred and familiar. A big change, but very natural, like a river that after many years of winding, now finds a shore to open its heart to the ocean.

Before the launch of Ho Chi Minh City, in the sunny months, I rode my motorbike through Binh Duong. I remember the Lai Thieu fruit garden with its fragrant mangosteen scent, and the straight rubber forests that cast a cool shade over my soul. Binh Duong is not noisy, but it is persistent and warm like a close friend, always there when you need it. I also went to Ba Ria - Vung Tau , sitting on the Long Hai beach listening to the waves late at night.

The sea breeze there carries the taste of salt, the taste of seaweed and the salty dreams of the coastal people. Once I visited the lighthouse on Nho Mountain, also known as Tao Phung Mountain, looking down at the coastal city with its brilliant lights. At that time, I could not have imagined that one day not far away, this land would officially become a part of the city I love.

A corner of Ho Chi Minh City at night seen from the Saigon River. Photo: DUNG PHUONG

Now, it is no longer a case of “going to the province” or “returning to the countryside”. Every step through Binh Duong or Ba Ria - Vung Tau is like stepping into the heart of a new megacity - Ho Chi Minh City, larger, richer and more responsible.

Many people are concerned that the city will be overloaded, that the land is too small and the population is too large, that integration will be difficult... But, when we carry in our hearts a big enough love, all differences will find a way to blend together. Saigon - Ho Chi Minh City has always been a place of meetings, where people from the North, Central and South gather together, creating a rich and tolerant life. The city today will be the same, just with arms outstretched wider and hearts still the same, still a life of love and sincerity.

Love for the city is not in the map, big or small, near or far, but in daily actions. It is the kindness in a cheap restaurant, in a shared look during rush hour, in the hands planting trees together in a public park. When people's hearts turn to each other, every land becomes their homeland and every person becomes a relative, a blood relative.

Expanding the boundaries is not just to have more land, but to have more opportunities, more connections, more combined strength. It reminds us that when we no longer see others as suburbs, as suburbs, but as united, then development will be truly sustainable.

Ho Chi Minh City today is moving towards a megacity, but the people here are still as tolerant, simple, and sincere as before. The greeting “Yes, I just came here to work” can now come from Phu My, Di An, Long Hai... but the destination is still a better life in the heart of the city. And I, along with other young people, will contribute a small part to that journey, with love, kindness, and strong belief in tomorrow.

CAO MINH TEO

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/thanh-pho-toi-yeu-them-dai-va-rong-post802639.html