Street names are a part of community memory
After Ho Chi Minh City expanded its administrative boundaries, familiar street names such as: Chu Van An, Nguyen Truong To, Le Lai, Ngo Quyen, Nguyen Cong Tru, Phan Chau Trinh, Le Loi, Nguyen Thai Hoc or Tran Hung Dao appeared in many areas. According to the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports, the city currently has 782 streets with duplicate names and numbers.
If viewed on administrative maps, these are duplicate data, which can be confusing. But from a cultural perspective, each route is a separate living space, nurtured by history and community activities.
Before the merger, Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Duong and Ba Ria - Vung Tau were independent administrative units. Each locality built its own street name system but all reserved solemn positions for national heroes, cultural figures and historical figures.
Therefore, the fact that many places have Le Loi, Nguyen Du or Tran Hung Dao streets is not an arbitrary copy. These names reflect the way each locality chooses characters to commemorate and send their views on history.
Mr. Hau Bao Ngoc Hung - residing in Cau Kieu ward - said that street names are not simply administrative addresses. Many names have existed for decades, becoming part of residents' memories and associated with the history of each area.
A person can leave their place of residence for many years but still remember the name of the street in childhood. That name helps them re-imagine the house, neighbors, the distance to school and the activities that once created a sense of belonging to a community. Therefore, changing the street name is not just changing the content on the sign. That decision may disrupt the connection between residents and the space that has been attached for a long time.
Street names also appear in personal papers, land and house records, business addresses, store signs, images and family stories. Over time, it has become a milestone to help identify stages of urban transformation.
Keeping the street name is also keeping the story of the land
According to the document responding to Lao Dong Newspaper, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Culture and Sports proposed to keep the lines with duplicate names but belonging to different wards and communes. Only cases of duplicate names in the same area will be studied for adjustment.
If a change is needed, the city prioritizes keeping the name for routes with a long history, large scale, large population or deeply attached to the locality. Smaller routes, formed later or with less identification value, will be considered for other options.
This orientation shows that name duplication does not mean having to change names. The important thing is to determine whether duplication really causes major obstacles, and at the same time consider the cultural value of each route.
In the process of reviewing, the history of the road needs to be considered as an independent criterion. The city not only needs to know how long the route is, how many households there are, but also needs to clarify when the name was given, what event it is associated with and how it has entered community life.
Dr., cultural researcher Ly Tung Hieu noted that standardization must take into account the cultural context of the name. Differences related to the taboo of the Nguyen Dynasty such as Ton/Tong, Hoa/Hoa or the Southern pronunciation such as Tac/Tat should not be mechanically adjusted.
An seemingly inconsistent writing style may be a trace of language history. If only amended to facilitate administrative data, the city risks losing the layers of meaning that have been preserved by the community. Therefore, standardization should not be understood as bringing all street names to the same template. The goal to be aimed at is to accurately identify each route while preserving its own history and characteristics.
With duplicate names in different areas, ward and commune names and area place names can become information layers to help distinguish. In the transitional period, pre-merger place names can also appear in auxiliary positions to support identification and preservation of area history.
The city can also add short introductions about celebrities, naming times or the history of the route on auxiliary signs or search platforms. At that time, the street name sign is not only for indication but also becomes a cultural access point.
Building cultural records for each route will help preserve old folk names, place names and residents' stories before they disappear during urbanization. A city is not only recognized by large works. Urban identity is also in the names of markets, hamlets, and the way an intersection or road is called that has entered daily life.
After the merger, Ho Chi Minh City received not only area and population but also many layers of memories from different lands. Duplicate streets are a clear manifestation of that intersection.
Instead of erasing all duplication, the city can help each street tell its story more clearly. Keeping a familiar street name, in many cases, is also keeping the bond connecting people with the place they have lived, so that the city continues to develop without forgetting the memories that create the face of Ho Chi Minh City today.
