The ladies of the Notre Dame Church choir, Saigon

The first Sunday of the Year of the Monkey was a perfect day for a walk in Saigon.

Traffic congestion, air pollution and sidewalks jammed with motorbikes, usually make the city a pretty hostile place for pedestrians.

But last Sunday, with the population much reduced by a New Year exodus that sees hundreds of thousands leave for their native villages and towns, Saigon had a peaceful charm. It was reminiscent of two decades ago, when I first came here to live.

The sky was a deep blue and the air was clean and mild.

The spirit of Tet and a less congested city, made everyone more relaxed and friendly. It was that noticeable.

The sense of old Saigon was heightened as we strolled past the historic Notre Dame Church (Nha Tho Duc Ba). We were just in time for the arrival of the gracious ladies of the church choir. They were on their way to sing at the afternoon service.

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ladies of the church choir, Saigon

Photo: Mark Bowyer Ladies of the church choir, Saigon

 

Photo: Mark Bowyer Notre Dame Cathedral, Saigon

 

Remove some of the newer buildings and taxis from these shots and these beautiful women could have been from any time over the past 50 or 60 years of the city’s history.

The traditional Vietnamese dress, the ao dai, remains a fixture in the city and is as magical today as it was when I first beheld it 26 years ago. It brings grace to the young and old.

I’ll be adding more images from our Tet Sunday in Saigon walk later in the week.