Nam Cam Alley is 'difficult to live' in Saigon, marriages 'easily broken', reality is 'disgusting'?

Looking at the bustling scene and the bustling laughter here, it is hard to imagine that there was a time when each alley was a horror to many people.

Mr. Chau, like many people in the alley, believes that the present is very different from the past, and few people still talk about the past. "Now when talking about alley 148 in District 4, no one talks about Nam Cam anymore, it's the past. What's past is past. This alley has always been there, no matter what you do or where you go, once you step into the alley, everyone will always happily welcome you without any negative attitude." - Mr. Chau said.

Everyone in alley 148 has a different job, some drive motorbike taxis, others sell sticky rice, corn, fish... bustling, caught up in the rhythm of life in Saigon.

Selling goods on a small cart in the alley, Ms. Le Thi Anh (65 years old) shared: "People here are afraid of my reputation, but I live here peacefully. In the past, people had such prejudices, but it was normal, but now it's gone. The older (big shots) are gone, gangsters and such have been arrested. There are a lot of weddings, all day long."

All that has passed has returned a peaceful life to the alley in the heart of Saigon. Having gone through many ups and downs in life, Mr. Chau now only wishes for a peaceful life: "I have traveled a lot, I understand, I have absorbed it, I no longer have any desire. I no longer think about anything. I just have to find a way to raise my children, the two of us can live."

Like many other alleys in Ho Chi Minh City, alley 148 Ton Dan starts with a straight road, then suddenly turns left, turns right, and branches into small and large ones. The deeper you go, the smaller the alley becomes, with a tangle of branches and many turns.

While trying to find a way out of the maze-like alleys, the reporter was lucky to meet a woman named Loan (48 years old). Loan was born and raised in a dilapidated house opposite the row of houses that used to be the residence of gangster boss Nam Cam.

Ms. Loan said that this place used to be a poor working-class neighborhood. From 1986 to 1993, the area was opened by mafia boss Nam Cam as a casino. She said: "Back then, this alley was not clean and paved with concrete like it is now. On the contrary, this place was just small, narrow paths. Every time it rained, the alley was flooded and full of mud. When the sun came out, the alley was covered with dust and full of potholes."

Since Nam Cam's casino was established, gangsters from all over gathered in alley 148 to make a living, making life here noisy. People in the alley gradually got used to the scene of 'gangsters fighting and fucking each other many times a day'.

Living in the alley, the lives of honest people face many troubles and difficulties. They are misunderstood and discriminated against. The misunderstanding is so serious that people in "Nam Cam" alley almost cannot find close relationships outside of where they live. Mr. Tung (64 years old), a long-time resident of the alley, affirmed that for a long time, he could not find a job because he was a resident of this alley.

He said: "Back then, people were allergic to the people of "Nam Cam" alley. People were afraid and thought that the people in the alley were either gangsters, vagabonds or poor as hell, illiterate. That bad reputation made it so that for a while, the boys in the alley could not get married in other districts. Any family with a daughter did not dare to marry far away. Because just hearing that they lived in alley 148 Ton Dan, people were afraid, discriminated against and did not want to be friends with them."

People like Ms. Loan are not only suspected and guarded by friends and colleagues, but also shunned and discriminated against by their own relatives. The people in "Nam Cam" alley were misunderstood and had a bad reputation until the city government and District 4 cleared the slum and renovated and upgraded the roads.

In particular, after Nam Cam and his accomplices were arrested, security and order in District 4 stabilized, and the lives of people in Alley 148 changed completely. Currently, every corner of Alley 148 has been upgraded, paved with clean concrete, and spacious houses have sprung up close together. At the bends and branches, security cameras and fire alarm systems are installed.