More than 60 sketches depicting the beauty of Ho Chi Minh City’s iconic structures and venues have been put on display for the ‘Urban Sketch - Ho Chi Minh City through the Perspective of Urban Sketches’ event at Nha Rong Wharf in the southern metropolis’ District 4 starting on Monday.

The display will last until December 11 as part of the second Ho Chi Minh City Tourism Week in 2022, along with several relevant activities at the Thu Ngu Flagpole, Bach Dang Wharf, the Municipal Theater, the Saigon Central Post Office, and the Nguyen Van Binh book street in District 1.

The showcased sketches belong to members of Urban Sketchers Vietnam, which was established in 2013 as a group of sketch enthusiasts from all walks of life who practice drawing locations in cities, towns, and villages they live in or travel to.

The group officially became a member of Urban Sketchers, its global community, in June 2016 and now includes thousands of members.

It has successfully organized many urban sketching events across Vietnam and abroad, and has invited its international counterparts to sketch in the country.

“The city [Ho Chi Minh City] is changing every day, and I’ve always regretted not starting sketching sooner to preserve more of the beautiful scenery and things that make me proud of the place where I was born,” said Vincent Monluc, an Urban Sketchers Vietnam member who was born in Ho Chi Minh City and lives in France and the U.S..

“There are places which I sketched many times, but they are different each time, as many structures were demolished or revamped and no longer keep their old beauty,” said Phan Dinh Trung, another member. 

Trung described old structures as a witness to the process of urban formation and development in Ho Chi Minh City, which has a history of more than 300 years and boasts a diversity of architectural styles from France, America, China, and Indochina.

“The sketching activities not only support me in my career but also contribute to saving good memories about the city,” he added.

Chien, another member, hopes that activities like the ‘Urban Sketch - Ho Chi Minh City through the Perspective of Urban Sketches’ event will help raise awareness about the preservation of old structures amid the urbanization craze.

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