Nguyen Ba Dam is “Vietnam’s richest man”, or at least that’s what any coin collector will tell you. The 96-year-old former teacher is also known for his research and publications on Hanoi, where he spent his whole life. Recently, Dam was honoured with the Bui Xuan Phai: For the Love of Hanoi Award.

There are many who have written about the capital city, but Nguyen Ba Dam is remarkable for his detailed yet simple writing characteristics. Hanoi is exquisitely captured in Dam’s “Thua ay Ha Noi” (Those days in Hanoi), where trams and cyclos whir across the pages. City-dwellers’ lifestyles are meticulously recorded in the publication, making it one of the most impressive books to shine light on the capital city.-VNA