Vietnam’s capital Hanoi has been a muse for many authors, including Martín. His love of the city was first revealed in the book “Hanoi, the Street and the People”, in which he displayed photos he took around Hanoi coupled with behind-the-scenes stories he picked up while wandering around town.
Nearly a decade later, his second book, “For the love of Hanoi”, has been published recently.
Hanoi, for him, is a beautiful muse. His first book shows how he fell for “her”. Now, in his second book, his love has matured.
Indeed, with five chapters dedicated to the city’s heritage and his attempts to preserve them, the book reveals Martín’s genuine affection for Hanoi. He does not simply admire the city as a bystander or a tourist, but wants to contribute to her radiance as a responsible citizen.
Martín Rama is a Uruguayan economist working at the World Bank. Through his book, he hopes to convey his perspective on preserving the city’s heritage. From his perspective, preservation and conservation do not necessarily go against economic development. On the contrary, they can be supplementary, making Hanoi a prosperous city while retaining the uniqueness loved by both citizens and tourists./.
