Published to mark the 160th anniversary of Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens: A Treasure in the Heart of the City and the Amazing Nature book series celebrate one of the city’s most beloved green spaces.
Founded in 1864, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens will turn 160 years old on March 23. Through all the changes of history, it has remained a “little urban forest,” a living witness that has grown up alongside generations of city residents, especially children.
The book Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens: A Treasure in the Heart of the City and the 13-title Amazing Nature series were created through a collaboration between the zoo and Tre Publishing House. Together, they aim to bring readers of all ages closer to the fascinating world of plants, animals, and zoos. The book launch took place on the morning of March 13 at the zoo’s Book Garden.
Books Made with Care, Curiosity, and a Lot of Heart
Although the books are designed for a wide audience, they are especially intended for children. That meant the creative team had to find a very specific balance: vivid illustrations, engaging visuals, and concise, easy-to-follow content. It was no small challenge for the writers, illustrators, photographers, and designers involved.
Writer Gia Bảo, who wrote three books in the Amazing Nature series, shared that Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens has been part of her life since childhood. From her very first zoo visit at age ten to afternoons spent by the swan lake with friends during high school, the place has stayed close to her heart. Being able to write about a place so deeply tied to her own memories was especially meaningful to her.
The wonderfully mysterious titles in the series, such as Dancer of the Emerald Marsh, The Knight’s Sword, and Diary of a Queen, were inspired by the unique features of different animals. A rhinoceros may not know how to swim, yet it can turn gracefully in water like a dancer. Male deer shed and regrow antlers as they mature. The red-shanked douc is often called the queen of the primates because of its elegant appearance.
To research and develop the books, the authors worked closely with specialists and staff at the zoo. One of them, animal specialist Mr. Trực, guided the authors through the zoo and was also among the first people to read the manuscripts. He shared that facts he had known and repeated for years suddenly felt new again when transformed into lively words and images full of educational and human value.
The more encyclopedic title, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens: A Treasure in the Heart of the City, written by Mai Chi with photography by Kan Nguyễn, presents key information about the zoo’s animals and plants in a concise and accessible way. The book was carefully reviewed by the zoo’s own staff to ensure accuracy. Mr. Trực noted that even after many years in the field, it was impossible to remember every detail from memory, so the team cross-checked specialist materials thoroughly.
Bringing the Zoo Closer to Visitors
Both the publishing team and the zoo hope the books will help bring Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens even closer to readers and visitors.
According to Nguyễn Thành Nam from Tre Publishing House, children who have never visited the zoo can still discover its animals and plants through the books. At the same time, A Treasure in the Heart of the City can serve as a useful companion for visitors, offering important and interesting background information during their visit. He hopes the collection will nurture a love of nature and inspire more children to come and explore the zoo for themselves.
Huỳnh Thu Thảo, Chairwoman of the Members’ Council of the zoo, shared that as a book lover herself, she had long hoped to create a series about the zoo’s plant and animal life. She also revealed that this is only the beginning, and that future collaborations with Tre Publishing House are already being planned.
Plant specialist Bé Ba added that many visitors tend to focus on the animals and sometimes overlook the trees, even though the plants are just as remarkable. Some species are nearly as old as the zoo itself, while others are rare and endangered. She hopes the botanical section of A Treasure in the Heart of the City will encourage visitors to pay closer attention to the quieter elements that make up this “little forest” in the middle of the city.
She also noted that the book’s title echoes an earlier work, Treasure in the City by Nguyễn Khắc Cường, serving as a reminder that Saigon still holds a very special treasure of its own.
A Living Treasure in the Heart of the City
Today, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens is home to 1,951 individual animals across 138 species, including 100 species listed as rare or endangered in Vietnam and worldwide. It also contains 350 species of woody plants, including 20 rare species named in the Red Book.
The zoo’s Zoological and Botanical Museum displays more than 500 specimens, including preserved animals, skeletons, plant samples, and unusual specimens once cared for at the zoo, among them rare and even extinct species. Alongside animal care, conservation breeding, and plant preservation, the zoo also takes part in rescue and release work for wildlife.
So yes, Saigon Zoo & Botanical Gardens is still a place full of childhood memories. But it is also something more: a green archive, a living classroom, a conservation space, and one of the city’s most precious long-standing treasures.
Source: Znews.vn
