Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, USA, Hải Châu has worked as a software engineer for nearly two decades and has been an avid collector for more than ten years. The book series "Collecting Vietnam: On the Trail of Historical Collectibles", dedicated to his father and to lovers of Vietnam, explores the importance of collecting as a means of preserving and understanding the country's rich and turbulent history. Motivated by curiosity, collecting offers insights through tangible artifacts that have withstood war, climate, and time. Drawing from a private collection of around 12,000 items, the series showcases approximately 1,500 carefully selected collectibles—ranging from coins and stamps to medals and documents—presented in chronological order. Through these artifacts, it seeks to 'braid a timeline' that visually narrates Vietnam’s past and highlights its cultural and historical legacy.