Vietnam's Startup Scene Aims to Build on a Strong 2020
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- Published on 08 January 2021
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.
While 2020 will go down as one of the most grueling years in recent human history, there is positivity in Vietnam’s startup industry. In advance of the annual Saigon Startup Year-End Party on January 17, Saigoneer sat down with some local VCs to look back at the Vietnamese startup scene in 2020, and how things are shaping up for 2021.
[Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes
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- Published on 07 January 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. Video and photos courtesy of Robin Marty.
Cái Gốc (The Origin) is the latest release from music producer and video director Robin Marty and his collaborator Jakub Zajac.
[Photos] Black-and-White Shots Depict Quotidian Details of 19th-Century Vietnam
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- Published on 06 January 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
These black-and-white shots are among the highest-quality documentation attempts of Vietnam at the end of the 19th century.
Year in Review: Saigoneer's 20 Picks for Best Vietnamese Music of 2020
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- Published on 31 December 2020
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Bu.
Despite the uncertainties and upheavals of 2020, Vietnamese artists have continued to produce excellent music that defies genres, merges past influences, and exceeds expectations.
Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Favorite Hẻm Gems, Art (and More) of 2020
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- Published on 31 December 2020
- Written by Saigoneer. Graphic by Hannah Hoang.
In 2019, when the world was not going through a global public health disaster, dining out seemed like the most natural activity in our daily routine. We drank, we relished, we munched, and we bantered.
Vietnam's 2020 Economic Growth Lowest in 10 Years
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- Published on 29 December 2020
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
But it still performed exceptionally well in the global context.
Ngõ Nooks: Quán Nhạc Cầm Nurtures the Soul Like a Love Song
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- Published on 25 December 2020
- Written by Linh Pham. Photos by Linh Pham and Alberto Prieto.
Albeit ostensibly a coffee shop, Cầm’s specialty is actually old Vietnamese music.
Saigon Postcard No. 27: Santa Claus Is Coming to Quarantine
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- Published on 25 December 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustration by Hannah Hoang.
Vietnam makes no special safety-protocol exceptions for Santa Claus.
To Teach Children the Importance of Play, First Bring Playgrounds Back to Hanoi
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- Published on 24 December 2020
- Written by Elise Luong. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In rapidly developing urban Hanoi, finding engaging outdoor play areas for young children is near impossible. But since 2014, the social enterprise Think Playgrounds has colored public spaces across Vietnam with wildly unique and legitimately sustainable designs, engaging with local communities to give children back their right to play.
Hẻm Gems: Saigon's Hakka Culture Lives in D5's Khổ Qua Cà Ớt
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- Published on 21 December 2020
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Stuffing food inside other food is an ingenious human invention on par with refrigeration, chopsticks, and Gmail’s “undo” button.
On Deep Reading the Poetic Works of Vietnamese Writer Nhã Thuyên
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- Published on 19 December 2020
- Written by Christophe Robert. Illustration by Bu.
Reflections on Nhã Thuyên’s poem 'Traces of nothing' and other writings.
[Photos] An Idyllic Slice of 1957 Cambodian Life
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- Published on 17 December 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam isn't the only country in the region to change dramatically over the last several decades.
[Photos] Saigoneer's Best Original Photography of 2020
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- Published on 16 December 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Is it possible to ruminate on the past 12 months without agonizing over the looming threat of COVID-19 and the grief it has inflicted on global communities? Perhaps not, but if there’s any place in the world where that might be possible, it’s Vietnam.
[Photos] Cloudy With a Chance of Flooding: On Chasing Storms Around Saigon
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- Published on 15 December 2020
- Written by Christopher Otis. Photos by Chris Otis.
A long-time Australian resident of Saigon once joked with me after my arrival to Vietnam a few years ago that southern Vietnam has two seasons: hot, and bloody hot.
Review: 'Monsoon' Peruses the Chasm Between Past and Contemporary Vietnam
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- Published on 13 December 2020
- Written by Michael Tatarski.
Monsoon is Vietnam-shot film directed by Hong Khaou that was released earlier this year. It is spoken by Lee (David Tran) to Kit (Henry Golding) as they have tea on a Saigon sidewalk and references the latter's return to Vietnam for the first time since leaving as a child.
[Photos] The Small-Town Charm of Vung Tau in the 1960s
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- Published on 12 December 2020
- Written by Saigoneer. .
From remembering fond memories with loved ones to selling products and even gaining clues to a grisly crime, photos have many uses.
Tarp, but Make It Fashion: A Saigon Trio Upcycles Canopies Into Backpacks
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- Published on 09 December 2020
- Written by Mầm. Photos courtesy of Dòng Dòng Sài Gòn.
With a love for the environment and ample creativity, Kiều Anh, Trang, and Tú Quân have built a unique fashion brand named Dòng Dòng Sài Gòn. The line of bags and other items created from recycled tarpaulin encompasses a message of youthful experimentation: “Let’s just give it a try, should it turn awry, make a U-turn.”
Hẻm Gems: Thời Thanh Xuân, the Special Saigon Cafe Run by Deaf Staff
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- Published on 07 December 2020
- Written by Mầm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Quán của Thời Thanh Xuân not only encompasses the youth of its founder, Võ Thành Luân, it’s also where hard-of-hearing Vietnamese can write their own story, learn, focus on self-development, and be a part of society.
At Da Lat's Secluded Da Phuoc Temple, Insights Into Cao Dai Teachings
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- Published on 05 December 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Perched on top of a hilly area, Da Lat's Cao Dai temple is a towering structure of vibrant aesthetics and intriguing mysticism.
Ngõ Nooks: Hidden Gem, the Cafe that Recycled Knick-Knacks Built
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- Published on 04 December 2020
- Written by Francesco Montresor. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
It is difficult to describe Hidden Gem Café without paraphrasing its name, but I have not found a better way to characterize this wonderful establishment.
