Review: Red Balloons, a Fresh Musical Take on Vintage Vietnamese Cartoons
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- Published on 14 September 2020
- Written by Vũ Trung Kiên. Translated by Bùi Thu Uyên. Photos and videos courtesy of The Onion Cellar.
At 6:30pm on July 5, Red Balloons: Music for 20th Century Vietnamese Animation took place at the Institut français de Hanoi-L'Espace. It was organized by The Onion Cellar and The Centre for Assistance and Development of Movie Talents (TPD) as part of the Like the Moon in A Night Sky: A Perspective of Vietnamese Cinema program that has been going on since late June.
Ten Iconic Vietnamese Women as Drawn by Illustrator Camelia Pham
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- Published on 09 September 2020
- Written by Khoi Pham. Illustrations courtesy of Camelia Pham.
If you had to pick the 10 most iconic female figures in Vietnamese history, who would make the list?
[Photos] Making Sugar at an Early 20th-Century Boiling House in Quang Ngai
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- Published on 08 September 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Unlike cash crops such as rubber or coffee that were brought in from other parts of the world, sugarcane was among Vietnam’s original native trees, and locals have been growing the sweet plant for centuries, ever since we learnt about agriculture.
[Photos] Inside the Dust-Covered World of Ninh Van's Traditional Stone Carvers
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- Published on 08 September 2020
- Written by Jose Saldana. Photos by Jose Saldana.
It's a rare treat to see generations of skill in person.
Hẻm Gems: The Case of the Twin Bánh Mì Chảo Switcheroo
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- Published on 04 September 2020
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In the land of copycat businesses, it always pays to double-check that you're at the right one.
Velvet Chains and Epaulet Couch: How a Curious Artist Plays With Symbols
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- Published on 04 September 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Chuong Pham.
What would it mean to sit on the shoulder-attached epaulet of a military uniform that denotes rank?
From Window to Logo
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- Published on 02 September 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Designing the “perfect” logo is a winding road littered with failed fonts, well-intended but misguided icons, and superfluous design elements — necessary artifacts that serve to catalog the arrival at a confluence of meaning and pleasing aesthetics.
Hẻm Gems: The Universe of Hanoian Food Beyond Bún Đậu
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- Published on 30 August 2020
- Written by Khoi Pham. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
I tend to be cautious of restaurants that boast authenticity.
Envisioning the Mekong's Future Through the Eyes of 5 Regional Filmmakers
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- Published on 26 August 2020
- Written by Ashley Lampard.
The future of the Mekong Delta is uncertain. The river and the people that rely on it are facing the impact of climate change, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, hydropower, over-fishing, pollution and mainstream dam construction upstream.
[Photos] Memories of 1973 Hanoi in 22 Film Photos
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- Published on 25 August 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Taken by an unknown photographer working for the American Department of Defense, these crisp color images capture Hanoi’s 1973 street life on film. Have a look below.
'Con Ăn Cơm Chưa? | Have You Eaten Yet?' by Jessica Nguyen
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- Published on 24 August 2020
- Written by Jessica Nguyen. Photo by Mervin Lee.
it took me till my college years when saying “I love you” became a normal thing
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Portraits of Frontline Workers From Inside Quarantine
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- Published on 19 August 2020
- Written by Govi Snell. Top image by Hannah Hoang. Illustrations courtesy of Tăng Quang.
In Con Đã Về Nhà - I'm Home, Tăng Quang documents his two-week stint in quarantine at Military School Zone 7 in District 12 of Saigon with a combination of paintings and prose.
[Photos] Rare Photos of Hue From a Vintage French Publication in 1919
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- Published on 17 August 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Hue is a city of empires, dynasties, armies, conquest and rule.
On Loving the Saigon Zoo Despite Its Flaws
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- Published on 14 August 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Hannah Hoang. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
We’ve all wanted something we can’t have. Something we can see but can’t touch. Something dangled in front of us but just out of reach like an especially succulent apple growing on a branch inches beyond a giraffe’s outstretched tongue. That was me during the Covid pandemic. My balcony overlooks the city’s zoo - every dawn I watch elephants emerge from their hut and eat the day’s first sweetgrass. I’m frequently awakened at three am by peacock cries - a sound somewhere between a meow, a scream and the ping of a pick-ax striking through stone and shattering a diamond. The zoo is my favorite place in Saigon and for a month and a half, I could gaze upon it but not visit.
Get to Know Vietnam's 54 Ethnic Groups via These Adorable Emojis
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- Published on 12 August 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
If only these adorable emojis existed back when we were toiling over our geography homework years ago.
[Photos] On the Road in Quang Ngai in 1967
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- Published on 11 August 2020
- Written by Saigoneer.
Is nostalgia always a positive emotion?
How Famed Filmmaker Việt Linh Built a Family Around Art
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- Published on 08 August 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Translation by Anh Tô.
“The lonely sound of a lute cannot cure your pain. You need Tơ’s singing to bring you serenity.”
Saigon Postcard No. 25: Child's Play
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- Published on 05 August 2020
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustration by Hannah Hoang.
Who builds Saigon's bridges?
[Photos] From Bamboo to Altar: The Life of an Incense Stick in Vietnam
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- Published on 04 August 2020
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
Vietnamese see the process of burning incense as a sacred ritual said to provide a bridge between the visible life of human beings and the spiritual world of gods.
Nguyễn Đức Sơn, Eccentric Poet and Pillar of Southern Literature, Passes Away at 83
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- Published on 02 August 2020
- Written by Hoang Hanh Phuong. Illustrations by Hannah Hoang. Translation by Hoang Hanh Phuong.
On the morning of June 11, poet Nguyễn Đức Sơn, pseudonym Sao Trên Rừng (Star Over The Forest), passed away at the age of 83.
