An Octopus? In My Cà Mau Swamp? It's More Likely Than You Think.
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- Published on 24 July 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.
Worms live in the ground, birds live in the air, cá lóc live in lakes and octopuses live in the ocean, right? Wrong! Octopus can also live in the river.
New Exhibition on Painter Lưu Công Nhân Is a Trip Through Time
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- Published on 24 July 2024
- Written by An Tran. Photos courtesy of Annam Gallery.
The solo exhibition allows the audience to time travel to the world of the late painter Lưu Công Nhân. From watercolor sketches to large-scale paintings, old documents, and even a typewriter on display, the paintings will take us through different time periods of his artistic career.
In Awe of the Mekong Delta's Majestic Sluice Gates
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- Published on 23 July 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.
A row of impenetrable watchtowers tasked with inflicting ruthless law and order upon a dystopian borderland seething with marauders, bandits and brigands? No. Sluice gates.
Huế Becomes 1st City With Dedicated Lanes on Pavements for Bicycles
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- Published on 22 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
The growing popularity of biking as a recreational activity in Vietnam has been acknowledged officially by urban planners in Huế.
Into the Beguiling Backyard Rice Wine Distilleries of Long An
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- Published on 19 July 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Kevin Lee.
The highway eases into sand and gravel the way history descends into myth and legend when traveling towards Long An. A mere 27 kilometers outside of Saigon, the province feels a world away: the difference between a cocktail made with 18-year-old scotch, jackfruit-infused rum, seven types of bitters and brandy-soaked organic cherries and a plastic water bottle of homemade rượu nếp. The latter was the reason we were going there: for information, interviews and anecdotes to complete Saigoneer’s two-part investigation of the history of rice wine.
From a Blend of Cultures, Phá Lấu Became a Beloved Saigon Street Snack
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- Published on 17 July 2024
- Written by Hưng Thịnh. Top graphic by Phan Nhi. Photos courtesy of Hưng Thịnh.
When the word phá lấu is mentioned, two genres of dishes will appear in the mind of Vietnamese. One is a small bowl of orange broth that sings of coconut milk, another is slices of caramelized offal awash in a translucent shade of brown. Both these forms of preparations speak volumes about the growth of local street food through episodes of history.
Journeying Through Đà Lạt and the Central Highlands in 1992
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- Published on 17 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Đà Lạt has always been a highly sought-after traveling destination, like how it was originally designed as a resort town for French officials. These days, however, the hilly Lâm Đồng town has urbanized so quickly that at times it’s hard to believe that here once lived a tree-carpeted enclave.
Minh Thúy, Muse of 'Em Thúy' by Famed Painter Trần Văn Cẩn, Passes Away
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- Published on 15 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Even though both the painting’s creator and muse have left us behind, a part of their life will live on with us in an important relic of Vietnam’s 20th century history.
A New Company Headquarters Brings a Green Respite to Industrial Đồng Nai
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- Published on 12 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Hammocks, koi ponds and mature trees are not typically associated with industrial parks.
Traces of Movement, Memory and Heritage in Duo Exhibition 'Entrusting to Emptiness'
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- Published on 09 July 2024
- Written by An Tran. Photos courtesy of Wiking Salon.
An exhibition that brings the audience through the transition between day and night, and movements between dream and memories. There is no beginning and no end, and all elements above somehow reflect the cycle of our existence.
Rare Film Shots Depict a Fast-Growing Saigon in 1996
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- Published on 08 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Change was in the air in 1996, and the streets purred with development.
The Pedestrian Bridge That Teaches You the Values of Patience
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- Published on 04 July 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. .
“We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.”
From 'Freeze' to 'Avcngcrs': Inside the Wacky World of Vietnam's Bootleg Toys
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- Published on 01 July 2024
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân.
In Vietnam, you can find a Lego set in official Lego stores or any big toy shops at high prices; but if you take a different route, you can find Lego sets being sold by small vendors for much cheaper. But those sets are a little bit different; they are branded as “Lele'' or “Lepin,” or just white Chinese characters on a red square. For decades, these bootleg toys have been a widely popular option for Vietnamese kids.
Honda to Cease Production of Super Cub 50cc, Vietnam's Beloved Bike, in November
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- Published on 27 June 2024
- Written by Saigoneer. Top image by. .
By the end of 2025, Honda will cease the manufacturing of all motorbikes with 50cc engines, including the beloved 50cc Super Cub, to comply with stricter emission standards.
The Unhinged Genius of the Caty Dragon Fruit Noodles Meme
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- Published on 26 June 2024
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Graphic by Tiên Ngô.
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Dragon fruit has existed in Vietnam for hundreds of years, but it wasn't until the 21st century that it made its debut in instant noodles.
Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground
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- Published on 24 June 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Cao Nhân.
A sparrow swooping across a special-edition can of Coca-Cola, the illustrations featured in the artworks of Ngọt's Grammy-nominated album boxset, or perhaps even the tattoo on a stranger you pass on the street: you have probably seen the work of Khim Đặng, the man behind Saigon fashion brand easybadwork, without knowing it. His graphic designs have graced a variety of commercial and collaborative works in Saigon, but easybadwork is his hobby business. “A true business makes you money, a hobby business makes you happy,” he told Saigoneer.
In Suburban Hanoi, With Summer Comes the Red-Purple Cascade of Mulberries
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- Published on 21 June 2024
- Written by Xuân Phương. Photos by Xuân Phương.
In suburban Hanoi, this is the season when mulberry branches heavy with bright red fruits dangle in the summer wind.
New Renderings Show Saigon's Plans to Revamp Quách Thị Trang Square
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- Published on 21 June 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
At an estimated cost of VND157 billion (US$6.17 million), the controversial renovation work on the square in front of Bến Thành Market is set to begin this fall and be completed by April 2025.
The 1st Vietnamese Song With 1bn Views on YouTube Is About Ducks
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- Published on 19 June 2024
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
It’s not Hoàng Thùy Linh’s catchy dance track ‘See Tình’ or the crossover Mekong Delta hit ‘Con gái miền Tây,’ the first Vietnamese song to amass one billion — or bill-ion, if you will — on YouTube is a children’s song about ducks.
Revisiting the Coats of Arms of Vietnam's Major Cities Under French Rule
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- Published on 18 June 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top graphic by Trường Dĩ. .
Did you know that several Vietnamese cities have coats of arms?
