On the Tourist Trail Across Vietnam in 1996
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- Published on 23 August 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of Tobeytravels.
In 1996, it had been one year since Vietnam officially joined ASEAN, the first legitimate volume of Doraemon was released, and some of us at Saigoneer were actually alive.
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
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- Published on 23 August 2022
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Top image by Hannah Hoàng.
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
Ngõ Nooks: From Nam Định, a Piquant Bánh Đa With Golden Fried Fish
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- Published on 20 August 2022
- Written by Mia Trịnh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
On Quán Thánh Street, a lovely couple enhances their hometown’s specialty, bánh đa cua, with a fishy touch. Adding fried fish to bánh đa cua is a rather uncommon combination, but it helps their restaurant stand out.
Thuận’s Novel 'Chinatown' Targets the Tedium of Migration
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- Published on 20 August 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Vĩnh, born in Hanoi to a Vietnamese mother who studied in the Soviet Union and teaches English in France, and an ethnically Chinese father raised in Hanoi but now working in Chợ Lớn, dreams of the day when China dominates the world and he can parachute into America-occupied Iraq with the Chinese army to create another Chinatown in Baghdad. Such culture and continent-spanning details suggest extravagant thrills and intrigues, but Thuận’s Chinatown reveals the monotony endured by the diasporic individuals.
OHQUAO Lifts Young Designers to the Forefront of Vietnam's Creative Presence
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- Published on 18 August 2022
- Written by Garrett MacLean. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
“What we wanted was to bring iconic images of Vietnam to a global audience — metal doors, plastic stools, cà phê sữa and at the same time use these as tools for people to become connected,” said Hoa Phạm, co-founder of Saigon-based creative outlet OHQUAO. The content creator, along with her husband, illustrator Simon Phan, has invested the last five years of their time, energy, and money into creating and scaling this desire into a brand.
The Prehistoric Permanence of Cá Sấu, Vietnam's Farmed Predator
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- Published on 18 August 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
I’ve always hated cá sấu. Not because they’ve threatened my safety or had any real impact on my life whatsoever, but simply because they survived. When a meteor cratered into Earth 66 million years ago and sent sun-engulfing clouds of sizzling rock into the sky, alongside ferocious tidal waves and incessant firestorms, the planet lost some of my most beloved creatures.
Ghosts and Other Myths: How Vietnam Celebrates the 7th Lunar Month
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- Published on 17 August 2022
- Written by Hoàng Hạnh Phương. Top photo by Alberto Prieto. Illustrations by Hannah Hoàng.
In Vietnamese customs, the lunar month of July contains many special days of worship and celebration, with various traditions.
From the Lab of Forever Wheelchair, Hope for Vietnam's Handicapped Animals
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- Published on 12 August 2022
- Written by Khang Phạm. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên and Chương Đỗ.
The ability to roam and frolic around is essential for our canine and feline companions' well-being, but too often, it can become a privilege for cats and dogs living with disability and immobility from neglect and abuse.
Great Vietnam Resurrects Nguyễn-Era Fashion, One Traditional Costume at a Time
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- Published on 12 August 2022
- Written by Bảo Hoa. Photos courtesy of Great Vietnam.
In the last four to five years, ancient Vietnamese costumes have gained more visibility, becoming a welcome sight among young locals thanks to the efforts to reproduce and promote historic fashion from a number of designers, brands, and interest groups that appreciate the country’s history and traditions.
A Mosaic of Vietnam's Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train
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- Published on 08 August 2022
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.
The Legends of Thăng Long Tứ Trấn, the 4 Guardian Temples Protecting Hanoi
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- Published on 07 August 2022
- Written by Hà Bích Ngọc and Mia Trịnh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In the edict to move Vietnam’s capital to Hanoi, Emperor Lý Thái Tổ described this land as the middle of heaven and earth, the center of the four directions. Such a place would bring peace and prosperity, he believed, and deserved sacred protection.
Ngõ Nooks: The Peculiarity of a Coffee Sanctuary With No Menu and No Address
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- Published on 07 August 2022
- Written by Mervin Lee. Photos by Mervin Lee.
"SOLitude" — At first glance, the word conjures a sense of melancholic privateness in my ever-anxious soul. But not in a pessimistic way, fortunately.
Once Derided, 'Lục Xì' Is a Trail-Blazing Lesson in Nuanced Sympathy
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- Published on 04 August 2022
- Written by Hoa Đỗ.
Lục Xì is a reportage written by Vũ Trọng Phụng in the first volume of Tương Lai newspaper in 1937. In the series, Phụng describes his experiences visiting the dispensary (nhà lục xì) where prostitutes with sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) were being treated. During a week of visits, he noted his interactions and conducted interviews with responsible officers and specialists.
From Oral Lore to a Mini Encyclopedia of Folk Demons, Ghosts, and Restless Spirits
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- Published on 03 August 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Images courtesy of Duy Văn.
River entities hiding the bodies of drowned victims, spectral ma lai whose head and guts hover in the air, ma trành spirits luring unassuming victims into the path of tigers, or the ghosts of a family with consecutive deaths — these are just some ghastly myths from Vietnamese folklore that the Ma Quỷ Dân Gian Ký project (The Chronicle of Folk Spirits) was inspired by.
Slices of Life in Saigon, Huế, Hanoi in 1989 on Film
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- Published on 02 August 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of Stefan Hajdu.
What is it about coming across old photos that tugs on our heartstrings so much, even when they depict a time when some of us weren’t alive yet?
Exploring Chợ Quán Asylum, Saigon’s Oldest Prisoner-of-War Camp
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- Published on 01 August 2022
- Written by Tuyết Nhi. Photos by Tuyết Nhi.
In a secluded corner of Saigon’s Bệnh viện Nhiệt đới, or Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a prison continues its century-long existence hidden from public memory and discourse.
Ngõ Nooks: A Spicy Bún Lòng Cá From Hải Phòng That Takes Guts to Try
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- Published on 31 July 2022
- Written by Lam Lê. Photos by Chris Humphrey. .
Út Hà Quán looks nothing like the kind of traditional Hanoi street food eatery that makes it to glossy magazines and world-famous food channels. There’s no grumpy grandma, no mold on the walls and no trash on the floor.
Born in Cần Thơ and Raised in the US, Rapper Mixed Miyagi Stays True to His Many Roots
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- Published on 28 July 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Phan Nhi.
"Miền Tây sông nước tao ngắm cánh đồng xanh / Buổi sáng là thức dậy để đi cày mà làm ăn / Trên đời này thành công là siêng năng / Không có giống mấy thằng chó, có chút tiền rồi kiêu căng."
Hẻm Gems: Indonesia's Ayam Penyet Is a Smashing Celebration of Spices
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- Published on 27 July 2022
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
The most straightforward definition by which to explain ayam penyet to the Vietnamese layperson is perhaps “cơm gà Indo.” It’s technically not wrong: the dish has rice and chicken, and originates from Indonesia. But once you've actually sunk your teeth into this special fried chicken, the translation seems unfairly reductive because ayam penyet is so much better than the sum of its parts.
In Huế, a Glass Cottage to Spend the Rest of Your Life With Your Beloved
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- Published on 26 July 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
If somehow your relationship manages to survive illnesses, conflicts, and external temptations to endure until both of you are in your sunset years, how would you spend the rest of your life?
