'Bronze Drum,' an Entertaining, TV-Ready Reimagining of the Legend of Hai Bà Trưng
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- Published on 12 September 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Turning a beloved but brief legend based on scant historical evidence into a page-turning novel is no easy task. But Phong Nguyen’s book Bronze Drum succeeds in depicting the upbringing and rebellious triumphs of Hai Bà Trưng as a gripping epic that hits conventional storytelling beats.
Short Film 'Don't' Dreams of a World With an All-Asian Crime-Fighting Squad
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- Published on 09 September 2022
- Written by Linh Phạm. Photos courtesy of Sally Tran.
One day, Sally Tran realized that many of her friends in New York City were going to self-defense classes and buying weapons to protect themselves in the city they call home.
Đợi Kiều: A New Creative Project Examines 'Truyện Kiều' With Fresh Eyes
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- Published on 09 September 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
In an effort to facilitate new discussion and appreciation of Vietnam’s national epic poem The Tale of Kiều, this September, the team behind YUME - Art Project is launching a series of events titled “Đợi Kiều” (Waiting for Kiều). The initiative comprises the minishow “Thư gửi cung mây,” the seminar “Truyện Kiều - Ca dao & Hồn Việt,” and a contemporary cải lương performance titled “Đợi Kiều.”
The Peculiar Gender Dynamics of Hanoi's Male-Dominated Cờ Tướng Scene
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- Published on 06 September 2022
- Written by Elise Luong. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
On a sunset wander through Hanoi, you may be surprised by the peculiar sight of men haphazardly perched in nooks and crannies playing the ancient game of xiangqi.
Illustration Series 'Phố Trong Hộp' Preserves Our Street Corners in a Tin Can
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- Published on 05 September 2022
- Written by Khang Phạm. Illustrations courtesy of Khánh Băng.
The cheeky illustration project “Phố Trong Hộp” (City in a Box) was conceived when its author Khánh Băng started merging Vietnam’s quaint street corners with some of the country’s most iconic FMCG products.
Hẻm Gems: Quán Ba Hí's Comfort Food Is Perfect for Eating Your Feelings Away
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- Published on 28 August 2022
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
I've always found comfort food to be the most authentic passage to experience any type of global cuisine. Yet, when I try to find the word for it in my native tongue Vietnamese, the semantics just seem to fall flat.
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.
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.
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.
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 Kit 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."
