[Video] The Fiery Spectacle of Vietnam's Professional Wrestling Scene
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- Published on 04 October 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
In skimpy shorts, menacing facepaint, and sometimes even impressive props, members of the Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW) club engage in energetic “battles” that incorporate flying acrobatics and dynamic feats of strength.
Kim Chi Sun and Charles on the Evolution of Good
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- Published on 01 October 2021
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos courtesy of Kim Chi Sun.
"I haven’t lost myself yet, but there are many new angles of me, new realizations; there are some new feelings, new vibes I want to share with you. I want to open up to you," Kim Chi Sun says to her listeners in the mini-documentary accompanying the release of “Still Good,” the remix of her 2019 debut EP “M Good.”
Ná Nả: How a Grassroots Initiative Enriches the Lives of Ethnic Minorities
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- Published on 01 October 2021
- Written by Bảo Hoa. Photos courtesy of Khang A Tủa. Top graphic by Jessie Trần.
Khang A Tủa is attending university in Ho Chi Minh City, but he took the last semester off to run a project supporting people of the H’Mong ethnic minority.
The Unexpected Lure of Watching Streamers Drive a Truck Across a Virtual Vietnam
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- Published on 30 September 2021
- Written by Mầm. Top image by Phan Nhi.
As the months-long lockdown drags on — though with some light at the end of the tunnel — and with in-person programs being canceled or put on indefinite hiatus, demand for virtual entertainment has naturally skyrocketed. All over the internet, inventive formats are blooming, giving everyone from amateur to seasoned content creators opportunities to showcase their creativity. But even with all the eyebrow-raising options on the menu, some still manage to catch us off-guard.
5 Hanoi Eateries to Try Today, the Saigoneer List
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- Published on 29 September 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. Graphics by Phan Nhi.
During the recent stretch of social distancing restrictions, we at Urbanist Hanoi felt like real adults because most of our money went to kitchen appliances, instead of eating out like before. Still, we were overjoyed when our favorite restaurants opened up again. Home-cooked meals are cool, but there’s something special about not having to do anything, but still having delicious food to eat.
Nguyễn Thị Định, the Major General Leading Bến Tre's 'Long-Haired Army'
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- Published on 28 September 2021
- Written by Govi Snell. Top photo by Govi Snell.
Hidden down an alley in Saigon’s District 3 is the house that was given by the government to Vietnam’s first woman general, Nguyễn Thị Định, after the country’s reunification in 1975.
Review: Vietnamese Indie Game 'Hoa' Is a Soothing Oasis in the Age of Anxiety
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- Published on 27 September 2021
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
There is an exquisite but hard-to-name feeling that engulfs me every time I finish watching a particularly outstanding movie. It’s a lingering mixture of awe, fulfillment, wistfulness, anguish, contemplation, and everything in between. But most pronounced of all, it’s a sadness over the realization that a piece of art has concluded, and I can never experience it for the first time again.
In Lockdown, Saigoneers Draw Strength From an Unexpected Wealth of Support: Each Other
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- Published on 26 September 2021
- Written by Tran Duy Minh and Tran Hoa. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.
They largely didn't know each other, except for their flatmates. Then the COVID-19 outbreak began, and they got closer. They are now more accommodating, caring and loving.
Voi: From Hai Bà Trưng's Fearsome Companions to Tourism Servants
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- Published on 25 September 2021
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustrations by Phan Nhi.
Does art need a purpose?
An Illustration Project Brings Life to the Pages of 16th-Century Literature
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- Published on 24 September 2021
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
Find yourself immersed in the world of mythical fiction through these enchanting illustrations from the art project Truyền Kỳ Mạn Lục.
'Thần Đồng Đất Việt' Author Lê Linh: 'I Will Never Stop Working With History'
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- Published on 23 September 2021
- Written by Ann Ann. Top image by Phuong Phan and Patty Yang.
For Vietnamese comic fans of the past two decades, the names Lê Linh and Thần Đồng Đất Việt will most definitely ring a bell.
[Photos] D2's Okkio Cafe Is an Architectural Homage to Wong Kar-Wai
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- Published on 23 September 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
Today's architecture feature will be familiar to frequent visitors of Thao Dien.
Basket Boats: A Key Part of Everyday Life in Coastal Vietnam
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- Published on 21 September 2021
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
Vietnam’s narrow tube houses come from the feudal era and the tax policy in effect at the time. The feudal state charged a fee based on the width of the street-facing facade to collect taxes, pushing owners to make their house as narrow as possible.
'Đùm Bọc' Uses Vietnamese Food to Raise Funds for Covid-19 Relief in Vietnam
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- Published on 20 September 2021
- Written by Michael Tatarski.
Residents of New York City are in for a treat.
A Wildly Original Intermingling of Tales From Vietnam, Past and Present
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- Published on 19 September 2021
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Graphic by Phan Nhi.
In the Saigoneer office — which I haven't actually seen in person for months — a common concern is the prevalence of the war in literature about Vietnam. Even among younger writers, particularly in the diaspora, books often center on the experience of conflict, or the trauma that followed.
Inside Cambodia's Floating Village, Where 40% of People Are Ethnic Vietnamese
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- Published on 17 September 2021
- Written by Kit Humphrey. Photos by Kit Humphrey. .
Chong Kneas floating village, only 15 kilometers south of Siem Reap, is one of hundreds that line Tonle Sap Lake. Tens of thousands of families live in these clustered homes, around 40% of whom are Vietnamese living as undocumented migrants.
Built on Rock, Raditori's Music Shines Thanks to Whimsy and Unpredictability
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- Published on 16 September 2021
- Written by Ann Ann. Photos courtesy of Raditori.
With the release of their ambitious debut album "Những Con Người," Raditori is making a name for themselves in the local rock scene.
Love in the Time of Corona: Long-Distance Relationships When You're Just 1km Apart
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- Published on 15 September 2021
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
In an ever-moving world, “long distance” has become a well-established concept in modern relationships. It’s easy to spot couples with one half living in a different time zone among our social circles. Since a new COVID-19 outbreak descended upon Vietnam, a new “generation” of long-distance couples has emerged. This time, the separation is not due to geographic displacement, but lockdown enforcement.
Without Ride-Hailing, Public Buses, Saigon's Taxis Are Thrust Into the Frontline
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- Published on 14 September 2021
- Written by Madeleine List. Top photo by Doc Lap, courtesy of Mai Linh Group.
Through the windows of a taxi cab making its way through deserted Ho Chi Minh City, the once-bustling Vietnamese metropolis is almost unrecognizable as empty street after empty street rolls by.
[Photos] Downtown Saigon in 1972: Same Same, but Different
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- Published on 13 September 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. .
What if all the core images, sounds and smells you know of a place were intact, but altered, tweaked or reworked the way songs can be? In some ways, this is what it feels like to gaze at photographs of a place you know intimately, but taken during a time when you never existed.
