An Early View of a Barely Developed Saigon in the 1860s
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- Published on 23 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
Dropping a modern Saigoneer into the 1860s version of the city would be a wildly disorienting experience.
Bồ Kết: When Nature Dreams of Bubbles and Silky Hair
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- Published on 22 November 2021
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. .
The first memory I have of bồ kết was when it was concocted into something completely different from its unassuming, modest self.
Not Just Tender and Unostentatious, Mạc Mai Sương Is a Multi-Faceted Gem
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- Published on 21 November 2021
- Written by Ann Ann. Top image by Hải Anh. Photos courtesy of Mạc Mai Sương.
Mạc Mai Sương, with her endearing curly hair and warm tone of voice, has been on heavy rotation in our playlists since she released ‘Mơ,’ ‘Hoa,’ and ‘Mưa.’ But upon delving deeper, one would realize that Sương’s musicality is much more eclectic than the mellow songs she’s known for.
In a Schoolyard, a Close-Knit Community Spearheads Saigon's Archery Scene
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- Published on 20 November 2021
- Written by Mầm and Nhật Anh. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
Laser-focused gazes, shiny bows, colorful targets, and looking cool as hell: these are the components of a picture-perfect post one might find on the Instagram of any budding archer. But social media clout aside, there are other reasons why outdoor archery is slowly becoming a favorite pastime of some Saigoneers in the “new normal.”
Meet the High School Students Leading the Fight Against Hanoi’s Food Waste
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- Published on 19 November 2021
- Written by Sam Paterson. Photos by Bac Ha.
High school pupils are perhaps not who you’d expect to see running an established volunteer organization in a capital city. When it comes to tackling food waste and shortages, however, a group of young Hanoian students are operating at the very forefront of these issues.
The Neo-Baroque Opulence of the Norodom Palace in the 1920s
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- Published on 18 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
Few people remember seeing with their own eyes the facade of the building at the site of the former Independence Palace, let alone its interior.
After Each Flood, Hoi An Picks Itself up, Just Like It Has Always Done
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- Published on 18 November 2021
- Written by Trương Hoài Vũ. Photos by Trương Hoài Vũ. Translated by Saigoneer.
Every year, Vietnam braces for dozens of tropical storms coming from the East Sea. Localities along the coast in central Vietnam have to bear devastating destruction caused by Mother Earth whenever serious typhoons make landfall.
Local Architecture Projects Win Awards at 2021 Architecture MasterPrize
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- Published on 16 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. .
The winning designs include family homes, a health center, office buildings, and hotels built across Vietnam.
A Factory Where 'Dead Plastics' Are Reborn as Contemporary Furniture
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- Published on 15 November 2021
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Saigoneer arrived at PLASTICPeople’s factory on a Friday afternoon after a long-winded ride on National Highway 1A. The sides of the road we took there were casually strewn with unpruned bushes, deposits of rocks and, expectedly, a heinous amount of trash, a fitting premonition of what we were about to witness.
Saigoneer Podcast: Riding on a Motorbike With Someone; Karaoke or Nightclub?
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- Published on 15 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. Top image by Phan Nhi.
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
What If Disney Fairy Tales Took Place in Vietnam? A Local Illustrator Wonders.
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- Published on 12 November 2021
- Written by Ann Ann.
Cinderella, Snow White and The Little Mermaid are all iconic animated characters whose imagery has left a strong impression on generations of children. What if these stories, popularized by Disney cartoons, took place in Vietnam?
Praying for Good Weather, Bac Giang-Style
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- Published on 12 November 2021
- Written by Marcus Lacey. Photos by Marcus Lacey.
My friends said that they were going to a festival which happens every four years, and that it would be great for photographs. I knew nothing more.
Our Memories of Vietnam, Transformed Into Lego Creations by Collector Hoàng Đặng
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- Published on 11 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of Hoàng Đặng.
Đặng Huy Hoàng is a Hanoi-based industrial designer. He loves building custom scenes with Lego, and has created many Vietnam-themed model sets on his social media accounts.
[Photos] VTN's Stunning Bamboo Restaurant on the Edge of Cúc Phương National Park
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- Published on 11 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
Floating on emerald water amid lush foliage-covered hilltops, the structure could pass for the setting of a fantasy novel.
In 'Hà Nội Bị Say Cà Phê,' a Tribute to the House Dancers of Lenin Park
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- Published on 10 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer. Video and photos courtesy of Robin Marty.
Although house dance has its origin in nightclubs, the members of House Dance Hanoi (HDH) community don’t necessarily need to go to clubs to dance.
Into the Storm: Saigon's Outbreak Through the Eyes of a Frontline Volunteer
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- Published on 08 November 2021
- Written by Diệu Anh and Tommy. Photos courtesy of Hương Nguyễn.
“The best way to overcome fear is to face it,” 33-year-old Hương Nguyễn thought when she decided to volunteer as a frontline worker during Saigon’s most deadly weeks of the pandemic.
Lêkima: The Flower Worthy of a National Heroine
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- Published on 05 November 2021
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphics by Hannah Hòang, Phan Nhi, Lê Quan Thuận. Illustration by Hải Anh.
Don’t you find it bewildering when you have existed for centuries, and are suddenly thrust into stardom due to a small cameo in a nationalist saga?
Meet Little Peanut, the Star of Hanoi's Experimental Puppetry Performances
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- Published on 05 November 2021
- Written by Elise Luong. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Last year, on a fine autumn day, I was lucky to witness Little Peanut taking her first steps in the attic-cum-rehearsal-studio of the Hanoi based experimental theater group Mắt Trần Ensemble.
Ngõ Nooks: Kosmos Serves Carefully Made Drinks With a Side of Human Connection
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- Published on 05 November 2021
- Written by Huyền Phạm. Photos courtesy of Kosmos.
“Do you know the difference between ‘Universe’ and ‘Cosmos’?” Linh, Kosmos' owner and barista, asks me.
[Photos] 15 Film Photos of Saigon in 1971 by Vincent Yip
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- Published on 04 November 2021
- Written by Saigoneer.
Even within a year, the facade and personality of Saigon can undergo significant change. Favorite haunts move, new buildings materialize, and once-recognizable corners take on completely novel identities.
