Ngõ Nooks: From Praying for Good Grades to Opening an Eatery Together, the Story of Màu
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- Published on 11 May 2025
- Written by Meg Houghton-Gilmour. Graphic by Dương Trương.
In the soft morning light, three teenagers once stood before the Temple of Literature, whispering hopes for exam success into clasped hands. A decade later, that same trio — Triết Nguyễn, Tùng Nguyễn and Dương Nguyễn — have channeled their youthful aspirations into MÀU, a gastro wine bar directly opposite their old place of pilgrimage.
A Botanical Illustrator Captures Vietnam's Flora on Paper, One Species at a Time
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- Published on 10 May 2025
- Written by Lã Khánh Giang. Top graphic by Ngọc Tạ,
When science and art commingle in a botanical illustration, it’s as if a magical world appears, where colors, brushstrokes, and lighting work together to not only replicate but also breathe life into nature’s best creations.
Mèow Lạc on Growing up in Hanoi Rock City and Giving Voice to Cats
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- Published on 09 May 2025
- Written by Phương Phạm. Photos courtesy of Mèow Lạc.
Having just finished recording their new album, Mèow Lạc is temporarily taking time apart to focus on individual development so that, when they regroup, fresh ideas can come through.
Escapism Awaits This Summer at The Grand Ho Tram
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- Published on 09 May 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Grand Ho Tram.
Vacations offer glimpses into idealized versions of your life.
Lúa Ma, the Mekong's Ancient Wild Rice Varieties Holding Secrets to Climate Resilience
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- Published on 07 May 2025
- Written by Lê Quỳnh.
“It’s been so long I can barely remember. It’s delicious, fragrant, soft but not sticky,” says Trần Văn Lựa, 53, a farmer from Đồng Tháp Province, south-west Vietnam, recalling the taste of wild rice. As a child, he would harvest the grain during flood season, when wild rice flowers. Today, however, it is a rare sight.
Hẻm Gems: The Unbearable Lightness of Eating Bò Lá Lốt Alone
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- Published on 06 May 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
There are certain activities that are best not undertaken alone: karaoke, barbeque, watching football and feasting on ốc. The consensus, however, is still out on bò nướng lá lốt mỡ chài, so I decided to take one for the team and venture into Saigon’s thriving bò lá lốt scene as a lone wolf.
From North to South: Memories of 1990s Vietnam via the Lens of a French Photographer
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- Published on 05 May 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
What do you miss most about the 1990s?
Cầy Mực, the Fluffy Bearcat Whose Pee Really Smells Like Popcorn
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- Published on 04 May 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphics by Hannah Hoàng and Phan Nhi.
I won’t bury the lede. If you are wandering Vietnam’s jungles and suddenly get a whiff of an odor that transports you to the entrance of a CineStar movie theatre, don’t ready yourself for another clichéd Marvel flick. Instead, look into the trees for a cầy mực (binturong).
Inside Chôl Chnăm Thmây, the Festive New Year of Saigon's Khmer Community
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- Published on 29 April 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
As April's fickle weather shifts between sunlight and breeze, Candaransi Pagoda sheds its usual solemnity, becoming animated with a festive spirit. The air hums with the resonant sounds of temple bells and the rhythmic beat of the wooden fish drum, a vibrant counterpoint to the warm laughter shared by monks and lay Buddhists. Anticipation builds as everyone awaits the midnight chime, signaling the arrival of the Khmer New Year.
How Music Transcended Political Divides: The Stories of 5 Timeless Wartime Songs
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- Published on 28 April 2025
- Written by Vũ Hoàng Long. Graphic by Ngàn Mai.
Vietnamese musicians created a musical bridge across political divides, transforming the pain of a fractured nation into melodies that still resonate with both homeland and diasporic Vietnamese 50 years after the war's end.
Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments
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- Published on 27 April 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân and Alberto Prieto.
“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.
As Saltwater Intrudes More of Mekong Delta, Durian Farmers Struggle to Stay Afloat
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- Published on 25 April 2025
- Written by Minh Ha and Lue Palmer. Photos by Minh Ha. Top graphic by Ngàn Mai.
Nguyễn Văn Quại, 63, walked slowly on the muddy dirt path in his yard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped beside a tree split in half, its branches dipping into the stagnant water of a narrow moat, and gestured towards the rest of his leafless crop — their trunks yellow, their bark cracked and brittle.
On Vietnam's Internet, You're a Mom, I'm a Mom, Everyone Is a Mom
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- Published on 25 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
I am a mom. Well, not in the most conventional meaning of the word — I am childless, and it’s still biologically impossible for men to give birth the last time I checked, but for most of my existence on the Vietnamese cybersphere, I have been using the designation “mẹ” amongst my closest friends.
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 2
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- Published on 24 April 2025
- Written by Tim Doling. Top image by Mai Khanh.
By the 1920s, the old Bình Tây Market and much of the surrounding land had belonged to Quách Đàm, so he proposed to the colonial authorities the demolition of the existing building and the construction, “on an area of not less than 9,000 square metres,” of a new and much larger Bình Tây Market, to serve as the new central market of Chợ Lớn.
This is Part 2 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 1 here.
If Every Province in Vietnam Has a Mascot, What Would Your Hometown's Be?
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- Published on 23 April 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Ngàn Mai .
Do you know Bé Sen?
Hẻm Gems: At Mão A Chai, Masala Chai and Thái Nguyên Tea for the Soul
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- Published on 22 April 2025
- Written by Ý Mai. Photos by Ben Nguyễn.
I used to be an international student living in Minnesota, where winter comes early and overstays its welcome. In those long months of snow and silence, I relied heavily on coffee, my go-to companion during late-night study sessions and early morning lectures. This changed one day when my host mom introduced me to something unexpected: Indian chai.
On Phú Quý Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
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- Published on 21 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement like Saigon, Cần Thơ or Mỹ Tho, how has this unique form of vernacular architectural expression been transformed?
Hẻm Gems: A Humble Bún Riêu That Reminds a Child of the Mekong of Home
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- Published on 20 April 2025
- Written by Minh Phát. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
As a little boy, there were nights when I would burst into tears upon waking up suddenly and not seeing mom around, because I missed her and needed her. One night, I even crawled under the bed and threw a tantrum, demanding her to be by my side immediately. My dad and brother told me that she was off selling bún riêu and would be back later. In the mind of a four-year-old, it didn’t matter what kind of noodles and where she was selling them, he only cared about when she would return. At the time, I don’t recall ever trying her bún riêu.
Reframing War Memories via the Western-Vietnamese Photographic Perspectives
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- Published on 18 April 2025
- Written by An Trần.
War photographs, often viewed as windows into the past tragedies, are believed to offer an immediate representation of reality. But what lies beyond the frame? What purpose did these images serve, and who were they meant for?
For the Love of Boney M: How a West German Disco Quartet Charmed Vietnam
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- Published on 17 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
“You’re gonna make me cry. That’s awesome,” Liz Mitchell exclaimed. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she covered her face and then clutched her black satin dress tightly. It was a rare moment of uplifting musical goodness when the past and the present of Vietnam’s music scene collided.
