This Charming Northern-Style Country House Is Made Entirely of Mooncake
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- Published on 27 August 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Another Trung Thu season is just around the corner, and bakeries across Vietnam are busy at work churning out thousands of mooncakes to be given out as gifts or relish at home with family and friends. One meticulous local baker, however, had a different idea.
Via Webcomics About Sơn Đoòng, Hai Bà Trưng, a Link to Vietnam Across the Ocean
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- Published on 24 August 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Tiên Ngô.
An enormous chim Lạc snatches Mai from her school library in the present day and lifts her high above Sa Pa more than 2,000 years ago.
Diving (Literally) Into Hoàng Hoa Thám's Mountains of Secondhand Clothes
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- Published on 22 August 2024
- Written by Phạm Thục Khuê. Top image by Trường Dĩ.
In a hẻm, clothing sprawled out on platforms lined with the plastic sacks the clothing came in, overspilling onto the tarmac road. This was just a glimpse of the thrifting scene in Vietnam.
With Thriving Coffee Culture, Vietnam Has Half a Million Cafes, Data Shows
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- Published on 20 August 2024
- Written by Saigoneer. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.
Taking into account global and national chains, small brands, independent cafes and street vendors, a recent report estimates that Vietnam is home to more than 500,000 coffee shops that generate US$1.46 billion in revenue in total.
On Grappling With the Problematic Legacy of 'Miss Saigon' in 2024
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- Published on 19 August 2024
- Written by Camille Lay. Top graphic by Trường Dĩ.
Having been abroad for more than a year, I was excited at the mere mention of Vietnam anywhere, so I was even more delighted when I learned of the popular musical Miss Saigon. Posters of it were plastered up in musical-themed bars in Manchester and different theaters across London. The musical is constantly on tour, having recently been staged in Brisbane, Manila, and Singapore. I was curious to see what about the play created such a cultural phenomenon in western theater and pop culture, especially when all people ever seem to know of Vietnam is the war and phở. The play, however, with its questionable history and writing choices, didn’t live up to my expectations.
Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cao Lầu in Saigon for Full-Topping Eaters
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- Published on 18 August 2024
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Pete Walls and Cao Nhân.
If I have to use one word to describe the food philosophy of Saigoneers, it would be maximalist. Those who have had the gluttonous joy of hunkering down on a plastic chair on the sidewalk and demolishing a giant tumbler of full-topping bubble tea will know what I’m talking about.
Hẻm Gems: A Long-Anticipated Bowl of D10's Pre-Eminent Mì Vịt Tiềm
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- Published on 16 August 2024
- Written by Dana Filek-Gibson. Photos by Brandon Coleman.
Rarely have I gone into a meal with such anticipation.
Nam Cao's Radical Sympathy and Pursuit of Happiness Are Still Relevant Even Today
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- Published on 15 August 2024
- Written by Thiện Bùi.
What messages would a young writer living in colonial times want to impart to the youth of the 21st century?
This Terracotta Workshop Makeover Sings the Praises of Vietnam's Red Bricks
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- Published on 15 August 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
A Quảng Nam brick kiln that's been operating for over twenty years has received a makeover that allows guests to get a more intimate look at the traditional craft of making terracotta.
One Nation's Beloved Cá Lóc Is Another Nation's Horror Movie
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- Published on 13 August 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top graphic by Tiên Ngô.
America has been losing its shit over snakeheads. All summer long my algorithm-led newsfeed has been alerting me to ominous headlines including “‘Horror movie’ snakehead fish that can slither on land invading Missouri amid fourth sighting,” “Voracious, invasive ‘frankenfish’ reeled in from Delaware River at Easton,” and “Snakehead Fish Found in Georgia: ‘Kill It Immediately.’”
Vietnamese Staff Member Wins 7-Eleven Japan's Annual Customer Care Contest
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- Published on 12 August 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
A Vietnamese national recently surpassed over 2,000 other contenders to claim the top spot in a customer service contest in Japan.
A World in Turmoil via Mahdi Abdullah’s Exhibition 'Memory and Body Mythology'
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- Published on 09 August 2024
- Written by An Tran. Photos courtesy of Vin Gallery.
How does an artist turn haunting memories into powerful artworks that speak for himself and on behalf of countless lives? Mahdi Abdullah’s paintings serve as social commentary on the realities that the artist has witnessed and lived through, and allow us to rethink the chaotic world we live in today.
There's a Dark Context Behind These Seemingly Random 1930 French Sketches
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- Published on 08 August 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Can visual representations of colonial activities produced with immoral intent become works of art?
Hẻm Gems: Mơ Đi Hội, When Florists Dream of Opening a Cafe
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- Published on 07 August 2024
- Written by Camille Lay. Photos by Cao Nhân.
When book lovers open a café, we are blessed with book cafes; when animal lovers open a café, we are given a myriad of animal cafes; what happens when florists open a café? This is the case of Mơ Đi Hội, the physical manifestation of passions for plants and beverages.
Vietnam, Southeast Asian Nations Burst Into the Solar Energy Landscape
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- Published on 05 August 2024
- Written by Fidelis Eka Satriastanti, Tyler Roney and Soraya Kishtwari.
Sunny Southeast Asia has made significant strides in solar energy, with solar farm capacity exceeding 20GW across ASEAN countries. Despite this rapid growth and ambitious renewable goals, nations in the region face diverse challenges. These range from supply chain disruptions and political dynamics to issues like anti-dumping tariffs and internal instability. This roundup explores the successes and obstacles faced by Southeast Asian nations in their journey towards sustainable energy solutions.
Chùa Cầu's Makeover Draws Ire of Netizens for Looking 'Too New'
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- Published on 31 July 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Hội An's 400-year-old bridge, best known as Chùa Cầu, was finally uncovered recently after more than a year and a half of renovations, leaving many unimpressed.
Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges
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- Published on 30 July 2024
- Written by Như Quỳnh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.
Hẻm Gems: The Ghé Coffee Tucks Art, Fragrant Coffee Into a Quiet D1 Crevice
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- Published on 25 July 2024
- Written by Phạm Thục Khuê. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Delivering premium origin coffee and fine art from artists across Vietnam in a tiny room that dates back to French colonial times, smack dab in the middle of District 1, The Ghé Coffee balances the finer things in life and the comfortably mundane.
'Slow/ed/ing Architecture': When Architects Ruminate on Architecture Together
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- Published on 25 July 2024
- Written by Elise Luong. Photos courtesy of Exutoire. Top photo by Vũ Khôi Nguyên.
The super cute duo that make up the design studio “Exutoire” are Bùi Quý Sơn and Paul-Antoine Lucas. Life and work partners, they moved back(ish) to Vietnam from Oslo last year, and are currently preparing the opening of the exhibition “OUTLET: Slow/ed/ing Architecture” in Saigon.
An Octopus? In My Cà Mau Swamp? It's More Likely Than You Think.
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- Published on 24 July 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.
Worms live in the ground, birds live in the air, cá lóc live in lakes and octopuses live in the ocean, right? Wrong! Octopus can also live in the river.
