Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cơm Tấm From Long Xuyên for Thịt Kho Trứng Fans
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- Published on 06 December 2024
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Pete Walls and Ben Nguyễn.
When it comes to cơm tấm, most people are familiar with cơm tấm Sài Gòn, featuring grilled pork ribs as the vedette topping. But since the dish’s creation, and as it gained popularity across the Mekong delta and southern Vietnam, another cơm tấm variant emerged alongside cơm tấm Sài Gòn. This version became so cherished by the locals that it was named after its birthplace — cơm tấm Long Xuyên.
From Germany to 'King of Rap' Runner-up: How Tuimi Becomes a Hip-Hop Breakout Star
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- Published on 06 December 2024
- Written by Mầm.
Tuimi, a Vietnamese German singer and rapper, has become one of the most notable female voices in the local hip-hop scene and been making big waves since her return in 2019.
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
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- Published on 05 December 2024
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the east, Hải Phòng proudly brandishes the name “the city of red phượng flowers.” Đà Lạt has too many flower varieties to choose just one, and settles for “the city of a thousand flowers.” Down south, Bến Tre’s abundance of coconut trees is famous nationwide. Ask any Saigoneer this question, and you’re likely to get one of two answers: chò nâu (dipterocarp) or me (tamarind).
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
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- Published on 04 December 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefully drag bare limbs upwards to unfurl canopies far above our heads were brought from their native highland terrains by the French in the 19th century and grown in Thảo Cầm Viên Sài Gòn. From there, they were distributed throughout colonial developments, including Trà Vinh. Today, they not only provide shade and beauty but invite ruminations on legacies of nature's place in subjugation and self-determination.
For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life
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- Published on 03 December 2024
- Written by Alden Anderson. Photos by Alden Anderson.
The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”
Hanoi's Soviet-Style Khu Gia Binh and Life Amid Vietnam's Growing Pains
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- Published on 02 December 2024
- Written by Lã Khánh Giang. Illustrations by Ngọc Tạ.
Hanoi is often known in Vietnam as the land of a millennium-old civilization, a living archive of past Vietnam life. Each tiny alley within the capital can evoke a strong sense of nostalgia in visitors, as those locations encapsulate both wartime memories and charming quotidien moments. There’s one special place in Hanoi that has contributed to the city’s languid pace of life amid the nation’s rapid developments — khu gia binh.
Hẻm Gems: Amid Saigon's Heat, a Wintry Ambiance in Xocoati's Cozy Cocoa Drinks
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- Published on 29 November 2024
- Written by Thái An. Photos by Ben Nguyễn and Jimmy Art Devier.
Amidst Saigon’s year-round scorching heat, I crave coziness — a feeling that often comes with snuggling under heavy blankets in my Hanoian winter. I was searching for some comfort and “winter vibe” spots when one review, in particular, sparked my curiosity by mentioning (in my opinion) the greatest combination known to mankind: cocoa and Harry Potter. Brimming with expectations, I weaved through Saigon’s usual frantic roads to find a small alley, which surprisingly led to a spacious apartment complex.
Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home
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- Published on 29 November 2024
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Top image by Mai Khanh. Graphics by Dương Trương.
Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Their attention was focused upward. Following their gaze, I looked up, and froze.
The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1
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- Published on 29 November 2024
- Written by Andy Ip Thiên. Photos by Andy Ip Thiên.
As a city that is perpetually either sweltering hot or halfway under water, Saigon weather rarely includes cool breezes or overcast mornings. And yet, over the past few weeks, the city has experienced a handful of chilly mornings and soft sunlight, a welcome change from the usual heat and humidity that often appears at sunrise and lasts throughout the day.
What Will Become of Chợ Quê in the Era of Widespread Online Shopping?
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- Published on 27 November 2024
- Written by Thảo Nguyên. Top graphic by Ngọc Tạ. Illustrations by Dương Trương.
Firmly taking root in everyday life, our hometown markets — chợ quê — are not simply a place to trade, but also puzzle pieces that make up childhood memories, holiday excitement, and even tales of hardships and life milestones of countless people.
In Taiwan, a Vietnamese Baker Creates Bánh Mì Thịt From Scratch
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- Published on 26 November 2024
- Written by Mervin Lee. Photos by Mervin Lee.
“We’re going to Taipei on VietJet Air,” an acquaintance said to me. An international flight on Vietnam’s notoriously delayed airline didn’t sound like the best idea ever. But who would expect that I was set to fly to Tainan, a city on the island's southwest coast, just a few hours after the brief conversation with her. The reality was that I found it excruciatingly difficult to reject a cheap flight deal.
A Flight Over Đà Lạt in 1968–1971 Before the Tourism Boom
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- Published on 25 November 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
If you’ve taken a trip to Lâm Đồng within the last few years, these scenes seem like a distant dream of a sparsely populated and verdant Đà Lạt that’s engulfed by nature.
The Sound of Revolution: How Socialist Realism Shaped Vietnam's Musical Identity
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- Published on 22 November 2024
- Written by Vũ Hoàng Long. Top image by Mai Khanh.
In the depths of my childhood memories lies a peculiar ritual: my grandfather feeding me baby powder while Vietnamese revolutionary songs, or “nhạc đỏ” (red music), played in the background. Without these melodic accompaniments, I would refuse to eat.
Cold War History With a Side of Nem Rán in Prague's Little Hanoi
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- Published on 22 November 2024
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Across English-speaking countries such as the US and Australia, the Vietnamese diaspora established close-knit “Little Saigon” towns whenever they settled down, founding large markets, starting financial services, and introducing southern fares like gỏi cuốn and bánh mì to the local population. Elsewhere in Europe, however, the Vietnamese community is often known as “Little Hanoi,” due to the regional makeup of the first wave of immigrants. Some, like Prague’s Little Hanoi, have flourished to the point of being a “city within a city,” boasting its own self-sufficient administrative services, schools, and housing.
How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities
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- Published on 22 November 2024
- Written by Nhi Nguyễn. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng.
The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.
From Cheap Flicks to Local Identity: A Brief History of Vietnamese Horror Films
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- Published on 21 November 2024
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
Horror films have been a part of Vietnamese cinema for a long time, since the heyday of the country’s film industry. But the genre's journey has been challenging. For one, its track record includes many films with low-budget production made in a rush for quick profit. Additionally, certain scary elements in horror films often face issues with age restrictions or require last-minute edits to secure approval for theatrical release. As a result, the horror genre in general has a mixed reputation among Vietnamese audience members.
To Appreciate Tao Đàn More, Study the Park's Past, Present, and Future
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- Published on 20 November 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Mervin Lee.
Shallow shrub and fern roots tussle to send shoots, tendrils and stalks up and outwards, sprawling across uneven ground and grasping at patches of light. A musky, funky, fetid soil stink emanates from crooks, crevices, and holes ungoverned by grubs, spiders, snails, beetles, and flies. Flowers bloom in vibrant bursts of color amongst vines, the collapsing pulp of decomposing logs and uncompromising boulders; birds trill, cicadas whine, and the air offers its inexhaustible exhale of droplet-rich molecules. We live in the tropics. Often, we forget this. Tao Đàn Park allows us to remember.
The City That Never Sits Still: Traffic in 1994 Saigon via Photos by Ed Kashi
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- Published on 19 November 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
In Saigon on Wheels, American photojournalist Ed Kashi managed to capture the pulse of a simpler Saigon.
Resilience, Resistance Reflected in Propaganda Art Exhibition ‘Crafting a Message’
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- Published on 18 November 2024
- Written by An Trần. Photos by Dogma Collection.
How did daily life on the battlefield look from the perspective of first-generation Vietnamese photojournalists? Why did colorful stamps and propaganda posters play such a significant role in the war and nation-building? Other than their original roles in communication, these historical artifacts tell us a bigger story: of long, turbulent, and resilient histories, and the birth of a nation.
With Unchecked Destruction, Saigon's Heritage Shophouse Architecture Is in Danger
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- Published on 15 November 2024
- Written by Tim Doling.
The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.
