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Lan Tran

in Food Culture

Happy Meals: An Afternoon At Saigon’s VND2,000 Restaurant

"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity." - Joseph Addison

in Saigon

[Photos] An Inside Look At 3 Of Saigon’s Most Intriguing Tombs

Saigon is home to plenty of old structures, some which house the living, and others the dead. Many of the former are tombs of important scholars who profoundly shaped the country’s culture, language a...

in Culture

A Brief History Of The Áo Dài

Every country has its national attire. China’s has the cheongsam, Japan the kimono, Korea the hanbok, America denim and Vietnam has its áo dài. Like the country from which it originated, the áo dài ha...

in Culture

The Little-Known Hero’s Tomb Next To Bà Chiểu Market

Located at the intersection of two bustling streets in Bình Thạnh District – Phan Đình Phùng and Đinh Tiên Hoàng – and a few steps from the crowded Bà Chiểu market, is a temple dating back to the city...

in Food Culture

5 Unique Spins On Phở That Can Be Found In Saigon

Phở is a known commodity. One of Vietnam’s most famous dishes and perhaps one of the world’s most famous soups, there are few mysteries (perhaps other than its origin) when it comes to the delicious b...

in Culture

An Ode To Saigon’s Rain Showers

Despite the inconveniences that unpredictable rain showers bring to Saigon, they are an essential part of the city’s character.

in Culture

3 Thrilling Vietnamese Games To Play During The Month Of Ghosts

Small trays of colorful cakes are popular offerings for superstitious Buddhists during the Month of Ghosts. But Vietnamese children have a number of other ways to make contact with spirits, including ...

in Saigon

The Story Of Saigon’s "Graveyard Of Traitors"

Under a windy dusk towards Mả Ngụy. Clouds and clouds of souls reign on. These words are from an old poem that depicts the ghostly atmosphere of a graveyard which was located in the area of present ...

in Music & Arts

The Differences Between Girls In Saigon And Hanoi

These illustrations, created by blogger Mèo Lười show her view of the differences between girls in Sài Gòn and Hà Nội. From reactions to breakups to eating habits, one can view them as astute obs...

in Food Culture

A Look at Vietnam's 'Paper' Food

Vietnamese food not only features a wide range of ingredients, but also takes many different forms, from steaming bowls of phở to crispy bánh xèo. One of the more unique forms of Vietnamese cuisine is...

in Saigon

45 Photos Of 1961 Saigon From LIFE Magazine

Over the past 53 years, Saigon has undergone tremendous growth. With the addition of gleaming skyscrapers and dense packs of residential buildings, the city has lost much of its colonial luster and is...

in Tech

7 Vietnamese Tech Products That Have Become International Hits

TechinAsia recently posted a list of 7 remarkable Vietnamese technologies that have become international standouts. From robots to iOS apps, Vietnam is slowly but surely reaching impressive technologi...

in Food Culture

[Photos] The Honey Hunters Of Phú Yên

July is the time for the honey hunters of Phú Yên Province’s forests. The honey season, which starts in February, is centered in Xuân Phước forest, located in Đồng Xuân District (Phú Yên).

in Vietnam

18 Stunning Photos Of Vietnam In 1989

Vietnam’s economy began to open up in 1986 with the adoption of Đổi Mới, starting a meteoric rise in quality of life compared to the preceding years of rationing and an inefficient planning. While the...

in Vietnam

17 Photos Of Royal Life During The Nguyễn Dynasty

It’s been more than two centuries since Gia Long unified Vietnam and became the first emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty. Lasting 143 years, Vietnam’s last dynasty ended in 1945 when Bảo Đại abdicated the ...

in Saigon

5 of Saigon’s Oldest Buildings

As the French began to heavily influence Vietnam, first indirectly with missionaries and later with full-scale colonization, large public buildings began to pop up in the country’s cities, no more so ...

in Food Culture

5 Unique Markets In The Mekong Delta

While the cities of Vietnam become hooked into the global supply chain, their culinary tastes are becoming more homogenous. From pizza to shopping in supermarkets, our diets are slowly moving in line ...

in Development

[Video] How Poverty Is Stopping Vietnamese Girls From Obtaining An Education

From doing chores around the house, running a ferry service to harvesting crops, for many young girls in Vietnam, bringing in income for the family trumps education. This video captures the reality of...

in Food Culture

In Bánh Mì We Trust

Though bánh mì is often labeled as one of the world’s best sandwiches, something to hold, behold and consume, Saigonese don’t eat them solely because they are delicious.

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Artists Highlighted At New York Origami Exhibit

Pioneering origami exhibition, “Surface to Structure,” held a showcase, “Folded Form,” at New York’s Cooper Union earlier this month, featuring the works of international artists including 5 Vietnames...

in Food Culture

YouTuber Racks up 18m Views Teaching the World How to Cook Vietnamese Food

YouTube sensation, Le Ha Huyen (aka Helen), has been making awesome Vietnamese cooking tutorials for the past 3 years. Over that time, she’s attracted over 130,000 subscribers to her channel (Helen’s ...

in Food Culture

A Guide To Ordering Phở In Vietnamese

Due to popular demand, we’ve created this guide to help those who haven’t mastered Vietnamese order a bowl of phở exactly the way they want it. 

in Culture

Saigon Urban Legends: Haunted 727 Tran Hung Dao

Located at 727 Tran Hung Dao, this District 5 dwelling was once called the President Building and housed hundreds of American soldiers. Commissioned by millionaire Nguyen Tan Doi, this building, which...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Tuồng: Vietnam’s Disappearing Traditional Face Painting

Tuồng is a type of traditional folk performance which is characterized in part by the use of abstract face-painting. Performers hide their real faces under a piece of art, which symbolize their charac...

in Travel

Phu Yen’s Stunning Cliffs Of Stone Plates

While they may pale in comparison to Ireland’s beautiful natural basalt formations, their Vietnamese cousins, just north of Nha Trang are just a bus or a bike ride away.

in Food Culture

A Short History Of Phở

Phở is everywhere. Vietnam’s most famous cuisine has made its way onto souvenir t-shirts, into the Merriam Webster dictionary and the world’s culinary consciousness. A group of YouTube celebrities eve...

in Culture

[Video] 2 Girls Crash While Attempting To Recreate Titanic Scene

We’ve all been there – you’re driving down the street, enjoying the fumes from the bus in front of you. Then you notice someone doing something totally unsafe and think to yourself - “Wow. I really ho...