Hẻm Gems: Reliving the Joy of Jollof Rice at Saigon's Only Nigerian Eatery
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- Published on 05 November 2024
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Food is history. For some, it may just be sustenance, fuel for life, something to wash down quickly with sips of water to keep the body going. But the reality is that many food types have directly influenced and changed the course of human history, like sugarcane, palm oil, and spices. On a national scale, many Vietnamese dishes that we adore today, like hủ tiếu Nam Vang or cà ri gà, are surviving proofs of the country’s storied past.
In Nam Định, a Village Goes All out in Festivities to Honor Their Holy Ancestor
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- Published on 04 November 2024
- Written by Xuân Phương. Photos by Xuân Phương.
Comprising a range of ceremonies and traditional activities reflective of Vietnam’s rice-growing culture, Keo Hành Thiện Pagoda’s annual festival is a momentous occasion for locals to pay respect to their community’s Đức Thánh Tổ (Holy Ancestor) — Zen master Dương Không Lộ — as well as his religious importance and good deeds.
Synths, Dreams, and French Culture: Inside Vietnamese Duo Coïncidence's 1st EP
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- Published on 01 November 2024
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Top graphic by Dương Trương and Ngọc Tạ.
“When we finally finished the project, I was just like ‘Yay, we’re done!’ Then I went to sleep to go to work tomorrow. I guess life just goes by like that,” recalled Thông, a member of Coïncidence, regarding when he wrapped up production for the band’s debut EP “Không Ngủ Quên.”
Via Curry Packets, Curry Powder Made Its Way From India Into Vietnamese Homes
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- Published on 01 November 2024
- Written by Thi Nguyễn. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng.
Step inside the kitchen of any household in Saigon and chances are that you will find one or two ready-made curry powder packets in a cupboard waiting for the family's next weekend treat of cà ri gà (chicken curry).
Saigon's Next Top 5 Congested Streets Are Announced. Here Are the Winners.
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- Published on 31 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Kevin Lee.
Local streets are buckling under the pressure of Saigon's ever-increasing population density, here are the city's most frequently jammed roads, according to the municipal Department of Transportation.
Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition
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- Published on 30 October 2024
- Written by Phạm Vinh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many official government structures constructed and designed in the style of modernist architecture. They were created with aesthetics and form in mind, laying the groundwork to usher in a new period of growth for Vietnamese creative independence.
Rare Black-and-White Album Depicts a Historic Flooding in 1952 Hanoi
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- Published on 29 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
The extreme weather patterns in recent years might make you worry that Vietnam’s drainage network is buckling under the pressure of rapid urbanization, but looking at these rare photos taken of a flood in Hanoi over half a century ago provides strange comfort that our soggy reality today might not be all that bizarre.
Waste-to-Energy Plants Might Be the Remedy for Vietnam's Struggling Landfills
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- Published on 28 October 2024
- Written by Nhung Nguyễn. Top photo by Brian Atkinson via Alamy.
Lam Van Quyet lives three kilometers from the Tây Bắc waste facility in Ho Chi Minh City, but he knows exactly what time the garbage trucks arrive there.
Group Exhibition ‘In Absence, Presence’ Awakens Multi-Sensory Experience
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- Published on 27 October 2024
- Written by An Tran. Photos courtesy of Nguyen Art Foundation.
Looking upward, downward, left and right, we follow an invisible yet powerful flow of energy in the dark, then carefully gaze at the artworks as if they are living entities. To enjoy this multi-sensory experience, it is best to slowly spend time with each artwork with a concentrated mind and without looking for an immediate context from it. Let our imagination roam freely, and embrace all the emotions and memories resurfacing within us.
Back in Time to the 1990s, When Vintage Renault Goélette Roamed Vietnam
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- Published on 24 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
A sturdy, stately vehicle roamed Vietnam's city streets and rural roads not too long ago.
Tử Mộc Trà Nurtures Her Family Bond With Textile Into Installation Artworks
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- Published on 23 October 2024
- Written by Văn Tân. Photos courtesy of Tử Mộc Trà.
Tử Mộc Trà, whose real name is Phạm Thùy Dương, is a young artist born and raised in Hanoi. Her artistic pursuit was nurtured by an innate sense of creativity, family traditions, and her time spent on the road traveling.
New Proposal Plans Metro Line Linking Long Thành Airport, Thủ Thiêm
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- Published on 22 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Let the paperwork begin!
In 'Water: A Chronicle,' Nguyễn Ngọc Tư Wades Into the Mekong via Vignettes
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- Published on 17 October 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. .
“When you’ve lived to a certain age, you don’t ask whether or not something is true, you ask which truth it is.”
Modular Shading, Sliding Doors Blur the Line Between Interior, Exterior at Bà Rịa House
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- Published on 15 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer.
Located 130 kilometers from Saigon, this humble housing project in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu is a prime example of living enough rather than living large. Even though the family owns a lot spanning a total area of 1,000 square meters, the house itself only covers 62.8 square meters, utilizing locally available materials and craftsmanship on a budget of US$19,000.
In Action Together During Traveling Art Week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024
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- Published on 14 October 2024
- Written by An Tran. Top photo by Tống Khánh Hà.
Taking place in Đà Nẵng and Hội An earlier in August 2024, the traveling art week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024 became a platform for local artists to showcase artworks, and attracted the attention of many local and international participants. From a museum space to a bar or cafe corner, from a beach site to a theater — any site can become a space for exhibitions, talks, screenings and performances.
How to Spot a Traveling Vietnamese at the Airport? Boxes With Sharpied Names.
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- Published on 12 October 2024
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.
“If you know, you know.”
Chè, Bánh, Chả, Nem: The Curious Lives of Vietnam’s Regional Food Names
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- Published on 11 October 2024
- Written by Thi Nguyễn. Graphic by Mimi Lê.
Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi’s bánh đa trộn.
Is Dã Tràng Vietnam's Cutest Sand Artist or a Folk Symbol of Fruitless Pursuits?
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- Published on 10 October 2024
- Written by Ngọc Hân. Graphics by Dương Trương.
Strolling along Vietnam’s beaches when the tides are low, one might encounter a number of whimsical patterns created by countless sand pellets. These are the works of a tiny species of crustacean called dã tràng. Not only are these little crabs fascinating, thanks to their sand-sieving mechanism, which is how they obtain food, but they are also the subject of an intriguing folktale that often leaves readers pondering its philosophical implications.
5 Iconic Buildings in Saigon That Showcase Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
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- Published on 09 October 2024
- Written by Saigoneer. Top graphic by Mai Khanh.
Take a stroll along any random street in downtown Saigon, one is bound to bump into a hodgepodge of architectural styles. Sleek but boring international-style skyscrapers, tranquil Buddhist pagodas, and yellow colonial villas peek out in between a sea of generic tube houses. Amid those influences, the predominantly gray facades of modernist houses seem drowned out by the noises.
Into Saigon's Charming Hidden Third Spaces in the Shade of Bridges
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- Published on 06 October 2024
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Nikolai Sokolov.
Third place (noun): A space outside of one's home and workplace, where people meet and interact socially.
