Hẻm Gems: A Cafe-Snack Bar Hybrid in Bình Thạnh Offers Portals to Japanese Nostalgia
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- Published on 07 November 2022
- Written by Brendan Ryan. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Bình Thạnh’s Ward 19 is snuggled between Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh and Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, creating a surprisingly quiet area just across from District 1. As a neighborhood, it offers an eclectic mix of local and foreign.
All by Myself in Sapa: How I Learnt That Traveling Alone Doesn't Have to Be Lonely
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- Published on 03 November 2022
- Written by Quỳnh Anh. Photos by Quỳnh Anh.
One item on my “bucket list” is a journey to discover an exciting new land on a solo trip. It’s not a simple aspiration so I didn’t think that I would get a chance to accomplish it any time soon, but right on my 19th birthday, Châu, my “big boss” and mentor at Urbanist Travel, surprised me with an unforgettable vacation to Sapa.
Q&A: Nguyễn Quí Đức on Tadioto, Zone 9, and How He Fell for Hanoi's Charms
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- Published on 03 November 2022
- Written by Elise Luong. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Countless are the number of hours Hanoi creatives have spent sipping whisky and contemplating the world at the famous drinking hole that is Tadioto.
In Ninh Thuận's Chăm Community, a Joyous Celebration of Katê, the Year's Most Important Festival
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- Published on 01 November 2022
- Written by Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.
The Katê festival is the oldest and most unique festival of the Chăm ethnic minority and has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2017.
Khỉ Vàng: The Shit-Stirrer, Snack Thief, and Petty Criminal of Vietnam's Forests
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- Published on 01 November 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
I’m not a fucking idiot — That’s what I thought while looking at the sign hung from the door of my hotel room in Đà Nẵng.
Brise-Soleil, Đá Rửa, and Other Modernist Curios to Befriend on a Walk Across Saigon
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- Published on 28 October 2022
- Written by Charlie Harper. Top photo by Đỗ Anh Chương.
My non-existent architectural background leaves me unable to do anything beyond expressing a distaste for tacky constructions and a vague idea of what constitutes a well-designed building. I can speak on the tasteful placement of a brise-soleil with as much confidence as a nervous five-year-old cooking beef wellington for an unhinged Gordon Ramsay. I hadn’t even heard of Vietnam’s modernist architecture movement until a few weeks ago, but when I was given the opportunity to take part in Urbanist Travel’s modernist architecture tour, I was intrigued to learn more about the stories behind the remnants of history I drive past in Saigon on a daily basis.
From Rapper to Singer-Songwriter: Minh Đinh and the Trials to Find Himself
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- Published on 28 October 2022
- Written by Mầm. Top graphic by Lê Quan Thuận. .
Minh Đinh's journey of self-discovery is one that represents the effort of the multi-talented artists in the Vietnamese indie community.
Introducing the '2 Years of Memories' Travel Writing Competition
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- Published on 27 October 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
To celebrate the 2nd anniversary of Urbanist Travel, we are excited to invite you to participate in Saigoneer’s first-ever writing competition, “2 Years of Memories,” to look back at the most historic years of Vietnam’s tourism industry during the pandemic and the following recovery period.
Urbanist Travel is an international travel agency that came into existence to further realize Saigoneer’s long-enduring aspiration to “explore Vietnam and beyond.” Read our interview with Urbanist Travel Co-Founder Châu Cecilia Nguyễn here for the company's origin story.
Meet Urbanist Travel, Saigoneer's Sister Company Bringing the World Closer to Vietnam
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- Published on 26 October 2022
- Written by Yui Nguyễn. Top photo by Đỗ Anh Chương.
Loyal readers might know Saigoneer as a home where all things fascinating, whimsical and insightful about Vietnam are celebrated, but not many are aware that for the past years, we have been a tiny bit more than just writers. Two years ago, we officially welcomed our sister company Urbanist Travel into the family.
The Hanoian Artisan Carving Intricate Reliefs From Leather to Make Book Covers
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- Published on 25 October 2022
- Written by Hải Yến. Photos courtesy of Diệu Linh.
The enduring pages in our history deserve book covers that match their significance.
Need a Sign From the Universe? Lương Hữu Khánh Street Has Every Color, Shape, and Size.
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- Published on 24 October 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
Saigon is filled with addresses you aren’t looking for, announcements not aimed at you and signs for businesses you have no plans to frequent. Sign street demands delving into the oft-ignored.
A Brief History of Paris by Night, the Anchor of Vietnamese Culture Abroad
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- Published on 18 October 2022
- Written by Quynh H. Vo. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
If home cuisine could satiate exilic tongues that resist strange flavors, art might condole with nostalgic hearts. Paris by Night is one such therapeutic art, or the hallmark of performing arts for Vietnamese communities across the globe.
Losing Myself (and My Work Stress) in the Wacky World of Jazz Dance
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- Published on 17 October 2022
- Written by Lê Thanh Nhiên. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
Since I started my foray into jazz dance, the most common question I’ve gotten has been “What, you can dance to jazz?”
In Đà Nẵng, a Vintage Money Aficionado Forgoes Professorship for Life in the Night Market
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- Published on 15 October 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
What gives one’s life meaning? For some, it’s faith, family or art. For Trần Văn Nam, it’s money, but not in the way you probably imagine.
'Đông Nam Bộ' Project Invites 14 Young Artists to Draw the History of Their Hometowns
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- Published on 12 October 2022
- Written by Mầm and Khóa Fa.
“Đông Nam Bộ” is a collection of illustrations reflecting the culture, history and local charms of provinces in the Southeast Region of Vietnam. The artworks were all created by artists who live or grew up in the region.
From North to South, Glimpses of Street Life in Vietnam in the Early 1990s
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- Published on 11 October 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of Laurent KB.
If there’s a thing this writer remembers distinctly about the early 1990s, it would be nothing, because I was barely a person that could eat and survive by myself.
What Creating a Sign Language App Taught Me About the Hardships of Vietnam's Deaf Community
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- Published on 07 October 2022
- Written by Phạm Ninh Giang. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
In neighborhood communities, deaf children are often bullied by their hearing friends, according to my classmate Nguyễn Tài Minh.
Hẻm Gems: In Đà Nẵng, Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng's Sauce Is Good Enough to Drink
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- Published on 07 October 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
The secret is the sauce. And the sauce is a secret. The owners of Đà Nẵng’s Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng refuse to reveal the recipe for the rich, meaty, and multi-faceted sauce that falls somewhere between hex colors #A07212 and #A0522D. It elevates a familiar bánh xèo into a meal that draws in enough guests to have essentially taken over an entire downtown hẻm.
Meet Chú Hai Bạc, Saigon's Veteran Vespa and Lambretta 'Doctor'
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- Published on 04 October 2022
- Written by Vương Anh. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
Even in his 70s, Phan Văn Bạc — better known among friends and fans as chú Hai Bạc — is still getting his hands dirty every day working with engines, screws and bolts to take care of vintage Vespas and Lambrettas. Bạc is among a handful of veteran mechanics remaining in Saigon whose specialties are Vespas and Lambrettas.
Ngõ Nooks: Bud'mo, a Ukrainian Welcome as Warm as a Shot of Nastoyka
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- Published on 02 October 2022
- Written by Linh Phạm. Photos by Linh Phạm and Trang Hip.
“O sultan, Turkish devil and damned devil’s kith and kin, secretary to Lucifer himself…You will not, you son of a bitch, make subjects of Christian sons; we've no fear of your army, by land and by sea we will battle with thee, f*** your mother.”
