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Food Culture
"What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity." - Joseph Addison
Vietnam
The rustic beauty of Cần Thơ was captured through the lens of a Belgian photographer, Harry Gruyaert, on his visit to Vietnam in 1994.
Today’s Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) has become a “modernized” affair with plastic lanterns vendors and mooncake shops sprouting up on every corner, selling their wares a month beforehand. But there was a time when the holiday was characterized by family gatherings, children’s toys and fine, hand-made lanterns, few of which can still be found on Saigon’s streets.
![[Photos] Sunset Over Hanoi’s Hồ Tây (West Lake)](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/aR8mnxPb.jpg)
Travel
Hanoi’s West Lake, one of the signature lakes of the Vietnamese capital, has been an important part of the city’s history for over a thousand years. Hanoians have long revered the Lake, inspiring several legends, some of which involve 9-tailed foxes and struggling buffalos.
Culture
I remember that exciting day in my childhood when I was taken to a museum for the first time. It was the War Remnants Museum, and my excitement quickly gave way to horror for having seen its exhibits – the haunting recreation of a prisoner’s cell, deformed fetuses infused in formaldehyde jars – forcing me at an early age to see excruciating images of violent war.
![[Photos] Takazawa’s Edible Art](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/2VUVRwFb.jpg)
Asia
No outdoor sign and a dining room with a capacity of 10 people, yet inside Chef Yoshiaki Takazawa’s restaurant – Aronia de Takazawa – awaits a potentially life-changing culinary experience.
Saigon
Formerly known as “Pearl of the Orient,” Saigon once shone with elegance and prosperity, reflected in sun-soaked cafes, shiny cars parked on clean streets and crowded entertainment spots like discos and cinemas.
Music & Arts
Sơn mài , or traditional Vietnamese lacquer painting, is not only unique in its fusion of local and French techniques, but also challenging due to the level of complexity and detail needed to create it.
![[Photos] The Hiệp Hoà Sugar Refinery (1927)](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/JzXou0Qb.jpg)
Vietnam
Covering 200 hectares of land, the Hiệp Hoà Sugar Refinery was one of the first of its kind in Vietnam when it was constructed.
Saigon
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 day Lê Hồng Phong, Điện Biên Phủ, Cách Mạng Tháng Tám and Ba Tháng Hai Streets in Districts 3 and 10.
Culture
The 7th lunar month, which usually falls in mid-August, is celebrated by Buddhists all over the world as the Month of Ghosts. Known as Vu Lan month in Vietnam, it is marked by large religious celebrations and numerous traditions.
Literature
There is a German proverb – " Alle guten dinge sind drei " – which refers to the joy gained from one’s efforts. Living in the digital age, we are blessed – or cursed, depending on your point of view – with instant access to unlimited information.
![[Video] Local Students Make Impressive 3D Film On Retro Saigon](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/5MDWGQIb.jpg)
Film & TV
This local indie film, “Balloon” is worth 4 minutes of your eyes, ears and mind.
Development
World Expo 2015 , an international event that embraces technology, innovation, culture, traditions and creativity will be held in Milan, Italy next year and renowned Võ Trọng Nghĩa Architects will represent Vietnam with works that resemble a lotus flower .
![[Video] Vietnam’s 300-Year-Old Food Forest](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/WjruhU3b.jpg)
Food Culture
7 hours south of Hanoi, in the province of Hà Tĩnh exists a 300-year-old, 2-acre food forest, one that has been tended by 28 generations of a single family.
Travel
Blessed with cloudy peaks, enchanting valleys and stunning rice paddies, one can marvel at Lai Châu’s beautiful scenery without spending a fortune.
Saigon
Before 1975, Saigon’s underground was controlled by gangs and mob bosses. Yet all those criminal minds were vulnerable to the intoxicating smile of one woman, Lệ Hải , whose name fittingly translates to “ocean of tears.”
Saigon
80 years ago, if you asked a Saigon resident to name a soap brand, you would get only one response - Cô Ba . The brand’s popularity extended throughout Indochina and its success made its owner, Trương Văn Bền (1883 – 1956), one of the wealthiest men in Saigon.
Travel
Called Văn Lan during the reign of the Lýs, Bội Lan under the Minhs, Văn Quán under the Nguyễn’s and finally Bắc Sơn after 1945, this mountainous region in north Veitnam is the home to 6 of Vietnam’s ethnic groups including the Tày, Kinh, Dao, Nùng and H’Mông.
![[Photos] The Erotic Animal Art Of Thái Nhật Minh](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/OamByIZb.jpg)
Music & Arts
The progressive works (both in inspiration and material) of Vietnamese contemporary artist, Thái Nhật Minh, have made their first public appearance at Manzi Art Space (14 Phan Huy Ích, Hà Nôi) where they can be viewed from 13/6 to 13/7.
![[Photos] Tràng An: Getting To Know Vietnam’s Newest UNESCO Site](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/nAnxgZbb.jpg)
Travel
Highlighted by the ancient capital of Hoa Lư, rich wildlife and the heavenly Tam Cốc – Bích Động and Bái Đính temple complex (the largest of its kind in South East Asia), Tràng An is Vietnam’s newest UNESCO’s site.
Saigon
The 60s always seem to conjure up nostalgia in the minds of those who lived through the dramatic changes to Saigon over the past 50 years.
![[Photos] A Look Back at the 'Golden Age' of Vietnamese Music](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/v68lJKxb.jpg)
Music & Arts
Between 1960 and 1975, South Vietnam’s music scene underwent many phases, eventually culminating in a "Golden Age" of music. This rich musical ecosystem featured different genres and offered something for everyone, no matter their age or class.
Culture
While hunting was probably popular among Vietnamese nobles before the arrival of the French, it was the colonialists who popularized big game hunting in the country when it was still a land of wilderness.