Bridging the Gap

Saigon’s soundtrack is unmistakable. Drills. Hammers. Machines at work. On every block, around every corner, the city is being razed and remodeled making way for renovation and growth. This onslaught of urbanization and globalization is leaving lasting impressions on Saigon’s future. But what will become of the precarious dance between old and new? Can there … Read more

Rain Check

It beats on our rooftops. It makes us wear silly pink polka dot ponchos. It creates puddles on the sidewalk and wreaks havoc with our schedule. Rain can be dramatic or it can be subtle. But as the rest of us run for cover during sudden downpours our photographer takes the opportunity to capture some … Read more

A Cheesy Kind of Guy

Meet the Canadian who’s turning HCMC into a cheesy town Text by Marianna Daniels Images by Nam Quan It is a long way from the icy forests of Quebec to the back streets of Thu Duc District. But Paul Rogers, a native of the Canadian province is bringing the flavors of home to Ho Chi … Read more

An Enduring Light

The restored Chaozhou temple will become one of the most authentic Chinese heritage pieces in the Cho Lon area, preserving the cultural legacy of the local Chaozhou community for years to come… FEW OF CHO LON’S historic structures are as ancient or as beautiful as the Chaozhou Association Hall and Temple, hidden from the busy … Read more

Point & Shoot

As an ‘instant photographer,’ Moi tells us how the digital revolution is phasing out his job… MOI WALKS THE street every day taking pictures of tourists and the occasional Vietnamese couple who can’t afford a camera. For each successful picture delivered on time, he’s paid VND15,000. He is an ‘instant photographer,’ and his kind is … Read more

This is Half-True

THE MYTH: I’ve lived here for some odd years and have never once seen a helicopter anywhere close to the helicopter pad at Bitexco financial Tower. I was told that helicopters are banned from the skies over downtown HCMC. If this is true, why did Bitexco financial Tower outfit its flagship building with a helicopter pad … Read more

Arrow Heads

Beyond just a bar game, darts offers a platform for different cultures to connect and share a common interest… In the smoky interior of ice Blue bar on Dong khoi, Jesse Gold squares himself in front of the board. By day he’s an english teacher, but at night the assembled crowd sees him in a different … Read more