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Brian is the Co-Founder of Saigoneer and pasta enthusiast who likes to explore the hidden corners of Saigon's urban fabric.
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![[Video] Watching A Master Noodle Maker Do His Work Is Absolutely Mesmerizing](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/CvZwOMgb.jpg)
Food Culture
The beauty of art is that it is all relative and often transcends traditional mediums. One such exception are the handmade noodles made by soba master Tatsuru Rai, owner and chef of Sobatei Rakuichi in Niseko, Hokkaido.
Film & TV
Wander in Vietnam is not your typical Vietnam travel video as this short film’s beauty lies in its simplicity.
![[Video] European Graffiti Artist Tags His Way Across Saigon](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/AOFU5zib.jpg)
Music & Arts
We recently caught up with Munich-based graffiti artist, Nasca Uno , who spend five weeks in Vietnam last year, painting beautiful pieces of art in Saigon and Phan Thiet.
Stories
Intense controversy erupts over project to build 25-story ‘lighthouse’ in central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Large cluster of ancient stone shot discovered in Thanh Hoa [Vietnam Plus] Japanese expat dies in Vietnam traffic accident [Thanh Nien]
Vietnam
These days, the melodic cries of Hanoi’s street vendors are drowned out by the city’s constant buzz of activity. But 85 years ago, these songs, which announced a seller’s goods or services, made up the bulk of the capital’s soundtrack.
![[Photos] HCMC: City of Contrasts](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/FKlzDjQb.jpg)
Music & Arts
One of the things that makes life in Saigon interesting is the blurred line between the city and the countryside. This lack of distinction is most obvious when it comes to the city’s urban animals, but while the calls of chickens echo through Saigon’s alleyways, sometimes one stumbles across an even more impressive and surprising species. Like water buffalo.
Vietnam
Like Vietnamese history, the country's currency has undergone significant changes over the past century.
Health
Given that Vietnamese munch on 2 billon Choco Pies each year , it may come as no surprise that another mass-produced “food,” instant noodles, are also consumed at an astronomical rate.
Asia
There was a time, not too long ago, when Saigon wasn’t full of tourists and backpackers. In the late 1980s, Vietnam had just opened its doors to the west and was rushing to renovate its decrepit colonial-era hotels. With few local options available, international investors found an ingenious way to fill the need for five-star accommodations in the city: a floating hotel.
![[Photos] A Look At The Bygone Era Of “New” Cambodian Architecture](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/xL6cAfhb.jpg)
Architecture
In the 1950s and 60s, Cambodia was developing a unique architectural style, one which blended aspects of the Modern Movement with traditional features found at Angkor. This movement, known as “New Khmer Architecture,” flourished until 1970 when Lon Nol led a military coup against Prince Norodom Sihanouk.
Culture
We love our timelapses and animations but this static, 12 gigapixel photo shot almost 270 meters above Hanoi is mighty impressive.
![[Video] Vintage Film Used to Capture Hanoi’s Bicycle Culture](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/FajbhM2b.jpg)
Film & TV
It may not be quite as vintage as this old family home movie from the early 50s, but this 2 minute 32 second super 8 film, (no, not that Super 8 film) from illustrator, artist and cartoonist Oslo Davis is a cool little piece of multimedia.
Music & Arts
Graffiti art is becoming an increasingly popular art form in Asia, planting solid roots in many large cities in the region over the past few years. While at its core, graffiti art is anti-establishment, local artists have found that to mitigate risk, permission should be sought from the authorities before tagging public spaces.
Vietnam
Described by one writer as “a misshapen but essential component of Hà Nội’s heritage,” the Long Biên Bridge commands such affection that recent government proposals to relocate or rebuild it had to be abandoned. In what can only be considered a win for the historic bridge, city authorities have officially announced that a new bridge be built, all but ensuring the continued existence of Long Biên.
Development
Now that ground has been broken on the underground stations in District 1, construction of HCMC’s first metro system is in full swing. But with a number of major construction sites across nearly 20km of the city, it can be tough to grasp exactly how far along it is so let’s take a closer look at the metro’s progress thus far.
Development
Vietnam Textile and Garment Group recently announced plans for this mixed residential/commercial tower , which will go up at the corner of Võ Văn Kiệt and Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Streets.
Vietnam
Da Nang’s history can be traced back to 192AD when it was part of the Champa Kingdom, only becoming part of Vietnam after the culmination of Đại Việt Southern expansion in the 15th century.
Saigon
Another one of Saigon’s most iconic buildings is set to bite the dust. This time it’s District 1’s 90-year-old Tax Center that will be demolished later this year to make way for a 43-story tower.
Saigon
36-year-old Nguyen Thi Dung died Sunday afternoon when a tree fell on her family’s motorbike due to fierce winds in downtown Saigon.
Music & Arts
We’re happy to announce the launch of Saigoneer Photo Walks with the goal of upping your photo game while exploring the city.
![[Video] Beware Of The Tobacco Bong (Điếu Cày)](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/d9k5c3tb.jpg)
Culture
The tobacco bong (điếu cày) is a popular companion for everyone from café-goers to parking attendants in Vietnam who are looking for a greater high than normal cigarettes provide, or simply a strong digestive aid.
![[Photos] Saigon And Cho Lon Then And Now](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/0nhVBlHb.jpg)
Heritage
Saigoneer has teamed up with Historic Vietnam to explore changes to Saigon and Cho Lon over time.
![[Video] This Is What Happens When Tourists Are Asked To Speak Vietnamese](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/3rllKrEb.jpg)
Culture
A hard a time as expats in Vietnam have pronouncing the local language, after a while, most of us are able to learn the basics. But as we see in this video from Nguyen McHung , the language was not designed to be easy for tourists to pick up. It probably didn’t help that he was using Vietnamese tongue twisters .
![[Video] “Enter Pyongyang” Hyperlapse Offers A Look At Life In North Korea’s Capital](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/DohrD1lb.jpg)
Music & Arts
You may remember the Rob Whitworth ’s award-winning film, Traffic in Frenetic HCMC, Vietnam (2012), a culmination of 10,000 RAW images and multiple shots which perfectly captured the energy and spirit of our fair city. Whitworth along with creative director, JT Singh , recently traveled to Pyongyang , the enigmatic North Korean capital, to create this beautiful, but heavily censored hyperlapse.