Chinese, CambodianOr Vietnamese?

A tasty dish will go around the world, but in Saigon the world comes to you, delivering three versions of that one dish Hu tiu, the Chinese rice noodle soup, was imported to Saigon and southern Vietnam by Chinese immigrants centuries ago. Ask for hu tiu at any Chinese restaurant that serves dim sum (breakfast), and you’ll have a hot bowl of white noodles whose flavor will make your mouth water. On top of the noodles are slices of pork, and on top...

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The Shame Of Saigon’s Traffic Chaos

Traffic jams in HCM City are worsening as a result of the growing number of vehicles and of infrastructure projects. But people’s disregard of traffic rules is the biggest reason. My working week started with angry words from a colleague in the editorial staff about the battle he had getting to work because of traffic jams. Traffic jams have become a well-worn topic in this city, which is said to be resident or temporary home to seven million people...

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The History Of Me Linh Square

The tides of history are reflected in the use of a park in the center of HCM City The term Me Linh reminds Vietnamese of two national heroines, the sisters Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. The sisters led a revolt against the domination of the Han Emperor from China. Trung Trac’s husband, General Thi Sach, was killed by the Han rulers because he did not submit to them. In the year 42 A.D., Trung Trac and her younger sister, Trung Nhi, started a resistance...

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Small “Pyramid” Cakes

Tết Đoan Ngọ, or Doan Ngo festival, is celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This year, the festival is on June 19. By Thong Nhat and staff writers Tet Doan Ngo originates from a big festival in China where it is called the Dragon Boat Festival or the Festival of the Double Fifth. There are several legends surrounding the origin of the festival. In Vietnam, the best known version tells the story of Qu Yuan, a celebrity in the Chinese...

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Lingering Sidewalk Snacks

Saigon has its own snacks which are favorites of students. These childhood food favorites often last with Saigonese throughout their lifetime. Last week, during our chat about the best foods in town, one of my colleagues asserted, “No places in HCM City offer foods better than sidewalk food stalls do.” This 52-year-old gentleman is widely respected in the office for his straighforwardness and pointed remarks. Therefore, although he is not a native...

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Dragon House, Harks Back To French

The former office of a French shipping company, Nha Rong or Dragon House,is one of the well-recognized historical sites of HCM City On September 3, 1979, 10 years after President Ho Chi Minh passed away, HCM City authorities decided to establish a place to commemorate him. The selected spot was a waterfront building called Nha Rong. It was at this wharf that 21-year-old Nguyen Tat Thanh boarded a ship for France in 1911 and then lived in many other...

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