contrasts of saigon 2014

ack in the 1960s, Saigon stood apart from the rest of the Indochina region. The whole of Asia looked at Saigon as a place with a strong Western vibe; a dynamic city full of hustle and bustle. Saigon was so loud and lively with its sleepless nightlife, busy open markets, and the hectic traffic. Western music, fashion trends, Hollywood movies, and consumer goods – all of these were racing to penetrate Saigon. It almost seemed as if Saigon wasn’t supposed to be in Indochina.

However, since the 1990s, while other Asian cities have risen to prominence, people have stopped talking about Saigon as they used to. Once time during her stay in Tokyo, our copywriter Linh asked her Kiwi flatmate whether she knew about Saigon. “Oh, it’s a forlorn city, isn’t it?” said the girl nonchalantly. This made us realise how much Saigon had been forgotten by the whole world. And that’s the reason behind our production of this photography book. We make this book with the purpose of showing people what Saigon has become today: a city of contrasts. Saigon is a place where East meets West, fantasy meets reality, yin meets yang. This city is a blend of high and low, tradition and innovation, past and present.

Our book will guide you through the different shades of Saigon’s contrasts and show you how the people of Saigon feel about them. Some may treasure them while others may try to deny them; we may love them or hate them. But in the end, we must live with them. Saigon keeps rolling with the changes, making every day different and exciting.

FROM THE CREATORS

Mai NguyenGraphic Designer, Soyon

Linh CuCopywriter, Soyon

1/ SAFARI WHITE PAPER ~ 250 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

MORNING

7/ NATURAL (N03) PAPER ~ 200 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

Everywhere in Saigon, and at all hours, people are preparing or eating food.

Saigon offers people an amazing array of food, from Saigon itself. The locals love everything about food; they welcome all different styles and appreciate every facet: taste, presentation, atmosphere and value. The incredible number of culinary influences creates a cuisine that is wonderfully varied and complex.

The contrasts of food can be found in every corner of Saigon: on the streets, deep down in alleyways, on the top of skyscrapers or in small stalls of crowded markets. Western food is served side by side with local food; noodle street carts stand close to high-class dining restaurants; and spicy, sweet, sour and salty tastes work harmoniously together to create the flavours so beloved by locals and people around the world. These contrasts form a picture of Saigon’s dining scene.

IN SAIGON, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE FOOD.


Banh Mi (Vietnamese baguette) is very typical of Saigon’s food, and extremely popular with locals and visitors alike. Banh Mi is a word that refers to all types of bread, as well as the dish. Whether in need of a delicious breakfast or a quick dinner on

the way home from an exhausting working day, a Banh Mi is always a local’s first choice. Made on beautifully soft baguette, spread with margarine and pâté, the Banh Mi highlights Saigon’s French heritage. The rest of the ingredients are a little bit

sour, a little bit salty, a little bit crunchy and a little bit spicy. All of the flavours make Banh Mi a brilliant fusion of French and Vietnamese cuisines.


While Banh Mi is still loved by all Saigon’s people, there has been one superstar emerging in Saigon’s food choices in recent years: the humble hamburger. Some local stores have picked up on the trend and started serving hamburger. However, the hamburger served in global fast-food chains remains popular among Saigon’s foodies.

Saigon’s foodies opt for hamburgers as a fancy treat for weekends or get-togethers with friends and family. But more often than not, they can be seen eating Banh Mi with gusto, whether they’re balanced on the back of bikes, waiting for buses,

or enjoying a short work break. When it comes to food, Saigon’s foodies are always looking for the next trend – but ultimately they always return to the comfort of traditional dishes.


Thanks to its climate, Vietnam is blessed with rich and fresh coffee beans, which were introduced by the French during colonial times. Today, Vietnam is among the biggest

producers and consumers of coffee in the world. This is especially evident in Saigon, where coffee plays a huge part in the local culture. On pavements or in crowded

markets; on rooftops or in high-end malls; in cups or in plastic bags, the traditional Vietnamese coffee is always the hero.


While some people prefer drinking traditional coffee in local stores, perched on tiny plastic stools, others enjoy espresso coffees served with cream, in air-conditioned comfort, from big coffee

chains like Starbucks or The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf – another indication of how the local and Western lifestyles exist comfortably side by side.The contrasts in the ways Saigon’s people

serve and enjoy coffee contribute to the reflection of what makes Saigon special and interesting.


Like the traffic, Saigon’s food culture is vibrant, fast and, at times, unexpected.

-Brendan Fraser on filming The Quiet American.


EVERYDAYIN SAIGON

‘Home’ means many things in Saigon: a tiny house down a narrow alleyway, a towering modern

apartment block with the latest amenities, and everything in between.

23/ KOELER LINEN 507 (K10) ~ 250 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

24/ KOEHLER LINEN 507 (K10) ~ 250 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014


Love the latest gadgets? Adore dusty antiques?Whatever your niche may be, in Saigon you can always find like-minded people to share your passions with.

Some people rush ceaselessly towards the future, while others keep embracing the past.


A typical modern wedding starts off with the groom making a customary trip to the bride’s house, a time-honoured Vietnamese tradition. Accompanying the groom is a long line of male and female relatives with big trays of traditional gifts wrapped up beautifully in red and gold paper. Once they arrive at the bride’s

house, the entourage ends, and the next step begins with the families discussing the union and upcoming ceremony.

The wedding reception, in contrast, has more of a Western vibe. Usually held at a restaurant or resort, the bride wears a white gown while the groom wears a black

suit. The newly married couple formally greet their guests, then they all partake in a lavish banquet. Champagne is poured; the bouquet is thrown. The wedding reception is not only a celebration of the couple’s union, but also a get-together for family and friends.

Influenced by the East and the West, the new and the old, a modern Saigonese wedding can be either overly complex or exceedingly modest.


PEOPLE PAUSE,PEOPLE RUSH. MINDS WANDER, MINDS RACE.


Whether it’s on the pavements, outside under leafy branches, in narrow alleyways, in tiny barbers or in luxurious salons, the people of Saigon can always get a haircut, body massage, or perfect manicure. For the Saigonese, “where there is a will, there is a way”.

-Marguerite Duras, The Lover.

“Whiffs of burnt sugar drift into the room, the smell of roasted peanuts, Chinese soups, roast meat, herbs, jasmine, dust, incense, charcoal fires, they carry fire about in baskets here, it’s sold in the street, the smell of the city is the smell of the villages upcountry, of the forest.”



Recently, a new style of retail has popped up and expanded greatly alongside traditional open markets and supermarkets: 24/7 convenience stores.


“Sometimes we bow. To know why we should stand.”

-National Geographic, The Real World Redefined Commercial.


EVERYONE IN SAIGON HAS A DIFFERENT STORY.

What makes Saigon eclectic and exciting is the people of Saigon. Each individual, with their different backgrounds, dreams and secrets, is a piece that contributes

to the colorful, diverse picture of Saigon.

42/ ELICA WHITE ~ 190 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

51/ KRAFT PAPER ~ 180 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

55/ COUCHE PAPER ~ 200 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014


-Marguerite Duras, The Lover.


CONTRIBUTORS

PRODUCTION

Graphic Designer MAI NGUYEN, Soyon

Copywriter LINH CU, Soyon

It is not allowed to copy this book in any form as a part or in a whole without prior written agreement of the company.

Editor RACHEL DENNIS

Photographers JET HUYNH

NGUYEN KHOI

BUI VINH ANH

DANIEL NGUYEN

HUU TRONG NGUYEN

RICKO SU

DAO NHAT TAN

DUYANH PHAM

HOANG SON

THANH LIEM

PHAM ANH KHOA

NGAN HA

STEFAN GEENS

HOA LUONG

` aothun.vn

Printing/Finishing CHINH DUC PRINT EXPRESS

Production Management SOYON

www.soyon.co

contrasts of saigon 2014

Lifestyle

people of saigon

corner of saigon

saigon wasnt

contrasts of food

western food

saigons food choices

typical of saigons food

ways saigons people