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 Nguyen
Graphic Designer, Soyon
Linh Cu
Copywriter, Soyon
1/ SAFARI WHITE PAPER ~ 250 GSM ~ SOYON / 2014

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.

EVERYDAY
IN
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,anewstyleof retailhaspoppedup
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

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