On an early weekend morning in late January, Bui Nguyen Van Nguyen sat down for a cup of coffee at Ba Lu, one of Saigon’s oldest cafés, located smack in the middle of Phung Hung Market in District 5. After taking a sip of coffee brewed in the traditional net-filter method, Nguyen began snapping photographs of the market, cataloguing the simple beauty of everyday life in Saigon. Such moments are typical for Nguyen who, for the past three years, has spent his time wandering around Saigon, capturing life through the perspective of his lens. Saigon 'enthusiast' Nguyen’s love of Saigon is shown to the 106,000 followers of his Instagram account @odaucungchup , which translates to 'taking photos everywhere.' “It makes me happy that every day I get to wake up and realize I am in the heart of Saigon,” Nguyen told Tuoi Tre News . Saigon at sunset. Photo: @odaucungchup Nguyen’s goal is to showcase simple, familiar images of Saigon, from its narrow alleyways to its street corners covered in tangled electric wires, and everything in between. Building his Instagram handle a place for Saigon lovers, he wrote upon his bio, “Do you guys love Saigon like me?” Besides randomly taking photos of city life in a wide range of topics, Nguyen has also run several long-term series, including Saigon Old Texts, Saigon Houses, Saigon Alleys, Saigon Cinemas, Saigon People, Patterns of Saigon, and more. A photo from Bui Nguyen Van Nguyen’s Saigon Old Texts photo series “I’m always attracted to shops with nice old-school signs when I need to buy or repair things because I truly believe that the people in those places put love and kindness into their work,” Nguyen captioned a series depicting store signage. The 29-year-old photographer also uploads the story behind each photo, describing his feelings about it or what he has learned of the area where the picture was taken. “Each time I stop at my regular banh mi [ Vietnamese …
Tet joy begins to pervade saigon cafes vnexpress international
Experience seasonal rebirth as spring descends on Moc Chau valley
Apricot blossoms in Mu Nau Valley of Son La Province, northern Vietnam. Mu Nau Valley lies in sub-zone 13 of Moc Chau Town in Son La Province. Two kilometers south of Moc Chau center, the valley spans 200 hectares and comprises a 40-year-old apricot forest, a 25-year-old plum forest, and an old-growth forest. The route from the town to the valley is short but steep and requires excellent driving skills, often scaring first-timers. Leaving Moc Chau around 5 p.m, I was accompanied by Duy, owner of Pho Nui Tinh Yeu Homestay, to Mu Nau. He picked me up at the intersection near town and advised me to mentally prepare myself for the ride, an effort that would prove futile as soon as we hit the road. The higher we got, the more Duy revved his engine, with the slope becoming increasingly uncooperative. I was not in the least comforted by the fact I was on the back of a local's bike. At one point, I was shaking with my eyes closed shut out of fear the vehicle would flip over. As we ascended the hill, I gripped onto Duy, holding on for dear life. After five minutes of wrestling with the road, we finally reached our destination. Drenched, I quickly used my arm to wipe the sweat off my forehead. This would be the first and last time I would ever take that "death" road, I thought to myself. From the tippy top of Mu Nau, sun rays gently lit wild flowers, weeds, and evergreen grassy plots. The entire town of Moc Chau nestled snugly at the bottom. Pretty, poetic, and romantic beyond words. It was afternoon and breezy, with a hazy mist floating far off. Indeed, at the end of a rocky road was a real-life paradise. Enraptured by the amazing beauty of the landscape, I stood contemplating it as the sun gradually set behind the mountains. It was now 6 p.m. and the sun had completely disappeared. As dusk fell, lights brightened Moc Chau. Lining the main streets of town, yellow lights sparkled in the dark night like stars in the sky. Night had arrived in Moc Chau! …
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Hotspot Hai Duong records seven more Covid-19 cases
Out of the seven, tagged from 2413 to 2424, five had close contact with previously confirmed coronavirus cases and had already been quarantined, the Health Ministry said. One patient was found infected with the virus through screening test and the remaining one was diagnosed with the disease after showing suspected symptoms. They are being treated at the northern province's field hospitals. The health ministry also confirmed one imported case, being a 25-year-old female resident of Can Tho City. She entered the country via Moc Bai international border gate in southern Tay Ninh Province and was quarantined upon arrival. The entire Hai Duong Province, around 60 kilometers from Hanoi, is undergoing a 15-day social distancing starting February 16 to stem the spread of the virus, with authorities requesting residents to stay home and only go out to buy necessities like food and medicine or for emergency. The country has been struggling with a new outbreak wave since Jan. 28 after 55 clean days in a row, with 820 community transmissions recorded in 13 localities, including Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. With 636 cases, Hai Duong is now the biggest Covid-19 hotspot, followed by Quang Ninh (61) and HCMC (36). The national tally has gone up to 2,420 to date, with 35 deaths. Ten containers with 117,600 Covid-19 vaccine doses produced by the AstraZeneca company arrived at HCMC's Tan Son Nhat International Airport Wednesday morning. They would be prioritized for those on the frontline of the pandemic fight, including medical workers, doctors, nurses, contact tracers and officials of Covid-19 prevention and control committees. Vietnam is currently aiming at mass Covid-19 vaccination for its 98-million population. …
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