Like in China, Singapore, Malaysia, and a couple of other asian countries, now is the time for the Mid-autumn Festival preparation; the associated legends that go around it vary from place to place, and Vietnam’s version is about Thằng Cuội, where the banyan trees were sacred, people were forbidden to urinate at the foot of the tree. The official date for the festival falls September 14th this year; but the delicious mooncakes - a.

(Zhang Xiaogang - photo by Natalie Behring) Beijing is one of Hanoi’s sisters cities, and there truly is no doubt about that. Regardless of the cultural differences felt by Chinese and Vietnamese people, I can’t help but think there is an interesting similarity between those two powers: Shanghai and Saigon are their economic centers, defying their old communist doctrines; while Beijing and Hanoi keep a somewhat more nonchalant pace, maintaining themselves at the political and cultural forefront.