Travelling to Vietnam is not uncommon for Indians. But looking at the country through Reinhard Kleist’s sketches is different from trawling the Instagram feed of the tourists. German graphic artist Kleist’s “bilder” (photos in English) of his travels in the country open up a window to many of us who grew up with the communist slogan in Bengali: “Amar naam, tomar naam, shobar naam Vietnam (My name, your name, our name Vietnam)!”.
His most successful works include ‘Cash – I See a Darkness’, ‘The Boxer’ and ‘An Olympic Dream’. He has won the Max & Moritz Prize for the best German-language comic book artist and the German Children’s Literature Award for non-fiction.
Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the economic center of Vietnam. Under its old name Saigon, it was the capital of the Republic of Vietnam until April 1975. Saigon is a city of contrasts: Here, French colonial flair meets modern Asian metropolis.
Hanoi or Saigon? Both are best. Hanoi is more interesting for tourists. The capital of Vietnam seems "crazier", somehow more special. And older than modern Saigon. Hanoi offers numerous sights and is a good starting point for day trips to Sapa, Ninh Binh or Halong Bay.
Uttaran Das Gupta on "Travel Sketches Vietnam"
It is also richer in colour, variety of setting, characters, and, perhaps most importantly, humour."
