Front and Back Covers, Volume 40, Number 4. August 2024

Front and back cover caption, volume 40 issue 4

VIETNAMESE UNDERGROUND LOTTERY

The front cover image captures the essence of Vietnam's underground lottery game, đề. Central to the scene are runners and bookies, the critical intermediaries in this illegal yet persistent practice. In a bustling urban setting, people gather to watch lottery draws, discuss numbers and place bets.

Numbers dominate the visual landscape, appearing on scraps of paper, digital displays and floating ethereally in the background. These are not mere figures, but powerful symbols carrying deep personal and cultural meanings. A player might be seen contemplating everyday objects or recalling a dream, illustrating how đề participants creatively derive their bets from daily life and nocturnal visions.

The image reflects Le Hoang Anh Thu's research on how đề permeates players' routines in Ho Chi Minh City. It depicts the intersection of tradition and modernity, with the game thriving amidst a rapidly changing urban environment. The dreamlike quality of floating numbers and faint lottery ticket patterns echoes the players' belief in supernatural messages.

This visual narrative encapsulates how đề transcends gambling to become a way for players to interpret their world. It invites readers to consider the broader anthropological significance of numerical symbolism across cultures, highlighting how numbers shape life narratives and cultural performances.

The cover image thus offers a glimpse into a practice that connects everyday Vietnamese experiences with deeper cultural meanings, illustrating the universal yet culturally specific ways numerical reasoning permeates human life.

MACROBIOTICS IN VIETNAM

This image captures the essence of Le Hoang Ngoc Yen's study on macrobiotics in Vietnam, showing the striking differences between city life and traditional macrobiotic practices.

The left side depicts a bustling cityscape, symbolizing the challenges of contemporary living. High-rise buildings, heavy traffic and visible pollution represent the environmental degradation that accompanies rapid industrialization and urbanization. This side embodies the health hazards of modern life, including exposure to pollutants and processed foods, which many Vietnamese associate with the rise in chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular ailments.

In contrast, the right side portrays a serene rural setting that embodies macrobiotic principles. Lush greenery, simple homes and clear water symbolize harmony with nature. Community members engage in health-promoting activities such as gardening and cooking with fresh, organic ingredients. This side represents the perceived benefits of returning to natural, unprocessed foods and a lifestyle aligned with ancestral wisdom and environmental sustainability.

Yen's research, based on extensive interviews and field visits, reveals growing concern among Vietnamese about the impact of modernization on health and the environment. Many attribute the increase in chronic diseases to chemical-laden, processed foods and polluted environments.

The macrobiotic diet, known in Vietnamese as gạo lứt muối mè (‘brown rice and sesame salt’), emphasizes organic whole grains, vegetables and minimally processed foods. Followers view it as more than just a diet – it represents a return to a simpler, more natural way of life in harmony with nature.

This perspective illuminates how traditional knowledge addresses modern challenges. The macrobiotic movement offers anthropologists insights into cultural constructions of health, resistance to globalized food systems, and identity negotiation in changing societies. It contributes to debates on tradition and modernity shaping health paradigms and environmental relationships.