Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm

One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites. 

in Loạt Soạt

Nguyễn Bình Phương's Magical Realism Tale Revels in Absurdity

“Clip-clop, clip-clop.” So goes the sound of the water buffalo hooves pulling a wagon through the highlands against the magenta sky of an unending sunset. The wagon is guided by a nameless driver, and onboard are three travelers: a veteran referred to as “the Man” and two other younger men.

in Culture

I Grew up Among Ducks in the Mekong Delta. They Always Remind Me of Home.

On a recent ritual walk around my suburb, I was held up by the sight of a middle-aged man with his “fur kid.” I introduced myself and when he heard the word “Vietnam,” his eyes lit up and with a smile as he tumbled out the words: “The Mekong Delta. Ducks.”

in Architecture

A Huế Family Temple Shelters Traditional Ancestral Worship Inside a Modern Shell

Across the rapidly modernizing urban landscape of Vietnam, Huế stands out as a bastion of traditions, not just in its city layout, rich historical wealth, and court cuisine, but also in the way the city has somehow managed to largely resist the power of rampant urbanization. This architectural project in Huế is a great example of a new structure that can quite seamlessly merge old and new into something mesmerizing.

in Quãng 8

In Hien's Debut Album, a Self-Discovery Journey Through Vietnam, Hungary and the US

After a decade writing and gathering materials, Hien recently published her debut album, “Trăng Qua.”

in Music & Arts

‘Echoes of Tonkin’ Exhibition Challenges Clichéd Narratives of 20th-Century Vietnamese Art

“Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art” opens in Hong Kong to challenge reductive narratives and clichés about 20th-century Vietnamese art.

in Natural Selection

Hoa Sữa, Poetic Icon of Autumn in Hanoi or Nasal Health Enemy No. 1?

It was early in the day. I opened my window to let in the very first rays of the morning sun, just to catch a waft of that distinctive floral aroma lingering in the cold air. This year, autumn came early, and hoa sữa has started blooming where I live.

in Vietnam

A Recuperating Vietnam in 1980, as Documented by Philip Jones Griffiths

Released in 1971, Vietnam Inc. by Philip Jones Griffiths was a career-defining work for the Welsh photographer, whose candid...

Latest

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm

One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites. 

in Loạt Soạt

Nguyễn Bình Phương's Magical Realism Tale Revels in Absurdity

“Clip-clop, clip-clop.” So goes the sound of the water buffalo hooves pulling a wagon through the highlands against the magenta sky of an unending sunset. The wagon is guided by a nameless driver, and...

in Culture

I Grew up Among Ducks in the Mekong Delta. They Always Remind Me of Home.

On a recent ritual walk around my suburb, I was held up by the sight of a middle-aged man with his “fur kid.” I introduced myself and when he heard the word “Vietnam,” his eyes lit up and with a smile...

in Architecture

A Huế Family Temple Shelters Traditional Ancestral Worship Inside a Modern Shell

Across the rapidly modernizing urban landscape of Vietnam, Huế stands out as a bastion of traditions, not just in its city layout, rich historical wealth, and court cuisine, but also in the way the ci...

in Quãng 8

In Hien's Debut Album, a Self-Discovery Journey Through Vietnam, Hungary and the US

After a decade writing and gathering materials, Hien recently published her debut album, “Trăng Qua.”

in Music & Arts

‘Echoes of Tonkin’ Exhibition Challenges Clichéd Narratives of 20th-Century Vietnamese Art

“Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art” opens in Hong Kong to challenge reductive narratives and clichés about 20th-century Vietnamese art.

in Natural Selection

Hoa Sữa, Poetic Icon of Autumn in Hanoi or Nasal Health Enemy No. 1?

It was early in the day. I opened my window to let in the very first rays of the morning sun, just to catch a waft of that distinctive floral aroma lingering in the cold air. This year, autumn came ea...

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