Great Vietnam Resurrects Nguyễn-Era Fashion, One Traditional Costume at a Time
In the last four to five years, ancient Vietnamese costumes have gained more visibility, becoming a welcome sight among young locals thanks to the efforts to reproduce and promote historic fashion from a number of designers, brands, and interest groups that appreciate the country’s history and traditions.
In the Mekong Delta, Đồ Bộ Is Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Despite its humble beginning as something worn just for convenience’s sake, đồ bộ has entered every minute of life in the Mekong Delta as a staple fashion choice that’s both flexible and colorful. Đồ bộ means “set outfit” in Vietnamese, a type of female casualwear made of soft, thin fabrics that often comes in a top and long bottom combo. They’re sometimes referred to as “Vietnamese pajamas,” but these comfortable sets can be worn at any time of the day and even outside, not just reserved for sleep like pajamas.
Nguyễn Đổng Chi's Classic Retelling of Vietnam's Fairy Tales, Now in English
Folklorist and anthropologist Nguyễn Đổng Chi dedicated decades to weaving a significant portion of Vietnam’s folklore tapestry. He collected, researched, and rewrote over 200 Vietnamese folktales from all corners of the country. His work, initially scattered across five volumes published individually and consecutively over 25 years, appeared as a complete anthology in 1982. Guided by a comprehensive treatise of Vietnamese folktale, Chi’s Kho tàng truyện cổ tích Việt Nam (Treasury of Vietnamese Folk Tales) might be daunting for readers drawn to Vietnamese folklore but disenchanted by rigorous academic discourse.
Kit Humphrey in Travel
In Thổ Hà Village, Rice Paper Spills Onto the Streets and Wraps Around Daily Life
A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Thổ Hà, Bắc Giang Province, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.
Carol Kim Brings to Life Rare Performance of 'Tại Vắng Anh' Thanks to Saigon Jazz Revival
The rich, bluesy ‘Tại vắng anh,’ written by Tuấn Khanh, was performed by Carol Kim this past November at Saigon Jazz Revival's inaugural concert in New Orleans.
Cliché or Parody? Orientalist Readings of Nam Le’s ‘36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem’
One may be surprised to learn that Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel The Sympathizer was rejected by 13 out of 14 publishers before its eventual publication. He describes in an interview why he believes his novel was rejected by all but one publisher he submitted to: “I knew in writing the novel that I was deliberately not doing what I was supposed to do as an Asian American writer, which is [...that] you have to end on a note of Americanization. You have to end on an embrace of the American dream, explicitly or implicitly. And the novel does not do that.” He comments elsewhere along similar lines, “I refuse[d] to subscribe to dominant American narratives and mythologies that allow someone like me a very narrow space to speak.”
Pete Walls in Travel
Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina
Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.
Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges
As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.
Abstract Art Exhibition Examines Rural-Urban Divide From Two Perspectives
On February 20, VICAS Art Studio opened its latest exhibition, the endearingly named ‘EM CHÀO CÁC BÁC!’ (‘HI THERE, CITY FOLKS!’) Featuring new paintings from artists Doan Xuan Tung and Nguyen Nghia C...
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
[Video] Short Film 'Sigh Gone' Depicts Love Lost, With a Twist
Have you ever felt completely at sea, hopelessly lost? A new Saigon-set short video from Vietnamese-American director Jeannie Nguyen depicts a day in the life of a young woman facing this situation.
[Illustrations] A Stamp Design Project Pays Homage to Women Across Vietnam
Tu Bac Dzo Nam is a project by graphic designer Huu Danh, who is known for his works on Sai Gon Sau Vai.
[Video] Streets of Saigon: A Montage of Cho Lon's Food Trail
Street (n.): a sprawl of cement, stone, pavement or dirt splayed across a stretch of earth that has been smoothed, stripped of plants and serves as a communal transport path and thus a stage for the v...
Meet Myra Tran, the Vietnamese Girl Who's Taking 'American Idol' by Storm
You’ve probably heard it by now, but the latest season of American Idol has a Vietnamese contestant, and she’s kicking ass.
Khoi Pham in Culture
A New Typeface That Was Built From Designs on Old Book Covers
Finding new values from old relics is a popular way some young creatives today are keeping old Vietnam aesthetics alive.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Video] Paying Tribute to Quán Cầm, 60 Square With Những Đứa Trẻ
Earlier this month, Hanoians were left heartbroken when waving farewell to much-loved art quarter Sixty Square, which closed for good on February 15. We're releasing this music video of ...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Radio Program Puts Vietnamese Poetry in the Limelight With Bilingual Readings
"Lanterns Hanging on the Wind" features 18 poems read in Vietnamese and translated into English that span themes, styles, time periods and locations to give listeners a broad introduction to the natio...
Open Call for Hanoi's 'Pure Gold' Upcycling Exhibition Running Until Next Week
Earlier this month, Germany’s IFA (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and Heritage Space, announced an open call for designers, producers, makers, art...
Kit Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 7: The 5th Season
Between autumn's cinnamon light and spring’s galvanic skies, a new season gathers. Formed by human hands, it is capricious at best, invasive at worst. It adheres to no calendar, yet lives in all of us...
The New Season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Features a Vietnamese-American Queen
RuPaul's Drag Race, an American drag queen reality TV show hosted by host RuPaul, recently announced their lineup of drag queens for Season 11.
Kit Humphrey in Culture
Scaling the Dragon: An Urbexer's Guide to Long Bien Bridge
Urban exploration, urbex or UE, is a form of recreational urban trespass. Urbexers find a way into anything from derelict theme parks, sewers and asylums to factories, skyscrapers, missile silos and p...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Many Lunar Calendar Festivals; Familial Pressure During Holidays
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
A Playful Project Uses Pigs to Showcase Vietnam Iconography Through History
Year of the pig is a gift that keeps on giving.
Gucci Is Selling a $450 Hat That Looks Just Like Straw Hats Worn by Farmers in Vietnam
The artificial bamboo hats by Gucci closely resemble those traditionally worn by Vietnamese in the rice fields. The only difference is that the Vietnamese version costs only a few thousand dong.
Saigon Music Collective Launches Project to Introduce Classical Music to Youth
"Introduction to Classical Music" is initiated by Saigon Classical, a group of 30 musicians who share a love for classical music.
[Photos] The Costumes of This New Nguyen Dynasty Historical Web Series Will Make You Swoon
The web series is expected to be released in late 2019 on YouTube.
Saigoneer Podcast: Redesigning Saigon's Parks; Recreation in the City
We're back from our Tet break!
[Photos] A Wintry Japan Through the Lens of Photographer Yusuke Komatsu
Enveloped by the elements, Japan’s capital is both mystifying and enchanting.
[Illustrations] A Medley of 'Year of the Pig' Depictions From 35 Young Artists Across Vietnam
May your Year of the Pig turn out as plump and sleek as the swine icons featured in the Beheoce project.
