Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists
Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.
The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs
"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
[Illustrations] A Watercolor Food Alphabet for the Hungry Typographer
Is this not the most delicious alphabet ever?
Saigoneer Podcast: VinFast's New Electric Motorbike; Adapting Foreign Dishes to Local Tastes
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
The Children: Earnestness, Heartbreak and Acceptance on Debut Album ‘Con Duong’
On their debut album, Con Đường, the much loved Hanoi outfit bring a darker yet more mature sound that speaks as much about the depths of heartbreak and loss as it does hope.
Paintings by Artist Bui Xuan Phai on Display in London Asian Art Week
Two London galleries are displaying dozens of pieces of artwork by painters Bui Xuan Phai and Nguyen Tu Nghiem as part of the 2018 edition of Asian Art In London from November 5 to 9.
Vietnamese-American Writer Ocean Vuong to Release Debut Novel Next Year
Earlier this year, Vietnamese-American poet and writer Ocean Vuong won the prestigious 2017 T. S. Elliot Prize for his poetry collection Night Sky With Exit Wounds.
[Illustrations] A Halcyon Hanoi Through Artist Pham Anh's Ultra-Realistic Oil Paintings
Living in the same neighborhood for an extended period of time can lead one to take it for granted. But it only requires the perspective of an artistically inclined outsider to make you fall in love w...
Vietnamese Actor Wins Rookie Award at Tokyo Film Festival for Role in 'Song Lang'
Lien Binh Phat has become the first Vietnamese actor to win a rookie award at the Tokyo International Film Fest (TIFF).
Kit Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 5: A Real Cold Fish
This week’s postcard is based on a real-life event: a sweet, thoughtful gesture that turned distinctly fishy.
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Take on 'The Bachelor'; Western Holidays in Vietnam; Combating Human Trafficking
Episode 33 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 11: A Steaming Bowl
When dark clouds rumble in a frequency akin to that of an empty stomach, the city transforms into a bowl of soup.
Saigon Welcomes 5 Film Festivals This Month. What Are They and How to Get Tickets?
If you’re a movie buff in Saigon this month, you’re extremely lucky because a handful of film festivals will happen concurrently.
[Illustrations] Polish Watercolor Artist Captures Tokyo's Historic Shopfronts
There’s something about urban shopfronts that inspires artists everywhere to break out their canvas and doodle away.
10 Songs That Exemplify the Rise of Vietnam's Contemporary R&B/Soul Movement
In an industry where singers don’t stick to only one genre, Vietnamese R&B/Soul is often overlooked and sadly underdeveloped. While veteran artists like Mỹ Linh and Hà Anh Tuấn have occasionally profe...
[Video] Local Design Student Wins Graduation Showcase With Surrealistic Short Film
This short film might be the trippiest thing you see today.
Hanoi Proposes Non-Smoking Areas Around Tourist Sites
The proposal was suggested for areas such as the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in an effort to make the area more welcoming to tourists.
Saigoneer Podcast: Drunk Driving and Finding Phong's Depiction of Transgender Vietnamese
Episode 32 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
In Saigon's Latest Indie Workshop, a Heaven for Eco-Friendly Risograph Prints
Nestled above inpages in Thao Dien, a new print studio is offering artists and other creatives a new way to express their ideas and visions.
Vietnamese Silk Painting From 1935 Sold for €440,000 at Paris Auction
A painting by renowned Vietnamese artist Nguyen Nam Son recently fetched 440,000 euros at an auction in Paris.
Saigon to Have First-Ever Singapore Film Festival This November
The festival is co-hosted by the Singapore Film Society and Vietnamese media company RICE & Partners.
Kit Humphrey in Culture
[Photos] The Unbridled Joy of Hanoi’s Walking Streets
In a claustrophobic city where cramped houses huddle shoulder-to-shoulder and roads resemble battlegrounds, walking streets provide a rare breathing space for people used to clamor. More importantly, ...
