Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives 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, ...
Concert Honoring Nguyen Van Quy, the ‘Vietnamese Beethoven,’ to Take Place on October 30
No other composer since Beethoven has written as many as nine sonatas for violin and piano.
[Photos] Relish this Rare 1894 Edition of 'Truyen Kieu' Through World Digital Library
The World Digital Library allows people around the world to see high-resolution scans of the 1894 edition of The Tale of Kieu, annotated by Paul Pelliot, the famous French Sinologist, who bo...
Saigoneer Podcast: Coworking Spaces and Vietnam's Four Mythological Creatures
The Saigoneer Podcast is back after taking a couple of weeks off!
From November, Vietnam to Ban Gratuitous Smoking in Movies, Stage Productions
Starting from November, filmmakers will need to carefully deliberate over their decision to include smoking in their work or risk the ire of the culture ministry.
Unknown Mortal Orchestra to Release Instrumental Jazz Album Recorded in Hanoi
The Portland, Oregon-based psychedelic rock band recorded the album entirely in Vietnam.
The Bachelor's Happy Queer Romance Is the Positive Representation That Vietnam's LGBT Community Needs
Last Wednesday, the couple talked about their declaration of love during a live stream Facebook interview with the reality show centered around straight relationships.
[Illustrations] Vietnam's Childhood Toys Through the Harrowing Lens of Adulthood
If it seems like Saigon’s creative industry is running on nostalgia right now, it’s because it is. The crop of young Saigoneers born in the 1990s and 2000s are now entering the workforce and driving t...
Workroom Four’s Annual Open Exhibition Running in Hanoi Next Week
This year marks the fifth time the event has taken place, with over 6,500 visitors and nearly 500 artists taking part over the least four years.
[Photos] In Guangxi, Life Goes on as if Urbanization Never Happened
Just across the border from Vietnam in Guangxi, China, the Dong ethnic minority leads lives far removed from massive cities churning out cell phones, computer chips, skyscrapers, high-speed train...
[Illustrations] A Series of Colorful Depictions of Quy Nhon's Charismatic Coastal Cuisine
Quy Nhon is regarded as a hidden oasis thanks to its sweeping and sparsely populated beaches and untrammeled terrain, but its food is no less unique or laudable.
New Art Fund Offers Financial Support to Projects Exploring Vietnam’s Musical, Film Heritage
Starting from this year, GBP100,000 (VND3 billion) is available in grant packages for artistic projects that interact with traditional Vietnamese music and cinema through the ages.
Inside the Poignant Vietnam Episode of Netflix Animated Series 'BoJack Horseman'
In season five of Bojack Horseman, an animated show that follows a self-loathing humanoid horse and 90s TV star BoJack, the producers devote an episode to Vietnam.
[Illustrations] Stylized Postcards Showcase Vietnam's Architectural Icons
While Saigon and Da Nang can be characterized by their high-rise buildings and urban spaces, Hanoi and Hue are more often recognized for their architectural remnants of Vietnam's feudal history.
[Video] Revitalizing Traditional Khmer Arts With Cambodia's First Queer Dance Company
When the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia, their assault on the elite included murdering 90% of the country's traditional dancers. Therefore, it's astounding that only 40 years later, a group of nat...
