Tracing the History of 'Hello Vietnam,' the Overnight Sensation From Europe
Most people who have flown with VietJet are probably familiar with the song ‘Hello Vietnam’ or its Vietnamese version ‘Xin chào Việt Nam.’ As it's often played during landing, tourists might mistake the song for a cute jingle of the company, but the meaning behind the song lyrics is much more nostalgic. It’s about a person of Vietnamese descent longing for their ancestor’s homeland, a place they’ve never been — a story that can certainly strike a chord with many Vietnamese people. Few know, however, that this song was originally a French-language song, one that was almost never released.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Little Moments of Stillness on Hanoi Streets via Artist Hoàng Hiền's Illustrations
Whether they're from Saigon, Hanoi or Đà Nẵng, urbanites in Vietnam have all grown up amid the chaos of local street culture, where the pulses of civic life churn with every vendor, family business, and gig worker. "Moment of Stillness," a collection of colorful illustrations by artist Hoàng Thanh Hiền, was born of the artist's keen observations of the familiar scenes in her immediate surroundings.
Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Saigoneer Podcast: Street Food Roundup, #MeToo in Vietnam and Dr. Phuong Mai Nguyen
We're back from the holiday break with a new episode!
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Riverbanks Silky With Ancient Songs : A Discussion With Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai
“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Writer Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Brings Vietnamese-English, North-South Closer
“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Deadmau5 Arrives in Saigon as the City’s Electronic Dance Music Scene Expands
Thousands of dancing fans gathered before an enormous digital cube covered in screens displaying memes, video game cutscenes, clips of endorphin-addled cartoon cats and random flashings of screensaver...
A Visit to Hanoi's Birdsong Clubs: Have You Heard the Call of the Oriental White-Eye?
Birdsong clubs, a tradition originating from China, are one of Hanoi’s hidden gems. If you’re willing to really look for them, it’s possible to find huge collections of birds kept in finely decorated ...
[Illustrations] Saigon's Quaint Chaos in Nguyen Hoang Huy's Black-and-White Sketches
Nguyen Hoang Huy's simple ink-and-paper sketches, which can be found on his Behance page, capture the rough charms of Saigon's cramped dwellings and riverways.
Researchers Discover 1,000-Year-Old Cham Architectural Remnants in Binh Dinh
Twenty years ago, the Cha Ray Temple ruins were identified as an excavation area along with 14 others in Binh Dinh.
[Video] The Drag Queens Firing Up Hanoi's Nightlife
For over two months, a tantalizing new event has been firing up Hanoi's nightlife: drag queens in burlesque outfits death dropping on stage.
Thi Nguyen in Arts & Culture
Feminist Art Project 'Lip Xinh' Is an Archive of Unabashed Intimacies
Located inside a modest space on the fourth floor of a cafe, the Lip Xinh exhibition made its statement the moment you set foot inside the space: the act of simply confronting your private parts ...
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 4: Mourning the Fallen
Saigon has lost some of its oldest citizens recently, and in this installment of our Saigon Postcard series, we pay our respects.
Q&A: Over a Hundred Street Artists Visit Hue for Annual Meeting of Styles Event
Since 2002, a collective known as Meeting of Styles has been organizing street art events around the world. According to its website, it is “an international network of graffiti artists and aficionado...
[Video] Short Film Captures the Diversity of Vietnamese From All Walks of Life
A Journey Through the People of Vietnam depicts the candid moments of a wide range of the everyday lives of Vietnamese across the country.
[Photos] The New, Illusory Trompe-l'œil Murals on Hanoi's Railway Arches
On one end of Long Bien Bridge, so far from the often-photographed main structure that it's considered by many to be a separate attraction in its own right, a massive art project fills the sealed arch...
[Illustrations] Check out These Charming Watercolor Paintings of Traditional Hanoian Cuisine
In a capital city that feels like it’s in constant flux, there’s always one thing you can rely on: the refined art of Hanoian cuisine.
[Video] Vietnamese Acrobat Duo 'Giang Brothers' Wow Britain With Breathtaking Balancing Act
Two Vietnamese acrobats recently became the talk of the nation in the UK after a stellar performance in the latest episode of the reality TV show Britain’s Got Talent.
Khoi Pham in Arts & Culture
Pot-au-Phở: On the Remnants of French Influence in Vietnam's Daily Lexicon
There’s a noticeable generational difference between the way young and old Vietnamese converse.
Saigoneer Podcast: Unique Hobbies, Mental Health and Nomadic Notes
This week we moved into a recording studio, and we're excited about the much better sound quality listeners will be able to enjoy moving forward!
From the Underground: DJ Nina Nova and the Rise of Saigon's Techno Scene
The rising star delves into her love of techno, industry double standards and Saigon’s growing underground scene.
Inside the 170-Year-Old Homestead of Vuong Hong Sen, Vietnam's Famed Historian
This noble house is one of Saigon's dormant treasures. Dating back to 1848, it once hosted a notable Saigoneer, Vuong Hong Sen, and his family now calls it home. The lives of its current inhabitants i...
Khôi Phạm in Arts & Culture
The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse
“Oh this drawing?” chị Liên shouted in Vietnamese over the juicer’s raucous purring. “I don’t know who she is. Isn’t it just an advertisement?”
