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).’
New York Exhibition 'After Darkness' Brings Southeast Asian Art to Light
New York has finally started showing Southeast Asian artists the appreciation they deserve, greatly benefiting the featured, as well as those interested in cross-cultural exploration.
[Video] How Vietnam's Male Fashion Has Changed Through the Decades
Ever wonder how Vietnam’s standards for male beauty have changed over the years?
[Video] A Múa Lân Performer on Becoming One With the Lion
Whether it's the eve of Tet or the Mid-Autumn Festival, the opening of a new business or some other auspicious occasion, Saigon’s lion dance troupes, like their counterparts across the country, a...
Khoi Pham in Arts & Culture
Retro Typeface 'Cotdien' Is an Homage to Vietnam's Old Hand-Drawn Signage
Vietnam’s sense of aesthetics is going through a retro revolution: from niche cafes playing nhạc vàng and an upcoming feature-length film on áo dài artisans to retrofitted album covers of to...
[Photos] Color and Lights: Tet Trung Thu on D5's Lantern Street
Every fall, District 5’s Luong Nhu Hoc Street becomes a melee of lanterns, kids’ toys and dragon dance paraphernalia ahead of the Mid-Autumn Festival.
[Video] When Studio Ghibli's Totoro, Kiki and No-Face Roam Our World
Ever wondered what your life would be like if characters from Ghibli movies exist in the real world?
Dana Filek-Gibson in Arts & Culture
Board Game Van Tich Turns Vietnamese Legends Into Action Figures
Step into Nguyen Huu Tu’s office, and it’s pretty clear from the get-go how he feels about action figures. Running along one side of the room are several display cases, each housing an array of superh...
Vietnam Among First Countries to Screen Van Gogh Biopic 'Loving Vincent'
Local lovers of Van Gogh rejoice as Loving Vincent is announced to be released in October in a number of countries, including Vietnam.
[Photos] Vietnam's National Film Studio Is the Perfect Backdrop for a Horror Flick
Once the country’s most prestigious film institution, the Vietnam Feature Film Studio (VFS) is now a shadow of its glorious past self.
[Photos] Local Designer Puts International Pop Divas on Retro Saigon Album Covers
Vietnam’s crop of sterling photo manipulators strike again with a retro makeover of today's chart-topping female artists.
Katy Perry Showcases 3 Outfits by Local Designer Cong Tri During 'Witness' Tour
Vietnamese fashion designs are getting more and more attention on the international scene recently.
[Photos] Saigon’s Glass Paper Lantern Makers Are Back in Business
In an age where more than a few traditional Vietnamese handicrafts face extinction, a slew of orders have revived District 11’s Phu Binh lantern-making community ahead of this year’s Tet Trung Thu.
With Cambodian Release, ‘First They Killed My Father’ Could Be Eligible for Oscar Submission
As buzz grows around Angelina Jolie’s most recent directorial effort, First They Killed My Father, the film could become this year’s Oscar submission from Cambodia.
Award-Winning Vietnamese Graphic Novel ‘Long Than Tuong’ Released as English E-Book
The first volume of Vietnam’s award-winning graphic novel Long Than Tuong is now available as an English-language e-book.
Vietnamese Artisans, US Designer Collaborate for New York Fashion Week
Last weekend, as fashion-forward Saigoneers were lining up around the block to catch a glimpse of Vietnam’s first-ever H&M, one of the country’s own fashion businesses was making waves at New York Fas...
Thich Nhat Hanh Documentary 'Walk With Me' Out This Month in Global Theaters
Walk With Me is a new documentary centered on Vietnamese Buddhist Master Thich Nhat Hanh. The feature, spanning one hour and twenty-eight minutes, focuses on Hanh's three years of monastic life b...
CGV Opens 50th Cineplex, Plans $200m Expansion in Vietnam by 2020
CJ CGV, the South Korean cinema chain that dominates Vietnam's theater market, plans to invest US$200 million in more outlets by 2020.
The Curious Recent Cases of Plagiarism in Vietnamese Art
Plagiarism not only runs rampant in Vietnam’s online creative industry, but also in more traditional art forms such as oil paintings and lacquer.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Arts & Culture
[Video] Coi: A Creative Plea for Less Horn-Honking on Saigon’s Streets
Vietnamese traffic has a bad reputation among both local and foreign drivers for its chaotic nature. From sidewalk driving to texting behind the wheel and creative interpretations of local street sign...
[Video] There's Now a Mekong Delta-Style Remix of 'Despacito,' Because Why Not
Who would have thought that merging ‘Despacito’ with Vietnamese bolero influences would make a great Khmer-sounding hit?
