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.
[Video] Fall in Love With Saigon Again Through This Soothing Aerial Tour
Saigon can be difficult to love at times, what with city residents frequently being subjected to flooding, severe traffic congestion and the demolition of beloved landmarks. However, with just a chang...
Rihanna's Latest Fashion Project Features Designs by Local Designer Cong Tri
Nguyen Cong Tri's latest collection reportedly impressed Barbadian singer Rihanna so much that she commissioned him to produce three outfits tailored to her size.
Teenage Indonesian Girls Shred Muslim Stereotypes With Heavy Metal Band
Not necessarily your typical thrash metal band, and not necessarily your typical teenage girls, this trio expresses their ideas and love of metal from beneath traditional hijabs.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a Mekong Delta bridge to a stormy evening in Phu Quoc, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Black Teeth: How Vietnam's Hottest Beauty Regimen Went From Vogue to Obscurity
Once the hallmark of youthful beauty in Vietnam, nowadays dyeing one’s teeth black is a dying custom that can only be spotted in the country’s oldest generation.
[Photos] Hanoi’s Urban Sketchers Capture the City’s Essence By Drawing
Groups of Hanoi residents and visitors of all ages have banded together to capture the city’s disappearing traditional architecture through drawings.
Michael Tatarski in Arts & Culture
[Photos] Taipei's Ghostly Disused Leprosy Sanitarium
Taipei is known as a highly advanced, efficient city famous for modern marvels such as the Taipei 101 and a fantastic metro system.
[Video] A Hundred-Year History of Vietnamese Beauty
In the most recent episode of their 100 Years of Beauty series, WatchCut shines the limelight on the beauty of Vietnamese women throughout history.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a morning in Tam Giang to Ngu Hanh Son's marble mountain, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Glee's Vietnam Remake to Premiere This August Amid Online Controversy
'Gleeks' in Vietnam have mixed feelings about the remake of the popular American musical show Glee.
Michael Tatarski in Literature
Bringing Literature to Life: Kickstarter Campaign Aims to Translate 2 Vietnamese Novels
For Minh Bui Jones, editor and founder of the Mekong Review, the greatest pleasure of his work is discovering an exciting book or writer that he has never heard of before.
Urban Art Flourishes in Cambodia Despite Challenges
Cambodia’s Urban Arts Festival has had its fair share of controversy in only two years, however that hasn’t stopped the festival’s founders and aspiring artists from inspiring the next generation of K...
[Photos] 19th Century Japanese Scroll Depicts Raucous Fart Battles
Though some may try to deny it, everyone loves a good fart joke, and it seems the 19th-century Japanese were no different.
Saigon Spaces: Huy Nguyen's Home for Repurposed Vintage Treasures
Huy Nguyen’s lovingly restored colonial-era bolt-hole, tucked away above a hẻm off Nguyen Hue, is a masterclass in making the best use of small spaces. As the owner of Mountain Retreat restaurant, Ngu...
Ariana Grande to Bring Dangerous Woman Tour to Saigon
Arianators in Vietnam assemble: your favorite American pop sensation is making her Saigon debut in August this year.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From serviced apartments to cozy izakayas, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
In Search of Lost Time: The Story of Vietnam's Single-Screen Cinemas
Once upon a time, like the rest of the world, Vietnam’s metropolises were home to a plethora of single-screen cinemas. Unfortunately, with the arrival of television, VCRs and DVD players, these relics...
[Photos] Cambodian Artist Breathes Life Into Intricate Sketches With Digital Enhancement
Watch closely as flora and fauna, the sun and stars are brought to life under the hands of Cambodian artist Visoth Kakvei.
[Photos] Local Artists Create Colorful, Lively Traffic Safety Illustrations
A group of local artists has created a traffic safety project which uses colorful illustrations to educate the public on how to drive properly.
[Photos] Taiwanese Art Project Turns Dirty Water Into Frozen Popsicles
These popsicles will make you sick, but they’ll also teach you a valuable lesson about water pollution.
