This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans
Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Among them, the handmade lion’s heads from Huế carry distinctive slivers of beauty within them.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Are We Living in the Final Days of Cô Mía?
They say a person dies twice: once when their heart stops beating and a second time when people stop mentioning their name. If we alter this phrase a bit to include the last time one’s image is seen, Saigon’s beloved cô Mía may soon be receiving last rites.
Aprxel Builds Her Ethereal R&B Dreamscape With 2000s Nostalgia
“High school was when we all had lots of thoughts and reflections. And I felt like I didn’t fit in with the world around me at that time, so I turned to music as my companion,” Aprxel reflects on the period of time where her connection with music began to solidify, which ultimately set her on the path to become a music artist.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Vy Trịnh Takes Us 'On Da Dream' via Her Solo Exhibition at Galerie Quynh
Tough-looking, yet elegant metal ribbons spark, spill, move and occupy all corners of the empty space: up and down, left and right, and in countless directions. Through a new series of sculpture works and a site-responsive sculptural installation, Vy Trịnh blurs the lines between the street scene and the exhibition space.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Via Webcomics About Sơn Đoòng, Hai Bà Trưng, a Link to Vietnam Across the Ocean
An enormous chim Lạc snatches Mai from her school library in the present day and lifts her high above Sa Pa more than 2,000 years ago.
Michael Tatarski in Loạt Soạt
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
On Grappling With the Problematic Legacy of 'Miss Saigon' in 2024
Having been abroad for more than a year, I was excited at the mere mention of Vietnam anywhere, so I was even more delighted when I learned of the popular musical Miss Saigon. Posters of it were plastered up in musical-themed bars in Manchester and different theaters across London. The musical is constantly on tour, having recently been staged in Brisbane, Manila, and Singapore. I was curious to see what about the play created such a cultural phenomenon in western theater and pop culture, especially when all people ever seem to know of Vietnam is the war and phở. The play, however, with its questionable history and writing choices, didn’t live up to my expectations.
[Video] Local Orchestra Performs World’s Most Organized Flashmob in Hanoi
In a country where most parts of your day can feel like a flashmob, sometimes an organized performance is even more surprising.
[Video] Chilling South Korean Zombie Flick Hits Vietnamese Screens Next Week
While Vietnamese cinema is just starting to ramp up its production of horror flicks, South Korean filmmakers have long been fans of the genre, creating some truly spine-tingling movies.
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: The Incredible Talents of Mew Amazing
For their latest episode, the crew behind Hanoi-based The Renovation Generation made a trip down to Saigon for a coffee with Mew Amazing, the singer-songwriter behind Truc Nhan’s pop hit “That Ba...
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From frenetic traffic to historic cathedrals, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Video] Áo Dài Takes Center Stage Among Asia's Most Beautiful Wedding Dresses
When Vietnam is mentioned around the world, the country often conjures up images of phở, bánh mì, streets of jam-packed traffic and áo dài.
[Video] TV Commercial Provides Graceful Glimpse of Saigon's Outer Districts
This stunning commercial for Coca-Cola’s energy drink Samurai is a love letter to Saigon’s strange mix of urban chaos and beauty.
[Video] Vietnam Gets Its Close-Up in Kong: Skull Island Trailer
The folks behind Kong: Skull Island, the Hollywood blockbuster filmed in Vietnam earlier this year, just released the film’s first trailer, and Vietnam plays a starring role in the action.
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: Foreign-Educated Academics Challenge Cultural Norms
In The Renovation Generation’s 11th episode, the Hanoi-based podcast introduces two ambitious academics, Trang Pham and Mai Thanh, both of whom are working to fight poverty and inequality in Vietnam.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From epic storms to street corner motorbike repairs, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Video] Indonesian Teen Rapper Dons Fanny Pack, Spits Hot Fire
When a 16-year-old puts his homemade rap video on YouTube, you don’t really expect it to go viral.
Dislocate: Artist Bui Cong Khanh Deconstructs Vietnamese Identity
A beautiful large-scale recreation of a fortress, a photographic essay and a documentary video feature in Bui Cong Khanh’s latest exhibition, Dislocate, an impactful reminder of Vietnam’s heritage and...
[Videos] Hanoian Rappers Take Center Stage on Pan-Asian Music Platform
Staring straight into the camera, Emcee L addresses his viewers with confidence.
Quach Phong’s Monumental Take on Vietnamese History
An ambitious and essential art project, Sketching Vietnamese History – the first major solo exhibition by established artist Quach Phong – is a tribute to Vietnam’s history and its people. It is a wor...
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From street vendors to old-school shipyards, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Video] Inside Saigon's Chicano-Style Barbershop, Part 2
Last month, we introduced Saigoneers to Liem, the man behind Saigon’s only Chicano-inspired barbershop.
When WRONG Is Right: Vietnamese Tradition Meets Contemporary Fashion
There’s an hour to go before Fashion4Freedom unveils its latest collection and LanVy Nguyen is buzzing about, all smiles, in sneakers and a black-and-white embroidered áo dài.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From city skylines to beachside prayers, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Gender Behavior: An Artistic and Interactive Social Experiment
Gender Behavior brings to Saigon’s The Factory a research-based photography, dance, film and performance show which discusses the notion of gender in Vietnamese society.
Sophie Hughes: Drawing Links Between Vietnamese History and Contemporary Art
Art is not the first thing on people’s minds when they come to Saigon, and yet the independently organized Sophie’s Art Tour has managed to become one of the southern hub's top attractions.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From decaying ships to street life in the Delta, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
