Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border
In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.
The Cultural Depths in Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance ‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’
Have you ever witnessed a live performance so powerful that it still lives in your mind weeks later? “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments.
New 'Số Đỏ' Movie Announced, Directed by Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Starring MONO
Another classic of Vietnamese literature is heading to the big screen in the near future.
Thi Nguyễn in Loạt Soạt
Revisiting the Delicious Satirical Society of 'Số Đỏ' by Vũ Trọng Phụng
Published in 1938, Dumb Luck , or Số Đỏ , remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vũ Trọng Phụng was ...
Severine Phương Trần's Debut Exhibition in Saigon Celebrates a World of Colors
Step into Severine Phương Trần’s first-ever exhibition in Saigon, where you can explore the artist’s inner world of vibrant colors and different emotions. To fully enjoy this exhibition, it is best to let your inner child and imagination roam free and allow the flow of colors and different sceneries to guide you through a journey of creativity, self-discovery, and personal artistic transformation.
From Germany to 'King of Rap' Runner-up: How Tuimi Becomes a Hip-Hop Breakout Star
Tuimi, a Vietnamese German singer and rapper, has become one of the most notable female voices in the local hip-hop scene and been making big waves since her return in 2019.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefu...
What Will Become of Chợ Quê in the Era of Widespread Online Shopping?
Firmly taking root in everyday life, our hometown markets — chợ quê — are not simply a place to trade, but also puzzle pieces that make up childhood memories, holiday excitement, and even tales of hardships and life milestones of countless people.
[Photos] Central Vietnam Fishing Village Gets Artistic Upgrade
One fishing village in central Vietnam received a colorful makeover thanks to a team of South Korean artists.
[Photos] A Day in the Life of Hanoi's Last Blacksmith
As Hanoi gears up for modern mega-projects like a US$1 billion metro line and the world’s tallest broadcasting tower, one third-generation artisan holds fast to his family’s traditional craft.
[Video] Filmmaker Explores the Fading Tradition of Vietnamese Funeral Singers
Trapped among Vietnam's fast-fading cultural markers is its funereal music. Passed down for generations, these slow, melancholy songs are a mainstay at Vietnamese funerals, ushering the dead comfortab...
VICE to Launch Southeast Asia TV Service, Set up Indian Hub
VICE, the snarky, millenial-focused media outlet, is going global.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Saigon market vendors to sunsets on the shores of Con Dao, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] Saigon's Convenience Craze: How Corporate Chains Are Creating New Space for Civic Life
In little more than a few years, convenience store chains have taken the city by storm. You can now find a Circle K, Vin Mart, Family Mart, B’s Mart or Mini-Stop on almost every street in the city pac...
Doing Nothing Is Now a Sport in South Korea
Are you an expert at doing nothing? If so, time to make a beeline straight to South Korea,where looking off into space has become a sport.
[Video] Inside Saigon's Chicano-Style Barbershop
Liem, a young Saigon resident, runs a barbershop in District 3 along with his cohort of tattoo-clad employees. Decked out in Chicano-inspired decor, both the shop and its workers pay ho...
Sichuan Cuisine Facing an Identity Crisis
Culinary innovation can take many shapes and forms. But sometimes, this tinkering can have the unintended consequence of straying too far from the original. Such is the dilemma that faces China’s Sich...
OXYMORON: An Exploration of Sound, Dance and Light
If it were possible to condense the creative output of Saigon’s urban dance and music scene into one show, OXYMORONmight be it. Creative directors Lai Tran and Chieu Tori – a DJ duo also known as Chee...
[Video] Incredible Singapore Timelapse Took 3 Years, 10 Terabytes to Make
In just four and a half minutes, Melbourne-born artist Keith Loutit captures three years of change to the Singaporean skyline by way of a stunning timelapse video.
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: The Life of a Nonsensical Poet
The sonic portraits of Hanoi's Renovation Generation continue this week with the podcast's tenth episode, featuring cafe owner and poet Nam Lu.
[Video] Foreigner Pleads for 'No Sugar' Through Song
For our non-Vietnamese-speaking friends, there are certain linguistic misunderstandings which become a part of daily life in Saigon. To the untrained ear, for instance, sao, xạo, xấu, sau and xào migh...
[Video] Highlighting Vietnam's Forgotten Moroccan Soldiers
Vietnam and Morocco have much more in common than you might initially think.
[Video] 'As a Saigonese': Saigon in Vivid 4.6k
From multicolored layers of chipped paint to a sliver of light emanating from a darkened alleyway, Saigon is a city of details. While the naked eye provides a solid lens, we’re often too bus...
Meet Cambodia's All-Female Rock Band of Ex-Garment Workers
After years of working in minimum-wage garment factories, Cambodia's Messenger Band now fights for better working conditions and higher pay through music.
[Video] Rapper Wowy Preserves a Piece of Saigon History in Music Video 'Do Tao Lam'
Late last month, Saigon rapper Wowy debuted his “Do Tao Lam” music video, the first clip from his most recent album, Lao Dai.
Foreign Filmmaker Uses Vietnam as Backdrop for Sci-Fi Short
When it comes to filmmaking, Vietnam's natural beauty has attracted a fair amount of international attention in recent years. Just a few months back, the cast of Kong: Skull Island – including the gre...
Incredible Drone Photos Show Singapore From Above
Singapore is often lauded for being an organized, well-planned metropolis. This is even more apparent when you take in the Lion City from above as a bird's eye view of Singapore reveals the fractal-li...
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: A Wedding Planner Who Doesn't Believe Weddings Equal Happy Endings
For its ninth episode, the founders of Hanoi-based English-language podcast The Renovation Generation recorded their first-ever live interview in front of an audience at Hanoi's Manzi Art Space&n...
