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.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Saigon's dingy hẻm to the serenity of life in Tam Giang Lagoon, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Vietnamese Comic ‘Dia Nguc Mon’ Earns International MANGA Award
For the second year in a row, a Vietnamese comic has won one of Japan’s prestigious International MANGA Awards.
[Photos] Colors of Saigon: Xanh, Sạch, Đẹp
From its ambitions and its people to the general color palette of daily life, Saigon is a bold city.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sunrise in the city to Mui Ne's magnificent sand dunes, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Vietnam Unveils New Film Rating System
As of January 1, Vietnam’s new film rating system allows the local movie industry to screen adult content.
[Illustrations] Young Illustrator Breathes New Life Into Work of Vietnamese Poet
Poet Tran Dang Khoa’s most beloved collection of children’s poetry is receiving a makeover, thanks to young illustrator and graphic designer Pham Quang Phuc.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sunsets to fishing nets, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] The Godfather of Saigon's Water Puppets
While Saigon’s younger crowd is busy picking up the hottest new foreign trends, like parkour or wearing bean sprouts on your head, artisans from older generations have held fast to their traditional c...
Meet The Girl in Reuters' 2016 Vietnam Photo
For its recent One Photo, One Country, One Year series, Reuters picked a snapshot from Vietnam depicting an áo dài-clad lady posing on an ornamental peach tree plantation in Hanoi.
[Photos] The Weird Fruits of Tet Are Coming
With Tet fast approaching, Vietnam’s array of strange, misshapen fruits is returning in full force.
[Photos] New Children's Book Introduces Southeast Asia's Animals to the World
A New York-based art director and illustrator recently published a children’s book on the fauna and flora of Laos and Vietnam featuring a host of intricate drawings.
[Music] How Indonesia’s Horn-Honking Became a Hit Among EDM DJs
On the streets of many Southeast Asian countries, vehicle honking presents yet another opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From quiet, waterfront cafes to bustling city corners, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Recording] Listen to Saigon’s Hottest Track From 1900
At the turn of the 20th century, with French colonialism well under way in Vietnam and the age of motion pictures just beginning, Saigon – and much of the rest of the country – became a subject of gre...
Wonderfilled Magazine Explores Saigon’s Sustainable Leather Goods
Ahead of their Saigon issue, Saigoneer presents an exclusive excerpt from Wonderfilled Magazine. Now in its sixth volume, the travel magazine tells stories about creativity around the world. Each issu...
An Illustrated Homage to Saigon Traffic
From old buildings and frenetic traffic to bustling sidewalks and endless construction, Saigon provides no shortage of visual inspiration for the city’s illustrators, artists and graphic designers.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From French colonial mansions to the chaotic traffic of urban Vietnam, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Illustrations] Animals, Explained: 6 Unusual Vietnamese-to-English Translations
When it comes to the gap between Vietnamese and English, there are a lot of things that get lost in translation.
[Photos] Meet Hanoi's Savvy Grasshopper Hunters
For most of Vietnam’s farming community, grasshoppers pose a real threat to fields and plantations. However for a particular commune in Hanoi’s suburban areas, these pesky insects have become a signif...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From cityscapes to seashores, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
