How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
In 'Đêm Giao Thừa' EP, a Đàn Tranh Artist Offers Novel Twists on Nostalgic Tết Sounds
Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi has just released Đêm Giao Thừa, an EP containing energetic covers of three classic Tết songs and an original track that pays homage to styles from the 1960s and 1970s.
Khôi Phạm in Culture
Unraveling the Mystery Behind the 'Mùi Việt Kiều' of My Childhood
My favorite candy used to be Hershey’s Kisses. Wrapped in colorful, sparkling foil, these little nubs of decadence made me feel special as a child, not just because of their sugary sweetness, but also because, for much of Vietnam’s contemporary history, you could only enjoy them if you have relatives abroad.
[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.
[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.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Film & TV
[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.
