Xuân Phương in Culture
Inside Tế Tiêu, Home to Vietnam's Rare 'Land Puppet' Performances
Bidding goodbye to central Hanoi, I took the National Road 21B to reach Tế Tiêu Neighborhood, a small community in Đại Nghĩa Township of Hanoi’s Mỹ Đức District. This fertile patch of land by the Đáy River is the cradle of a unique form of traditional folk art: Tế Tiêu puppetry.
How Quy Nhơn's Old Cemetery Slowly Expands up Vũng Chua Mountain
You might miss it if you were driving past, but once you walk down a small hẻm off Quy Nhơn’s main Tây Sơn Street, the massive cemetery sprawls in all directions.
All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
Short Film 'Mud Below, Sun Above' Reveals Daily Trials of Hanoi's Scrap Collectors
Đồng nát translates to “junk; broken materials,” but it is also a term used in northern Vietnam to describe the recycling workforce, 90% of whom are elderly women, that operate in a nation that produces 68,000 tons of solid waste every day.
Inside the Vivid, Soothing Art Realm of Vietnamese Illustration Artist Phuongsongdep
Using her keen observation and sensitive art intuition, Minh Phương creates a colorful realm through her brushstrokes, w...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Learning to Ngồi Chồm Hổm Is a Simple Way for Anybody to Feel More Vietnamese
What is culture? For someone who writes for an arts and culture publication, you’d think I’d have a quick and clean answer, but the more I ruminate, the more I realize it comes down to a sloppy assemblage of habits, ephemera, and minutiae: eating preferences, holiday attire, styles of sneezes, methods for counting on one’s fingers, variety of fruits to gift and an endless string of social norms. Pile enough of these choices together, and you end up with a distinct culture.
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.
New Monopoly Set Takes You Back To Early 1900s Hanoi
The team that brought you 1880 Saigon Monopoly is back with a new edition of the game that seeks to capture the character of turn of the twentieth century Hanoi.
[Video] The Sounds Of Saigon Part 2
The Xúc Xích Đức team is back with part 2 of their series, Favorite Sounds In Saigon. This addition is a bit more ambitious than the first, capturing everything from the melodic cries o...
[Video] Inside The Mind And Shop Of A Saigon Bike Fanatic
Saigoneer has again teamed up with Only In Saigon to bring you stories from the city’s streets. This week, catch up with Linh who owns a vintage bike shop in Phu Nhuan District.
[Video] This Saigon Drone Video Looks Like It Was Directed by Michael Bay
This drone video of Saigon from How to Media has a distinctly Michael Bayesque feel with its sweeping panoramas, quick cuts and dramatic zooms.
August Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
This month, Saigon’s alternative film venues are offering up a solid selection of foreign films, Hollywood classics and recent hits.
Viet Pride Festival Hits Hanoi This Week
The fourth annual Viet Pride festival will kick-off this week in Hanoi to raise awareness about Vietnam’s LGBT community.
[Photos] Vietnamese Will Try Anything To Avoid The Sun
While Americans and Europeans spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on tanning their pale skin, these photos from Vietnam Net show just how far Vietnamese will go to avoid the sun’s bronzing ra...
American Dubstep Pioneer Skrillex Confirms Saigon, Hanoi Shows
Sonny John Moore, better known by his stage name Skrillex, has confirmed that he will play two shows in Vietnam next month as part of his Asia tour.
Vănguard: Giving a Voice to Saigon’s LGBT Artists
The launch of Vănguard’s second issue last week followed the slow but swelling wave of support for LGBT rights in Vietnam.
Can Tho Launches Cardboard Police Force to Reduce Traffic Violations
Police in Can Tho have devised a basic but brilliant strategy to reduce traffic violations on the city’s streets - cardboard cutouts of themselves.
[Photos] Artist Creates Natural Oasis In Phu Nhuan District
These are images of a painter’s three-story house in Phu Nhuan District built by Truong An Architects back in 2012. The artist recently opened the doors to his home that is characterized by harmonious...
[Map] What Are Vietnamese Most Afraid Of?
Pick a few countries at random and you’re bound to find a number of different concerns shared by their people, from climate change and ISIS to economic instability. According to a recent survey, howev...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
DJ Ed Davenport On Electronic Music, Life and Saigon
After stops in Singapore and Indonesia, British-born, Berlin-based DJ and producer Ed Davenport is bringing his music to Saigon as part of his Asian tour. He took some time to chat with the organisers...
Epic Drone Video Shows Another Side Of Hong Kong
Add this drone video to the body of impressive video work we’ve seen come out of China in recent months.
San Art Laboratory Launches Kickstarter Campaign
Saigon-based non-profit art organisation San Art has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their Laboratory.
Central Vietnam Photography Workshop With Saigoneer’s Lee Starnes
This August, Saigoneer photographer Lee Starnes will be leading a central Vietnam photography workshop alongside Pics of Asia founder, Etienne Bossot.
Fashion Is Art At Dzung Yoko’s First Solo Exhibition
While in Paris the Helene Bailly Gallery is hosting an art show by designer Maurizio Galante and Viktor & Rolf are dressing models in canvasses, here in Saigon, we have the city’s very first show that...
[Photos] Artist Creates Mini Country House With Incredible Detail
The art of bonsai is one steeped in tradition and characterized by the miniaturization of trees, some of which fetch prices of up to US$1.2 million.
“One Country” Celebrates 15 Vietnamese Contemporary Artists
Vietnamese fine art is often looked through a geographic lens (South, Central and North) or by groups of artists rather than individual ones.
[Photos] Photographer Miniaturizes Saigon With Tilt-Shift Lens
Last year, amateur photographer, Nguyen The Duong, fitted his camera with a tilt shift lens and perched himself atop various buildings across the city. The effect of the lens in tandem with birds-eye ...
