Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
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 Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated.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.
October Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
With Halloween coming up soon, expect some horror and gothic films at Saigon’s alternative film venues this month. Alongside titles that pay homage to the much-loved remembrance of the dead, these pro...
Should The Firing Range At Củ Chi Be Closed?
Over at his excellent blog, Rusty Compass, Mark Boyer argues that it may be time to close the firing ranges at the Củ Chi.
An Illustrated Guide to Vietnam's Motorbikers
The streets of Vietnam is home to many colorful personalities.
[Video] Sơn La Children Use Highway Water Drain As Water Slide
Highway 6 is a busy truck route connecting Hà Nội and Sơn La. But when it rains, local children take to the slippery, moss-lined water drains along its side, creating an impromptu water slide.
2014 Canon Photo Marathon Vietnam Comes To HCMC This Weekend
After a successful launch in Hanoi last Saturday in Hanoi, the 2014 Canon Photo Marathon Vietnam, “which aims to accentuate Vietnam’s natural and cultural charm,” will arrive in HCMC this weekend.
16 Pictures Of Vietnam’s Peckish Urban Chickens
In many developing countries the line between urban and rural is often blurred. If you live in Saigon or Hanoi, the lack of this distinction is typically manifested in the great number of chickens tha...
Event Rewind: The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2014
On the afternoon of September 28, 300 bikers on approximately 200 bikes took to Saigon’s Streets in formal attire in support of charity.
Creator Of “Humans Of New York” Visits Vietnam
Last week, Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the bestselling photo book, Humans of New York paid a visit to Vietnam with stops in Hanoi and HCMC.
[Video] Rap Video Shows an Expat’s Life in Saigon
A week after the release of “The Mì Quảng Song,” another expat has taken to rapping to show their love for Vietnam.
[Video] Interview With Afro Funk/Disco DJ Frank Gossner Who Returns To Saigon Tomorrow
Frank Gossner has one of the largest West African funk and disco records around. He’s a collector, a DJ and a promoter. He runs the website Voodoo Funk, which is recommended by the Beastie Boys.
The 10 Unholy Driving Commandments Of Vietnam
On his website, On A Bike Vietnam, Alex Sinclair Lack presents his list of the 10 driving commandments for Vietnam. While a tad less scandalous than Biggies 10 crack commandments, keeping Lack’s list ...
[Photos] Event Rewind: Saigoneer Photo Walk With Lee Starnes
Last Sunday, Lee Starnes led the second monthly Saigoneer photo walk, taking a group of amateur photographers around the streets and alleys of District 1, capturing images of the area’s street life al...
[Photos] French Photographer Highlights Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic Groups
These photos of Vietnam’s ethnic groups are the work of French photographer, Sébastien Laval, who has been lugging his camera around the country since 1995. His works, along with those of his Vietname...
[Photos] The Simple Differences Between Hanoi And Saigon
As Hanoi and Saigon are constantly compared to one another, graphic designer, Nhat Le, created this illustration book, The Difference Between Hanoi and Saigon.
[Video] An Giang - Back To Motherland
Produced by Tam Bui and Tung Phan, this ode to the northwestern Mekong Province of An Giang should help you escape the stresses of life for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Modernization Of A Holiday: The Mid-Autumn Celebration In Saigon
Today’s Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) has become a “modernized” affair with plastic lanterns vendors and mooncake shops sprouting up on every corner, selling their wares a month beforehand. But ther...
Saigoneer Presents: Photo Walk With Lee Starnes
Kick off your Sunday morning with some coffee and a friendly chat. Then take a slow walk through a local neighborhood and discover the beauty in the every-day details of local life.
Vietnamese Film Takes Top Spot At Venice Film Festival
Dap Canh Giua Khong Trung (Flapping in the Middle of Nowhere), the work of Vietnamese female director, Nguyen Hoang Diep, beat out 7 other foreign debut features to win “Best Film” at the 2014 Venice ...
X98: Hanoi’s Zone 9 Version 2.0?
When Zone 9 was closed late last year, it was a major loss for the complex’s patrons, shop owners, artists, and more generally, the city’s cultural scene. After months of mourning, it looks like Zone ...
'Licence 2 Draw': UuDam Tran Nguyen Brings Robotic Art to Vietnam
Software-based creations are increasingly populating the 21st century art scene, which sees smart phones, websites, digital moving images and software used to investigate and address the most varied t...
