Amid Saigon, a Traditional Lantern Craft Village Stands the Test of Time
Cellophane lanterns, the nostalgic anchors of our past full-moon festivals, are still alive thanks to the nimble fingers of craftspeople at the Phú Bình lantern “village” in Saigon.
This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans
Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Among them, the handmade lion’s heads from Huế carry distinctive slivers of beauty within them.
Are We Living in the Final Days of Cô Mía?
They say a person dies twice: once when their heart stops beating and a second time when people stop mentioning their name. If we alter this phrase a bit to include the last time one’s image is seen, Saigon’s beloved cô Mía may soon be receiving last rites.
Aprxel Builds Her Ethereal R&B Dreamscape With 2000s Nostalgia
“High school was when we all had lots of thoughts and reflections. And I felt like I didn’t fit in with the world around me at that time, so I turned to music as my companion,” Aprxel reflects on the period of time where her connection with music began to solidify, which ultimately set her on the path to become a music artist.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Vy Trịnh Takes Us 'On Da Dream' via Her Solo Exhibition at Galerie Quynh
Tough-looking, yet elegant metal ribbons spark, spill, move and occupy all corners of the empty space: up and down, left and right, and in countless directions. Through a new series of sculpture works and a site-responsive sculptural installation, Vy Trịnh blurs the lines between the street scene and the exhibition space.
Via Webcomics About Sơn Đoòng, Hai Bà Trưng, a Link to Vietnam Across the Ocean
An enormous chim Lạc snatches Mai from her school library in the present day and lifts her high above Sa Pa more than 2,000 years ago.
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
Deaths and Abuse Reported at HCMC Daycare Centers
In a week hit by scandal of 2 nursery ‘baby-sitters’ abusing the children in their care, more light is being shed on illegally operating businesses that are left to care for the city’s children. And i...
How a Viral Video is Challenging Vietnam’s Traditional Gender Roles
It’s an age-old story – a couple breaks up and someone asks to be repaid for various expenditures made during the relationship. This scene was captured in 2 recent YouTube videos which quickly went vi...
A Closer Look at the Images on Vietnamese Banknotes
Vietnamese banknotes are characterized by beautiful colors and illustrations that capture some of Vietnam’s most famous locations (and Ho Chi Minh, of course). We've previously written about their his...
Canvas & Wine: Monet and The Impressionists
From the organizers: The Impressionist movement changed forever the concept of painting. The effect of light and color and the use of clear brush strokes played a main role in the paintings. With the...
Slideshow: Spectacular Color Photos of 1914 Hanoi
Over the next 2 weeks, Hanoi-based French Culture Centre (L’Espace), will be holding a “Hanoi Colour” exhibition, featuring 60 color images taken by French photographer, Leon Busy, between 1914 and 19...
Castaway (Lost Island) New Years Party Presented by Mc Sorley's, DeciBel Lounge and Saigon Outcast
From the organizers: Dear Saigon, It’s been an amazing year, and the only way to end it is with an even more amazing party. This year forget lines, forget dress codes. Forget everything you think you...
Christmas Eve Potluck Dinner + Secret Santa @ Saigon Outcast
From the organizer: Everyone is welcome to Christmas potluck dinner and secrete Santa at Saigon Outcast on Tuesday, December 24, 2013, for our special edition of eating-too-much and enjoying a a Xmas...
Video: Just Some Guys Doing the 'Chicken Dance' on a District 1 Rooftop
As you may be aware, the Vietnamese 'Chicken Dance' craze has been sweeping through the country over the past month. The dance which tells you to "Lên nóc nhà" (go to the top), instructions that were ...
Tastes Like Chicken Brings the Funk to Cargo
From the organizer: Tastes Like Chicken are the funkiest band in Saigon. This 8 piece line up of bad ass funksters will definitely get you dancing. Their Chicken stinks of funk and is served with l...
Fashion Meets Communication Event @ Plan B
From the organizer: This time, we are going to bring a fresh air to our regular event with a Fashion Show. This is to support young and talented fashion designers - a brand new inspiration for Commun...
Video: Motorbike Meditation? Vietnam Man Shows off his Impressively Dangerous Skill
We're kind of in awe by this video which shows a Da Nang man speeding down the highway while standing on his motorbike. This is not an endorsement to try it yourself (this position likely takes years ...
UK Man Releases Album in Vietnamese
For us many of us non-native Vietnamese speakers, learning the local, tonal language is a tall order. But while most of us are satisfied learning ‘get by’ vocabulary, there are those who take their st...
Exhibition Opening: Laurent Judge & Ayano Otani
From the organizer: Laurent Judge, a French artist painter and graffiti artist, has re-formatted his original paintings, and printed them on wood. Laurent will be pleased to present a limited series...
Traffic Time Lapse from Kumho Asiana Plaza
It might not have the high production value of previous time lapse videos we've posted but this video, captured from the top of Kumho Asiana Plaza, still provides a nifty view of one of the city's bus...
Preview: Future Shorts Vietnam Returns
What are the connections that we consciously and unconsciously create among each other? How do the things we leave behind come back, without us knowing it, in our world? These are just few of the them...
Priceless Vietnamese Parody of 'Fox Say' ('Bài Ca Phở')
Hit track, 'The Fox' from Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis has become a viral sensation the world over. As the ripples of its influence ping off different cultural walls, we end up with hilarious parodies l...
Video: Lightsaber Duel Brings Advanced Technology to Saigon's Streets
This classic video from a few years back gloriously reappeared in our lives this past weekend. With only 3,000 views, we thought it was being under-watched so here it is for those who haven't seen it ...
Based on Kyoto Sea Tour @ The Observatory
From the organisers: BASED ON KYOTO (BOK) is a Japanese dance music unit consisting of DAICHI, a DJ and producer really active in the Japanese rave scene in the 90's, and MARRON, a pioneer of g...
Video: Vietnamese News 'Presenters' Rap the News
In a bid to reach a younger audience, Vietnam Plus, a sister station of the Vietnam News Agency, has employed the services of local rappers to rap the news.
In the Spotlight: A O Show
A O show, currently being performed at the Saigon Opera House, might be the first accomplished Vietnamese “cirque” that proves that tradition and modernisation can coexist harmoniously. Or as director...