Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Books thus hold the unparalleled power to inspire, foster empathy, and expand one’s understanding of the human condition.
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.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Multiverse Behind the 1990s Classic 'Người Tình Mùa Đông' by Như Quỳnh
There is a certain timelessness to the song ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ by Như Quỳnh, especially in the visuals of its very first performance. For generations of Vietnamese listeners, ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ is an icon in the hall of fame of Vietnamese music, but as I have come to discover, the melody that Vietnamese know as ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ has lived a life much richer and more transcendent than it might appear.
Vietnamese Creators Teach Kids to Appreciate Rice in 'Con Ăn Hết Rồi' Book Project
If one day, the grains of rice that you frequently put in your mouth suddenly start to move, talk, and give you a rundown on how they were created on the field, would you believe it? This seemingly absurd scenario is exactly what happened to Minh, a little boy who's the main character of Con ăn hết rồi!, a children's book by author Đỗ Nguyệt Hà and illustrator Lê Phương Quỳnh, also known as Buffy.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perfect for making art.
Enlightening Misery Under French Rule Explored in 'Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories'
Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930–1954 offers the contemporary reader an honest glimpse of a period in Vietnam history characterized by corruption, exploitation, dehumanization, poverty, and starvation. The Vietnamese texts, both a novella and accompanying short stories, not only delineate the immediate influence of French colonization on the sociopolitical functions of Vietnam, an enterprise solely designed for its economic potential, but also expose the extending impact on the quotidian lives of proletarians, particularly the peasantry.
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean dust. Once precious commodities, these pieces have become time capsules, carried into the Vietnamese waters by ships that never reached their destinations. What stories might these centuries-old ceramic artifacts hold about Vietnam’s connection with surrounding kingdoms?
Local Designers Create Entire Family of Mascots for Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities
If given the opportunity, what would each of Vietnam's provinces select as a mascot?
Brian Letwin in Culture
Made in Vietnam: Electric Chopper Bicycles
Looking to step up your bicycle game? Two mechanics in Nam Dinh Province have made their own electric chopper bicycle and the final product could only be described as baller.
Fashion Show: A Midsummer Night's Dream @ OMG
This Thursday, Studio co will host a new fashion show - A Midsummer Night's Dream- featuring garments, jewellery and accessorise from its multi-cultural group of creative minds including La ...
deciBel 2 Year Anniversary Party
It's finally time to celebrate our 2 years anniversary. 2 years of Music, Art, Cinema, drunk dance moves, yummy food and freaky meetings. deciBel wants to thank you guys for making this bar so awesom...
Saigon Urban Legends: The Ghost of the Fine Arts Museum
The Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum, an ornate, colonial-era building at 97 Pho Duc Chinh, District 1 stands elegantly and quietly in the less-traveled area of District 1. Beyond housing some of the...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Teaser: Meet the Nguyễn's - Part 2
After moving to Vietnam, Richie Humphrey, in an attempt to improve his Vietnamese, started a video blog where he posted short, comedic videos. Last year, the Los Angeles, California native released a ...
Book Box Vietnam: Encouraging People to Spread and Share the Written Word
Inspired by the Little Free Library project, a group of young Saigon residents has launched a book exchange project called Book Box – placing little boxes of free books in public places.
Vietnamese Traffic Patterns Explained in One 'Simple' Image
This image explains Vietnamese traffic patterns better than words ever could.
Rock Paper Scissors Tournament @ Saigon Outcast
From the orgnaizer: There’s nothing that rivals a rock paper scissors tournament for excitement and tension. And fans of such contests are in for a treat at the SGOC's Rock Paper Scissors Tournament. ...
Event Rewind: Saigon Artbook Edition 3
After two extremely successful (and packed) releases of the Saigon Artbook, the team decided to launch the third edition over 2 days at the new exhibition space, Lê Công Kiều Station.
[Slideshow] 13 Beautiful Fields in Vietnam
Vietnam offers a wide array of natural beauty, leaving photographers with their fingers glued to their camera’s shutter release. While there are plenty of mountains and coastal scenes to photograph bu...
[Video] Vietnamese Grannies Get Down to Techno
“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.”― Gloria Steinem
3A Station: Saigon’s Answer to Zone 9?
There is a new area in Saigon, closed off to motorbikes, where artists and creative minds from different disciplines as well as businesses come together. This is the idea sketched out so far behind th...
[Slideshow] The Giant Rubber Duck has Arrived in HCMC
Yesterday, we waddled down to District 7’s Crescent Lake to check out the newly installed giant duck and found quite a scene.
Camping: Into the Wild @ Saigon Outcast
Ready to do a little camping? Then make your way over to Saigon Outcast next weekend and enjoy: a bon fire, a BBQ, s'mores, acoustic guitar, a pyjamas party, ghost stories, camp fire songs, games...
Camping: Into the Wild @ Saigon Outcast (2)
Ready to do a little camping? Then make your way over to Saigon Outcast next weekend and enjoy: a bon fire, a BBQ, s'mores, acoustic guitar, a pyjamas party, ghost stories, camp fire songs, games...
Hong Kong Record Exec Lists his Top Underground Asian Tracks. Cambodia Wins.
Over at & of Other Things, an excellent Vietnam-centric arts website, CAMA’s Eliza Lomas talked with Sean Hocking, owner of Hong Kong’s Saffron Records, who gave her a list of his current favorite...
Saigon Artbook Presents: Laurent Judge
Due to high demand, the release party for Saigon Artbook’s 3rd edition will be held over two days at Lê Công Kiều Station starting this evening. For those unfamiliar with the project, it is a quarterl...
19 Pictures of Wacky Japanese Vending Machines
Vietnam might not have many vending machines but Japan more than makes up for the deficit. Not only are they seemingly everywhere, from Mt. Fuji to train cars, but they serve up basically anything you...
Wealthy Vietnamese Spending Habits Include $40 Bowls of Kobe Phở and Castles
Vietnam’s rich sure know how to flaunt their wealth. While we know all about their fancy villas and luxury cars, VietNamNet recently took a closer look at some of the lesser known, extravagant items t...
[Video] Incredible Timelapse: Saigon to Sapa
While there have been numerous timelapse videos made in Saigon, we’ve never seen one that captures Vietnam from north to south. Until now.
