in Travel

A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May

After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees

It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.

Mầm

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk

Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.

Mầm

in Ton-sur-Ton

Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing

We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...

in Travel

ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

US Presidents, Russian Mascot, and Tintin: The Surprising History Behind Vietnam's Dog Names

As Vietnamese society progresses, dogs and cats’ role in our families have gradually elevated to worthy life companions instead of mere animal help in previous generations. While the archive of pet names today seems endless and every day you can easily bump into pets bearing hilariously human names, tasty food dishes, or glorious adjectives, the naming conventions of Vietnamese domestic animals in the past had recurring themes that directly correspond to the cultural and historical atmosphere of when they were coined.

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

5 Quixotic Books About Vietnam for When You're Craving a Little Quirky Read

There are too many good Vietnamese books to recommend, let alone read.

in Film & TV

Far From Vietnam: A 1967 French Anti-War Film Grapples With Its Own Contradictions

French cinema experienced a creative renaissance in the 1960s with arguably the most influential movement in its history...

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Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

[Video] Physically-Challenged Mekong Woman Paints with Her Feet

For those of us who possess little to no artistic talent, we know that creating anything more than a stick figure is a daunting task. That makes the work of 36-year-old Huynh Thi Xam incredibly i...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

4 Great Places to Buy Art Supplies in Saigon

Saigon-based design website, dxMAG recently made a great post about where to find art supplies in the city. Here are some shops where you can pick up sometimes hard-to-find tools for illustration, pai...

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Man Covers his House with Antiques

Obsessed with antiques, a Vinh Tuong man, Nguyen Van Truong, collected 8,000 of them over 30 years and found an ingenious way to show off his collection - using them to coat the walls, gates and garde...

in Film & TV

Documentary on Vietnamese LGBT Singers Screened at French Film Festival

The Last Journey of Madame Phung – a film project from Nguyen Thi Tham that highlights a group of wandering LGBT Vietnamese singers, was recently screened at the 36th Cinéma du Réel Festival in Paris ...

in Culture

Saigon Urban Legends: Spirits, Curses and Sunken Ships at Thuan Kieu Plaza

Located in the heart of Saigon’s busy Chinatown, the three-unit, 33-story tower complex known as Thuan Kieu Plaza was an icon of prosperity when it was completed in 1990. During the day, it looks no d...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

4 US States are Dominated by Vietnamese Speakers (Kind of)

While the Nguyens might be taking over Australia, the US claims a sizable Vietnamese population as well. Using census data, Slate created a revealing state-by-state map showing the most commonly used ...

in Culture

Pictionary Battle Night! @ deciBel

From the organizer: A night of networking and gaming where illustrators and creatives of Saigon can come together to battle it out for Pictionary glory!

Brian Letwin

in Culture

[Photos] Vietnamese Motorbikes and the Things They Carry

With more than 37 million of them, Vietnam is truly the land of the motorbike (for now). As we see on a daily basis, they’re not only the preferred method of transportation for people, but also for th...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Ancient Village Regulations Uncovered in Hoi An

A 19th century draft of village rules and regulations has been discovered by a Vietnamese historian in Hoi An, the first of its kind, reports Vietnam News.

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Postiljonen

Last Sunday, Stockholm ‘dream pop’ trio, Postiljonen, swung by La Fenetre Soleil as part of their Asian tour.

Brian Letwin

in Culture

[Video] Teaser: The Banditas of Hoi An

To avoid a dark complexion, many Vietnamese women wear body-encompassing garb when out about town. Some call them ‘ninjas’ and others ‘mummies.’ Sydney-based filmmaker, Kearon de Clouet, recently trav...

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: The Saigon Projects 5 Year Anniversary Party

There may have been a mixture of complexions and languages, but the crowd at The Saigon Projects 5 year anniversary party shared one love for the growth of graffiti art and underground hiphop in ...

in Culture

Vietnam's Fading Black Smile

Contrasting black and white is not a modern aesthetic. For a long time, it was a standard of grace for Vietnamese women for whom traditional beauty was judged by “white skin, black teeth.”

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.

in Culture

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 ...

in Culture

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...

in Culture

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 ...

in Literature

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.

in Culture

Vietnamese Traffic Patterns Explained in One 'Simple' Image

This image explains Vietnamese traffic patterns better than words ever could.