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.
Nguyễn Đổng Chi's Classic Retelling of Vietnam's Fairy Tales, Now in English
Folklorist and anthropologist Nguyễn Đổng Chi dedicated decades to weaving a significant portion of Vietnam’s folklore tapestry. He collected, researched, and rewrote over 200 Vietnamese folktales from all corners of the country. His work, initially scattered across five volumes published individually and consecutively over 25 years, appeared as a complete anthology in 1982. Guided by a comprehensive treatise of Vietnamese folktale, Chi’s Kho tàng truyện cổ tích Việt Nam (Treasury of Vietnamese Folk Tales) might be daunting for readers drawn to Vietnamese folklore but disenchanted by rigorous academic discourse.
Kit Humphrey in Travel
In Thổ Hà Village, Rice Paper Spills Onto the Streets and Wraps Around Daily Life
A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Thổ Hà, Bắc Giang Province, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.
Carol Kim Brings to Life Rare Performance of 'Tại Vắng Anh' Thanks to Saigon Jazz Revival
The rich, bluesy ‘Tại vắng anh,’ written by Tuấn Khanh, was performed by Carol Kim this past November at Saigon Jazz Revival's inaugural concert in New Orleans.
Cliché or Parody? Orientalist Readings of Nam Le’s ‘36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem’
One may be surprised to learn that Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel The Sympathizer was rejected by 13 out of 14 publishers before its eventual publication. He describes in an interview why he believes his novel was rejected by all but one publisher he submitted to: “I knew in writing the novel that I was deliberately not doing what I was supposed to do as an Asian American writer, which is [...that] you have to end on a note of Americanization. You have to end on an embrace of the American dream, explicitly or implicitly. And the novel does not do that.” He comments elsewhere along similar lines, “I refuse[d] to subscribe to dominant American narratives and mythologies that allow someone like me a very narrow space to speak.”
Pete Walls in Travel
Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina
Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.
Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges
As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.
Behind the Curtain: My Village
Aerialists flying through jungles of bamboo sticks, jugglers and acrobats delicately walking on movable bridges; twenty artists and musicians came together to reinterpret the daily life of Northern Vi...
Facebook Causes More Problems in Vietnamese Schools
Yet again the use of social technologies in schools is making headlines in Vietnam as concerns grow about the number of students using Facebook to express dissatisfaction about their schools and teach...
New Zine in Saigon is Seeking Writers and Artists
A welcome addition to the Saigon arts and culture scene, a new zine, Hem HCMC, is set to launch in May and is currently seeking contributing artists and writers.
Saigoneer Exclusive: Interview with the Director of 'Saigon is Happy'
Saigon is Happy became an instant viral hit when it was posted on YouTube last month, racking up over 100,000 views. We sat down with director, Thành Đạt Phan, to see what inspired the video, how he r...
Lee Starnes in Culture
Saigoneer Dispatches: How a Phnom Penh Youth Center is Using Hip Hop to Empower Street Kids
Through an unassuming alley in a slum of Phnom Penh, the deep beat of a bass line rings. One and two and three and four echoes off its dusty walls. Kids are dancing. Breakdancing.
Hoang Oanh: Vietnam’s Original Pop Star
The crate diggers over at music blog, Bodega pop have put together a collection of songs from Hoang Oanh, the “Saigon Siren,” produced between 1960 and 1975, the Golden Era of Vietnamese pop.
How to Draw Buddha, the Right Way
During the Golden Age of Tibetan Gupta rule, strict guidelines were created for how one should draw Buddha. And they’re insanely specific.
[Video] Hilariously Awesome Vietnamese Remix of The Avengers/Unstoppable
In Vietnam, where the concept of ‘copyright’ is as foreign as queuing in line, we’re bombarded by faux Western products on a daily basis. While these knock-offs generally carry a reputation for cheap ...
[Video] American Shows off Impressive Vietnamese Skills in Trinh Cong Son Tribute
While most foreigners in Vietnam seem to be intimidated by the tonal nuances of Vietnamese, Kyo York, an American expat living in Vietnam for over 4 years, seems to have the language down pat.
[Slideshow] Motorbikes Can Carry Anything and Everything
In many developing countries, motorbikes are the main method of transportation for not only people but also, well, everything else. To illustrate this, the Global Post recently published an article, “...
Beautiful Origami Street Art in Hue
French street artist, Mademoiselle Maurice, learned the art of origami when living in Japan in 2011. After mastering the craft, she began a quest to stimulate positive emotions by adding some color to...
International Pillow Fight Day @ 23/9 Park
From the organizer: Wake Up Saigon brings you our city's participation in this international day of fun for the 3rd straight year! Join us as we pummel each other with pillows joining over 120 cities...
Expats and #SAIGONISHAPPY
Everyone should, at least once, climb to a high rooftop in Saigon. On most days, the subtle fog on the horizon recedes just far enough to let you glimpse a motley patchwork of aquamarines, drab and pa...
[Video] Presenting: Grand Theft Auto Saigon
As if driving in Saigon weren’t close enough to a videogame, a group of enterprising gaming enthusiasts have created a seemingly Vietnamese mod of the popular title, Grand Theft Auto 3.
[Video] In the Ruins of a Hue Temple
From 1802 – 1945, Hue was the imperial capital of the Nguyen Dynasty. Buildings from this period have become popular tourist attractions and many, such as the city’s famous citadel, have been painstak...
[Video] Saigon Is Happy
You've probably seen the video for the hit song Anh Không Đòi Quà where a women is stripped (literally) of the gifts given to her by her ex-boyfriend. While there have been dozens of remakes of this v...
The Brains Behind Vietnam’s Meme Explosion
Vietnamese netizens have embraced internet memes which employ a mix of humour and satire to create a new lens with which to view everything from daily life to pop culture. In a recent interview, Vietm...
Apocalaughs Now @ Cargo
From the organizer: You've seen the amateurs, now it's time to see the pros.
The Second Portion 'Red' Opens at the Observatory
Upon entering the gallery section, visitors find themselves in a dark space lit only by Le Brothers’ video installations on the wall and by the shiny red reflections coming from the two cage-like scul...
How to Approach People When Taking Photos in SE Asia
I’ve wanted to write something on this topic for ages. To be honest, this is probably the question that I hear most from my students: how should I approach people to take their photos?
