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.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Awesome 24 Hour Time Lapse of Saigon
We've seen some cool time lapse videos of Saigon in the past, many of which focus on the city's chaotic traffic. This video, produced by Jan Niederhumer, takes the high road, setting up his camera to...
Beware of the Dog...Napper
Hien Pham, a 29 year-old Vietnamese woman still wants to cry whenever she remembers Gina, a pomerian dog kidnapped one year ago.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Nhabeo House: Bringing Green to the Concrete Jungle
The Nhabeo House, located in Saigon was designed by Trinhvieta Architects with interior design by Quach The Vinh. The house was designed to connect with the outside environment and utilizing the space...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Pecha Kucha Global Night @ Saigon Hub
From the organizer: Join Pecha Kucha Nights HCMC for Vol. 5 and also Pecha Kucha Global Night! Not only will you hear awesome presentations as usual, but we will also be joining a GoogleHangout roo...
San Art Laboratory - Open Studio2 Session 3
On September 21, artists Nguyen Hong Ngoc (Hanoi) and Phan Thao Nguyen (Saigon) will open their studio to the public one more time before their final exhibition in November. Thao and Ngoc are two youn...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Images of Destruction and Restoration: Hue Citadel
The Hue Monument Conservation Centre has just launched a poster exhibition that captures the long history of the imperial citadel at Hue. Due to its importance, the monument has been witness to many o...
German Film Festival Coming to Saigon
This year the Goethe Institut brings some of the most interesting German films of the year to silver screen enthusiasts in Vietnam; both by famous directors and young, new filmmakers. And it's free!
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Slideshow: Henry Saiz, Live From Saigon
Henry Saiz brought his rolling drums and electronic soundscapes to Cargo Bar last night and did not disappoint. Here are some of our favorite shots from the night:
Brian Letwin in Culture
H&P Concept, ‘Pavilion of Dream Terraces’ for Milan Expo 2015
H&P Architects is proving to be one of Vietnam’s leading sustainable architecture firms. From airy, bamboo huts in the country’s rural heartland, to the recently completed, Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavi...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Video: Vietnam's 'Miss World' Pick Has Some Work to Do...
Meet, Lại Hương Thảo, Vietnam's representative to the 2013 Miss World competition. Thảo recently took to Youtube where she posted a video to showcase her "underestimated beauty, shape, fashion sense a...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: Hanoi Hustle
Check out this Video, Hanoi Hustle, featuring music from Touliver and LK with choreography by Oliver and performed by Handi crew. Nice to see more hip hop and less kpop!
Brian Letwin in Culture
A History of Vietnamese Banknotes
These days, you’d be hard pressed to find Vietnamese coins as with a maximum value of VND5,000, inflation has rendered them virtually useless. However, even though banknotes have existed in Vietnam si...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Slideshow: Vintage Vietnamese Hairdos Recreated by Top Stylists
When we posted an article featuring Vietnamese album art from the 60s and 70s a few months back, we found the singers’ hair styles to be some of the more intriguing details.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Saigon Hotpot Charity Auction
Sky Lantern is Saigon Hotpot club’s most famous annual charity event, whose mission is to help underprivileged children by bettering their living and studying conditions. We would like to cordially in...
Everyone's A DJ Presents: Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop
Everyone's A DJ presents 'Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop' - a 50s/60s rock'n'roll/motown dance party! From the organisers:
A Musical Journey with Henry Saiz
You wonder through the deserted landscape…it’s not a dream, not a nightmare, your mind is empty of memories as if you have always been here, since the beginning of time...you are afraid of yourself, y...
'Beautiful Saigon Project' Explores Saigon Through HipHop
Hip hop has a special place in our hearts so when we see the style gaining popularity in Vietnam, we get pretty excited. We just stumbled upon this extremely entertaining and well-produced hip hop vi...
Working Multiple Jobs: A Trend for Foreigners in Saigon?
It’s been almost a year since I first arrived in Saigon. Now, when looking back on my search for jobs in the city, I think that my personal experiences carry some value and may come in handy for those...
“Long way home” - Asia - Europe Short Story Contest
"They called her The Big Girl, sometimes The Lost Girl, but among themselves The Strange Girl. In her own world she was a little girl. But she stopped being little when she went travelling and decided...
Saigon Players Are Back and Calling for New Cast Members
“Saigon Players” will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a community theatre in Saigon. It is a non-profit theatrical group composed by amateurs and professional foreigners and Vietnamese who share the...
