Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
In His Research-Driven Artistic Practice, Quang deLam Maps History, Knowledge Together
What if art functions as a visual form for transmitting knowledge and entangled histories, and the artist is a messenger between them and the audience?
Khôi Phạm in Culture
In the Era of AI Slop, I've Learned to Embrace Saigon's Ugly Urban Clutters
To live in Saigon is to coexist with clutter. Chaos is perhaps to be expected, when one’s habitat is a gargantuan crowded compressed narrow concretized megalopolis of over 10 million people, but few cities I’ve been to are as cluttered as Saigon.
Pete Walls in Travel
At Kon Tum's Đăk Đrinh Lake, Life Slows to a Therapeutic Pace
Đăk Đrinh Lake lies in the northern reaches of Kon Tum, where the hills rise in slow, deliberate waves and the pace of life is set by the land. The Ca Dong ethnic communities remain here, maintaining their language, stilt houses, and routines that have shaped this corner of the highlands for generations.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Hanoi Train Travels Though Narrow Gap Between Houses
Just as in Saigon, Hanoi is a dense city where, outside of downtown, little attention was paid to details like infrastructure planning. This can result in some impactful visuals such as this video of ...
Brian Letwin in Culture
A Look at Vietnam's Love Hotels
Walk through any urban public space in Europe, South America or the US and chances are you’ll encounter a young couple doing…couple’s things. Public spaces are an escape from the oversight of family a...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Vietnam's Ancient Villages Face Serious Problems
Vietnam realized long ago that its ancient villages and towns would be big hits with foreign tourists. Over the last 15 years, the country has rushed to protect its historical heritage by anointing so...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
Record Profits for Vietnam's Cinemas
For those whom frequent movie theatres, it’s probably not a surprise to learn that 2012 was a record year for ticket sales in Vietnam. The country has seen massive growth in this industry with a 514% ...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
Local Director Heading to Cannes Film Festival
Vietnamese director, Tran Dung Thanh Huy, will be showing his short film, 16:30, at the Cannes Film Festival in May. The film follows a group of street kids who sell lottery tickets in Saigon’s street...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Vietnamese Celebrities Flaunt Their Wealth
It’s no secret that for most in Vietnam (and most of the world for that matter), success is measured by accumulation of wealth. For the country's celebrities who live in the spotlight, showing off the...
Stunning Street Art in Saigon
French street artist, Julien Malland, AKA Seth Globepainter, travels the world using buildings as a canvas for his huge murals. Collaborating with local artists, he tries to learn new artistic techniq...
A Brief Look at Catholic Funeral Rites in Saigon
For me, as most of us non-nationals living here in Saigon, the word funeral only evokes ideas of dreadful sounds emanating from a tent set up halfway in the street and haltering the flow of traffic. T...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Digital Media/Art Project Launching This Month
If you’re a creative, digital-minded person who is passionate about Indochina, here’s a great project for you. Riverorchid Digital, an agency specializing in branding, PR and media, is embarking on a ...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Forget the Fockers, Meet the Nguyễns
Meeting the girlfriend’s parents is an intimidating experience in any culture. So what’s the best way to add even more awkwardness to an already awkward situation? Meeting the parents of a girl from a...
Home Has Shifted
For just over a year now, I have been living on the edge of district one, on a street named Tran Khac Chan. It is an unremarkable street on the face of it, a typical bustling hive of activity, of whic...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Incredible Thai Version of the Iron Man 3 Trailer
Iron Man 3 hit theaters last week grossing a whopping $195.3 million internationally. With numbers like that, there’s no doubt that the film will be one of the most illegally copied of all time. But p...
Another Step Forward for Gay Marriage in Vietnam
Vietnam is on the path to becoming the first Asian nation to legalize same-sex marriage. This week, in Hanoi, Deputy Health Minister, Nguyen Viet Tien, told the press: “[A]s human beings, homosexuals...
Brian Letwin in Culture
H&P Unveils Low-Cost Bamboo Home Design
When it comes to construction in Vietnam - from one-story shops to luxury office towers - one will find bricks on every site. For more than a century, these unassuming orange squares have literally la...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
Sex Scenes Becoming More Frequent in Vietnamese Films
In a recent VietnamNet op-ed, Lao Dong takes a deeper look into the increasing eroticism of Vietnamese cinema.
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
History of Vietnamese Cinema: 1898 - 1995
Long Van Cinema. Vietnam is producing high-quality films faster than ever before. While the country is not known for its cinematic pedigree, the film industry in Vietnam has been active for over 100 ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: Đi uống - Always
Đi uống - Always. Check out this track from some of our brothers and sisters up north: Đi uống - Always. Frankly, we're always down to watch a video where the band performs on a motorcyle and sideca...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: Classic Vietnamese Rock
Hoang Oanh. We're not huge fans of Americanization but there are some rare exceptions. Concidering the current state of Vietnamese pop music, it's hard to believe there was a time when it was, to pu...
