Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
For the Love of Boney M: How a West German Disco Quartet Charmed Vietnam
“You’re gonna make me cry. That’s awesome,” Liz Mitchell exclaimed. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she covered her face and then clutched her black satin dress tightly. It was a rare moment of uplifting musical goodness when the past and the present of Vietnam’s music scene collided.
Charming Hosts Invite You to Experience Serene Beachside Stays at Danang Marriott Resort & Spa
What do you want from a hotel?
In the Latest Issue of 'No One Magazine,' 15 Stories From Vietnam's Queer Communities
No One Magazine, a print publication about underground queer nightlife around the world, is focusing on Vietnam for its second issue with corresponding launch events in Hanoi and Saigon.
Tranh Kiếng, Southern Vietnam's Glass Painting, Is at Risk of Disappearing
I’ve always loved marveling at the colorful tranh kiếng hung in our altar room whenever I get a chance to visit my mother’s hometown. Since I was little, the paintings have been an indispensable part of my grandparents’ homestead. Tranh kiếng is present everywhere in people’s houses in the town, but I’ve never thought to ask who created unique art pieces that perfectly encapsulate the soul of the southern community.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Sao La, Self, Hmong Identity: The Many Layers of Poetry Collection 'Primordial'
A book of poetry all about sao la?
In Huế, ‘Allusive Panorama’ Exhibition Reveals a Tender Side of Hàm Nghi Through His Art
An exhibition offering a rare glimpse into the artistic life of Hàm Nghi, Vietnam's exiled emperor who dedicated his life to art, with brushstrokes and landscapes reflecting his deep longing towards a distant homeland that he could never return to.
Lý Trực Sơn Exhibition Invites Us to Marvel at Lacquer, Dó Paper, Earth's Material Beauty
Despite being three distinct elements with their own texture, depth, and presence, lacquer, paper, and earth are all rooted in nature. Rather than searching for hidden meanings, Lý Trực Sơn’s solo exhibition at Vin Gallery invites us to engage with the works instinctively and experience the interplay of pigments, natural elements, and form, shaped by the artist’s innovative process and the passage of time.
Uyên Đỗ in Culture
In a Hẻm in D8, a Scrumptious Halal Feast Comes Alive Every Ramadan
At noon, we make our way through a narrow alley off Dương Bá Trạc Street (District 8) and stumble into a lively scene of Muslim community life. More than a place of worship, this neighborhood unfolds into a diverse culinary fest, a testament to the cultural crossroads that thrive within the city.
Japanese Mobile Game 'Fate Grand Order' Unveils Hai Bà Trưng as Playable Heroines
Time for all Vietnamese Masters to save their Saint Quartz.
Handbook Project Empowers Local Communities to Write Their Own Cultural Narratives
“No one could sing our song but ourselves.” — Inrasra, Chăm poet and anthropologist.
Photography Exhibition Spotlights the Beauty and Perils of Vietnam's Mangrove Forests
Transcending the boundaries of a conventional art exhibition, “Midnight in the Mangroves - Đêm Trong Rừng Ngập Mặn” tackles the beauty and important environmental role of mangrove forests via the lang...
Paul Christiansen in Film & TV
Review: In 'Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ!,' Watch a Fraught Family Disintegrate During a Funeral
If a family is like a broken leg, does healing it require a more painful break? Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ! (The Brilliant Darkness!) grapples with this question by thrusting characters into a situation that expo...
Netflix Announces Next 'Bridgerton' Season to Focus on Long-Lost Vietnamese Sister Hường Bridgerton
Steamy night rendezvous, sordid secrets, and stupendous wigs — historical smash hit Bridgerton returned last week with all the glitz and glam that made its first season one of the most-watched se...
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: The Instruction Manual of Phillips H92X Offers Something for Everyone
Engaging plot or strong characters? Fantastic escapism or insightful depictions of the real world? A sweeping epic across generations and nations, or a deep examination of a brief moment in time? What...
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
'Madame Pirate,' Short Film Based on History's Greatest Pirate, Screens at SXSW
Do you know who the world's greatest pirate is?
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
Party Like It's 1985: A New Mixtape Resurrects Vintage Vietnamese New Wave Bangers
Born of the vivacity and flashiness of the 1980s, a novel wave of music once became the symbol for a whole generation of Vietnamese, and then faded into obscurity at its peak. It took over two decades...
In Hòa Bình, a Social Enterprise Supports Vietnam's Last Remaining Paper Artisans
As aid to Vietnamese communities decreases, how do we continue to preserve cultural heritage? Zó Project, an organization based out of Hanoi, offers a compelling example of the role social enterprise ...
A Mythic Vietnam Through the Brushstrokes of Architecture and History
“A steady country is one with a wealth of history and a steady generation is one that can understand and respect the heritage that their forefathers left behind,” Vũ says of his exhibition “Kỳ Ẩn Việt...
Elise Luong in Music & Arts
In Điện Điên and Mutant Lounge Radio Shows, a Hidden Universe of Vietnam's Electronic Music
Many moons ago I had the pleasure of encountering Tobias Paramore’s lopsided grin in a dimly lit music event in Hanoi. Originally from Australia, Paramore has been creating electronic music since 2003...
Digital Artist Transports Us Back to Hanoi Tramway’s Halcyon Days
Many Hanoians have seen historical photos of the capital’s lost tramway network, which was inaugurated in 1901. What began as a state-of-the-art electric tramway eventually fell into disrepair in the ...
A New Romcom Netflix Original Will Start Filming in Vietnam Next Month
A Tourist's Guide to Love, set in Hanoi, Saigon, Đà Nẵng, Hội An and Hà Giang, will be the first major international flick to film in Vietnam since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Meet KURROCK, the First Vietnamese Rock Band in Japan
In KURROCK’s songs, one can appreciate a pronounced fusion of two seemingly detached music scenes that are 4,000 kilometers apart.
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
Adorable Metro Illustrations Take Viewers on a Joyride Through Saigon
As fans of Vietnam’s busiest city, graphic designers An Nguyễn and Học Nguyễn launched a mock communication campaign to create prospective visual branding for the upcoming Ho Chi Minh City Metro. The ...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Touching the Infinite: An Interview With Vietnamese Canadian Novelist Kim Thúy
Why pencils are yellow; the connections between the aviation industry, a centuries-old Central American ballgame and sex; the “true” color of goldfish; the reason we never see Buddha peeing; and the g...
Vietnam Post Releases Special Set of Stamps That Smell of Coffee
Have you ever sent a letter and thought "I wish there was some coffee in this envelope?"
Linh Ha's Ethereal Vocal Harmonies Push the Boundaries of Hanoi's Electronic Music Scene
When Linh Ha hosts Xom Nhac, Hanoi Social Club’s regular live music showcase, her electronic instruments, all sleek plastic and snaking black wires, lie on top of a silky floral scarf. The scarf is sp...
Sirens of Ha Long Drops New Album, Dedicates Part of Proceeds to Hanoi Rock City
Hanoi-based punk group Sirens of Ha Long released a new album last month. They have pledged 50% of the Febuary sales to Hanoi Rock City, a venue they describe as having "given Sirens countless memorie...
How Indie Book Publisher Bar De Force Marries Art, Literature and Translation
“A collision of literature and art on the pages” is the descriptor that Bar De Force, a Vietnamese independent press, gives itself.
