in Culture

In Remembrance of Saigon Street Calls Past

Drowned out by the noises of modernization, sounds that once served as the background to a simpler time have begun to shrink, and eventually become lost in the wheel of progress. Tiếng rao, or street calls, happen to be one of those dying noises, but they remain a poignant reminder of the past for many.

in Music & Arts

In Dialogue With Trần Nữ Yên Khê on Her 'White Blank' Art Exhibition

Tran Nu YênKhê may be most well-known to Vietnamese audiences because of her unforgettable performances in Tran Anh Hung’s Vietnam Trilogy. However, in recent years, YênKhê has become increasingly established as a contemporary artist. In 2019, her sculpture ‘Borderline’ became the first contemporary artwork from Southeast Asia shown at Paris’s Guimet Museum. Upon returning to Vietnam this year, she continues her artistic journey with the solo exhibition “White Blank” at Galerie Quynh in Saigon from October to December of 2023.

in Culture

In Tây Hồ, an Artisan Community Holds Fast to Their Lotus Tea Traditions

Every sip of lotus tea encapsulates all the essences of the natural landscapes of Tây Hồ.

in Culture

Inside the Bình Thạnh Depot Where Retro Military Knick-Knacks Live

“This furniture has been around for many decades, but you can use them normally without the fear of breaking them. Because they are industrial equipment made for the military or office buildings, they were manufactured to be hard as a rock,” explains Hoàng, a vintage military interior enthusiast. This durability is one of the many qualities that made Hoàng fall in love with the furniture, going so far as to set up a unique shop dedicated to them.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Haunting Beauty in Một Mét Studio's Vintage Photography Experiments

“With the wet collodion process, when you get your portrait shot, it really cannot lie; it really reveals the story of your life on your face. You will see through your make-up, through the tattoos; there are no wrinkles, no scars that can be hidden. People really see themselves in a new light,” Hugo Armano, the assistant at Hội An’s Một Mét Studio, explained to Saigoneer. 

in In Plain Sight

At Bá Tân Bookstore, a Home for Vintage Books, Readers, and Goodness

I got to know Bá Tân Bookstore thanks to a friend’s suggestion.

in Literature

English-Language Edition of 'Chinatown' by Thuận Wins US Translation Award

The 2023 National Translation Award for fiction was given by the American Literary Translators Association (ALTA) to Nguyễn An Lý’s translation of Chinatown by Thuận.

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in Music & Arts

Cá Hồi Hoang to Disband After National Tour Marking 10 Years of Making Music

On the cusp of their current nationwide tour, indie band Cá Hồi Hoang abruptly announced that they would disband after touring finishes.

in Culture

The Hanoi Village Where Making Folding Fans Involves Every Family

One summer day, I made a trek into suburban Hanoi to Thạch Thất District. Walking along the dirt road surrounded by green maturing rice fields, I reached Chàng Sơn Village.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Art Exhibition 'Ngẫu Biến' Invites Viewers to Find Their Own Meaning

“When you write, you go inside yourself, when you paint, you go outside,” said poet and painter ng. anhan.

in Film & TV

Filmmakers Trần Anh Hùng, Phạm Thiên Ân Win Awards at Cannes Film Festival

At the 76th Cannes International Film Festival, Phạm Thiên Ân's Bên trong vỏ kén vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) was awarded the Camera D'or while Vietnamese-born French filmmaker Trần Anh ...

in In Plain Sight

In Hanoi, the Vietnam Museum of Nature Is an Inquisitive Child's Heaven

Amidst the dull, grey buildings of the Hanoi University of Science and Technology, a giant dinosaur model stands out. The T-Rex was guarding the entrance to the Vietnam National Museum of Nature (Bảo ...

Khôi Phạm

in Film & TV

Review: Wow! This Brochure for Vietnam Tourism Has a Plot and a Romance.

I was prepared to hate A Tourist’s Guide to Love on sight. As a movie setting, Vietnam has been burned by foreign productions one too many times, so I often find myself dry-heaving whenever any intern...

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.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

A Memoir Ruminates on Saigon in the Now and via Childhood Memories

Born in Saigon in 1977, Tuan Phan and his parents left for America via boat in 1986. Remembering Water includes depictions of the voyage including lengthy stops in refugee camps followed by acclimatio...

in In Plain Sight

As Science Advances and Stigma Fades, Quy Hòa Leprosy Village Seems Frozen in Place

Many of the images conjured by the word leprosy (bệnh phong) can be unsettling to some. Yet, the misunderstood disease exposes the capacity for human care and empathy. Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà lep...

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

Notes From the Hiking Trail to Catch the Morning Sun in Quy Nhơn

Do you prefer a view of the beach or mountains?

in Culture

In Phú Nhuận's Communal House, a Kỳ Yên Festival Right by the Train Track

The Kỳ Yên festival is the biggest annual event held at the Phú Nhuận communal house from the 16th to the 18th of the first lunar month.

in Film & TV

The 1st Trailer of HBO's Adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's 'The Sympathizer' Is Here

The visuals give a glimpse into the mood and feel of the much-anticipated 2024 HBO adaptation of Viet Thanh Nguyen's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. 

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 ...

in Music & Arts

After 4 Years, Krossing Over Arts Festival Returns to Saigon With a Week of Events

After a four-year hiatus, performing art extravaganza Krossing Over Arts Festival (KOAF) officially makes a comeback this April with a week of events to delight Saigon’s art lovers.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Bảo Ninh's English-Language Return and the Magic of Mundane Moments

Of all 20th-century Vietnamese authors whose works were translated into English, none have received more high-profile attention than Bảo Ninh for his wartime novel Nỗi buồn chiến tranh (The ...

in Culture

At Phước Hải's Lễ Hội Nghinh Ông, Everything Every Whale All at Once

Phước Hải is a fishing township in the south of Vietnam, a short ride away from Vũng Tàu.

in Music & Arts

Bamboo Dance, Folk Tunes, and Fiery Guitar: The Spectable Behind Dzung's New Live EP

Following his critically acclaimed latest album "Dzanca," progressive metal guitarist Dzung is gearing up for the release of a special EP that chronicles his full live set at HOZO music festival takin...

in In Plain Sight

Go Through Centuries of Ceramic History at Hanoi's Bát Tràng Museum

The Pottery Museum in Làng Gốm Bát Tràng (Bát Tràng Ceramics Village) showcases the cultural heritage of the village through its exhibits of the works of past and present artisans.

Thi Nguyễn

in Music & Arts

The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet

In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a ...

in In Plain Sight

The Unbearable Delight of Watching a Live Football Match at Hàng Đẫy Stadium

“The government sells it for VND100,000. Just give me VND150,000. Gate 3, right in the center.”