From the Mind of 'Mekong Review' Comes ‘Yellow,’ a New Lit Mag Focused on SEA
“Cooped up in my apartment-cage in Tân Định, I created, with scissors and glue, dummy after dummy of a cosmopolitan rag positively pumping with scandals and half-truths. I was having a lot of fun dreaming of a magazine that I would never be able to do. And buried somewhere in that detritus on the floor—advertising cutouts and newspaper clippings—was Yellow … Once I knew I had the name, the magazine more or less made itself, as though the name determined the rest, ie, form and content,” writes Minh Bui of the birth of Yellow, his “what-do-I-do-after-Mekong Review magazine.”
In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
On Reading Ocean Vuong and Thinking About the Sniff Kisses of My Family
Having always been a little brother, I had to learn to be a big one when I was 10 years old. In the midst of the confusion of this new role, I found myself pressing my nose to this newborn’s head and inhaling as hard as I could. This “sniff kiss” was not an action I invented. Rather, it was an instinct forged through mimicry: I started noticing from this point that my father and grandmother both did the same thing to me.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Meet Th.ink Room, the Tattoo Collective Bringing New Life to Old Artworks and Onto Skin
Tattoo Therapist, dr.99hz, cd.cadao, goc.viet, Solarist and Baby Nepotism: listing the artists that call Th.ink Room home feels like shouting out the members of a rap clique. Indeed, tattoo artists, more than any other visual artists, are akin to rappers in their use of pseudonyms, so to employ a common hip-hop refrain, Saigoneer became interested in Th.ink Room because “game recognize game.”
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Literally) Brief History of Vietnamese Representation in 'Mean Girls' (2004)
Written by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey and premiered in 2004, Mean Girls is often heralded as a sharp, self-aware comedy that was ahead of its time, yet still holds up surprisingly well today. Alas, its depiction of Asians has aged a little more poorly, even though at the time of its release, the Asian representation was shockingly accurate for its time, despite some haphazard characterizations.
On Shooting an Entire Movie on 35mm Film: The Curious Case of 'Quán Kỳ Nam'
“Let’s go to Vietnam!” declared Sabrina Baracetti, president of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, as she wrapped up her introduction for Leon Lê's Quán Kỳ Nam (Kỳ Nam Inn). Sitting in the Teatro Nuovo, watching Quán Kỳ Nam unfold for the first time, I felt an overwhelming surge of pride.
Tracing the History of 'Hello Vietnam,' the Overnight Sensation From Europe
Most people who have flown with VietJet are probably familiar with the song ‘Hello Vietnam’ or its Vietnamese version ‘Xin chào Việt Nam.’ As it's often played during landing, tourists might mistake the song for a cute jingle of the company, but the meaning behind the song lyrics is much more nostalgic. It’s about a person of Vietnamese descent longing for their ancestor’s homeland, a place they’ve never been — a story that can certainly strike a chord with many Vietnamese people. Few know, however, that this song was originally a French-language song, one that was almost never released.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Little Moments of Stillness on Hanoi Streets via Artist Hoàng Hiền's Illustrations
Whether they're from Saigon, Hanoi or Đà Nẵng, urbanites in Vietnam have all grown up amid the chaos of local street culture, where the pulses of civic life churn with every vendor, family business, and gig worker. "Moment of Stillness," a collection of colorful illustrations by artist Hoàng Thanh Hiền, was born of the artist's keen observations of the familiar scenes in her immediate surroundings.
Linh Pham in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 11: Saddle Chill Time
Who is better at the art of chilling on a motorbike than the xe ôm?
Indie Quintet Whee! Brings Their Eclectic Sounds to the Local Music Scene
Making their debut in the midst of the pandemic with a cryptically named album, Whee! offers listeners a down-to-earth and prismatic experience that draws from the musicians' harmonic bond.
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
Meet the Vietnamese Creators of 'Centuries and Still,' a Short Decrying Anti-Asian Racism
How much history are you aware of?
What Is Hanoi to You? A New Art Competition Seeks Answers From Young Designers.
What is Hanoi to you? Is it the mesmerizing old architecture, the thousand-year legacy, the usual traffic craze, or a warm bowl of phở in the morning?
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Born Into Traditional Craft, a Young Sculptor Finds Joy in Carving Pop Culture
“Even though they know deeply that it’s beautiful, they cannot feel it because it’s not familiar to them,” Duy Trần says of younger generations that gaze upon the traditional wood sculptures in his fa...
Michael Tatarski in Ton-sur-Ton
How Local Brand Re.socks Spins Discarded Plastic Bottles Into Comfy Socks
How much thought do you put into socks?
Đại Việt Kỳ Nhân: When Vietnam's Prolific History Meets Board Game
After copious exchanges with friends from abroad, Tô Quốc Nghị had a flash of realization: just like his friends’ countries, Vietnam has always had a wicked awesome history, but the dull, uninspiring ...
'Lòng Vòng Sài Gòn' Music Video Reminds Us of the Fantastical Magic of the City
There are certain things that we tend to take for granted in life. A standard routine, moments of simple contentment, and that one cơm tấm lady who’s always been at that street corner whenever you rea...
'Paris by Night' Host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn Announces Retirement Next Year
Come 2022, fans of the variety show Paris by Night will miss the dulcet tones and witty banter from its veteran host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn.
Vietnamese-American Actress Set to Star in 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff
Tien Tran, the Vietnamese-American actress, will join the main cast of How I Met Your Father, the sequel to CBS's long-running TV show How I Met Your Mother.
On the Other Side of the Window: a Peek into Different Worlds
[Illustrations] 20th Century Vietnam by Thang Trần Phềnh
Time for a bit of history.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Saigon Designer Envisages Classic Vietnamese Transportations With Some Pizzaz
What if your motorbike had rocket propulsion?
14-year-old Vietnamese Painter Earns $23K from NFT Painting
Xèo Chu, a 14-year-old Vietnamese artist, recently auctioned his first non-fungible token (NFT) painting on the platform Binance with the winning bid of US$22,899.
Mam in Quãng 8
The Flob, a Band of '6 People Playing Together'
The Flob — a band of six guys who are still in college — has chosen to turn the most memorable chapter of their lives into music.
It All Started With 100 Boxes of Cookies
Food is anything but apolitical.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Luminous Nights' Explores the 20th Century Literary Landscape
Why haven’t some of Vietnam’s most famous early 20th-century short stories been translated into English?
Covid-19 Propanganda Posters Re-imagined as Đông Hồ Paintings
Sourcing inspiration from the traditional art of Đông Hồ, a group of young artists put a modern spin on classic paintings to deliver anti-pandemic messages through cheeky illustrations.
Phạm Gia Quý, the Gen Z Film Maker who Took on International Festivals
Phạm Gia Quý is a young filmmaker born and raised in Saigon and an alumnus of the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design.
Paul Christiansen in Arts & Culture
[Illustrations] Mesmerizing Modern and Mythic Vietnam Re-Imagined
