An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Books thus hold the unparalleled power to inspire, foster empathy, and expand one’s understanding of the human condition.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Multiverse Behind the 1990s Classic 'Người Tình Mùa Đông' by Như Quỳnh
There is a certain timelessness to the song ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ by Như Quỳnh, especially in the visuals of its very first performance. For generations of Vietnamese listeners, ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ is an icon in the hall of fame of Vietnamese music, but as I have come to discover, the melody that Vietnamese know as ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ has lived a life much richer and more transcendent than it might appear.
Vietnamese Creators Teach Kids to Appreciate Rice in 'Con Ăn Hết Rồi' Book Project
If one day, the grains of rice that you frequently put in your mouth suddenly start to move, talk, and give you a rundown on how they were created on the field, would you believe it? This seemingly absurd scenario is exactly what happened to Minh, a little boy who's the main character of Con ăn hết rồi!, a children's book by author Đỗ Nguyệt Hà and illustrator Lê Phương Quỳnh, also known as Buffy.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perfect for making art.
Enlightening Misery Under French Rule Explored in 'Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories'
Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930–1954 offers the contemporary reader an honest glimpse of a period in Vietnam history characterized by corruption, exploitation, dehumanization, poverty, and starvation. The Vietnamese texts, both a novella and accompanying short stories, not only delineate the immediate influence of French colonization on the sociopolitical functions of Vietnam, an enterprise solely designed for its economic potential, but also expose the extending impact on the quotidian lives of proletarians, particularly the peasantry.
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean dust. Once precious commodities, these pieces have become time capsules, carried into the Vietnamese waters by ships that never reached their destinations. What stories might these centuries-old ceramic artifacts hold about Vietnam’s connection with surrounding kingdoms?
Over 130 Artworks by Mai Trung Thứ Will Be on Display in France in June
It will be the first time many of Mai Trung Thứ's oil on canvas, paintings on silk, drawings, photographs, and lithographs will be available for public viewing.
Mầm in Quãng 8
The Tenderness and Intimacy of Mademoiselle's Quiet Lullabies
Mademoiselle has become a familiar face in the indie music community for her signature soft voice and delicate melodies, which fans say typify the singer as a person. Although she isn’t as well-known ...
Nha Trang's Whale Worship Festival, as Portrayed in This Stunning Graduation Project
The Cầu Ngư Festival, a whale-worshipping tradition that takes place every February on the lunar calendar, has become a source of inspiration for artist Tường Vân’s graduation and illustration project...
18-Year-Old Alexandra Huynh Named US' Next National Youth Poet Laureate
The second-generation Vietnamese-American 18-year-old who considers poetry a matter of self-expression and social justice will help spread and advocate for poetry in America.
Vietnamese Agency Wins Dieline Design Award for Guta Rebranding Campaign
The masterminds behind the eye-catching brand identity of homegrown cafe chain Guta have been bestowed a shiny new award.
Q&A: Shades of Hanoi, a Diary of Many Authors Writing Their Own Version of the City
For Long, Sơn and the young millennials penning Shades of Hanoi, writing is a brave act of self-reflection.
An Ode to Vietnam’s Identity Amidst Modernization via 28 Years' Worth of Photos
Comprising 28 years' worth of photos, the Punk Dragon exhibition makes older visitors feel nostalgic and younger ones pause and think about changes.
Tuyết Nhi in Culture
Fall in Love With the People of Hai Phong, One TikTok at a Time
Being a late-bloomer who is slow to catch up with social media trends, I only just got TikTok installed on my phone about a month ago. As I've found that the majority of the clips on this platform are...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Brands Abroad; TV Show Pitches
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Vietnamese Film 'Taste' Wins Berlin Film Fest Award, Is Fined at Home
This is why we can't have nice things.
Event Series Photo Hanoi ’21 Celebrates Storytelling Through a Camera's Lens
A major series of events dedicated to photography will be available to Hanoians interested in the craft starting this month.
Rapper Wowy Auctions off Blood Portrait to Raise Funds for Children's Hospital
A joint exhibition by rapper Wowy and artist Tuấn Andrew Nguyễn began last month with an auction that yielded hundreds of million of dong that will go towards humanitarian causes.
Vietnam's Traditional Indigo Dyes and Kimono Come Together in Kimono Ơi's Designs
Will there be a day when the image of a woman wearing a helmet, clad in a kimono with ripped jeans while driving around the streets of Saigon becomes the next trend?
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Pull up a Plastic Stool, Break out the Watercolor, We're Painting Saigon
What is worthy of being painted?
Mầm in Quãng 8
Dzũng Phạm, the Progressive Metal Guitarist Enamored With Folk Music
“I want to elevate Vietnamese traditional music to the most glorious and heralded position. There, it's the center of attention, not merely something added just for the sake of embellishment.” Buildin...
Saigon's Young Voice Actors Learn There's More to Dubbing Than Pretty Voices
Voice actors are rarely given enough attention, for they are always working behind closed curtains, giving the movie its "life."
Park Chan-Wook to Direct TV Series Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen's 'The Sympathizer'
Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning 2015 novel The Sympathizer will be getting a TV adaptation directed by Park Chan-wook, the auteur behind the success of The Handmaiden and Oldboy.
Saigoneer Podcast: Recreation; Sustainable Trends in Hanoi and Saigon
A new Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Inside 'Little Lotus,' the Adorable Japanese Manga Set in Saigon
Images of a Japanese manga with scenes of modern Vietnam have won the hearts of Vietnamese netizens recently.
Q&A: An Interview With 'Raya and the Last Dragon' Co-Writer Qui Nguyen
When Disney’s Raya and the Last Dragon was released in March, it was a cultural milestone for Southeast Asians. Raya is the first Southeast Asian Disney princess in the Walt Disney Company’s...
