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?
[Video] Full Trailer for 'Tale of Kiều' Adaptation Arrives
Simply titled Kiều, the adaptation will hit theaters on March 5.
Adorable Stop-Motion Video Shows How to Prepare for Tết With Art and Craft
Rarely does preparing a traditional Tết meal put you at risk of papercuts.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
How DiaCritics Creates a Platform for Diverse Vietnamese Voices From Abroad
“Vietnamese communities can sometimes/often demand conformity and tradition of people in order to feel a part of things; I have always seen diaCRITICS as an opportunity to trouble the definitions, pus...
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 28: Embrace a New Fashion
What if cải lương tuồng cổ costumes became a new trend?
Elise Luong in Music & Arts
Q&A: Gallery Director Suzanne Lecht on the 'Gang of Five' and Building a House of Arts
Tucked in an alley south of Hai Ba Trung stands Suzanne Lecht’s glorious home, a magical abode crowned with an ancient nhà sàn from Mai Chau. After having lived there for more than 25 years,...
Lệ Thu, the 'Golden Voice' of Nhạc Vàng, Passes Away Due to Covid-19
Yet another icon of nhạc vàng has left us.
[Photos] For a Day, Winter Convention Brings Kick-Ass Cosplay Back to Saigon
In which universe do Captain America and Cardcaptor Sakura rub shoulders with anthropomorphized, anime-fied white blood cells?
[Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes
Cái Gốc (The Origin) is the latest release from music producer and video director Robin Marty and his collaborator Jakub Zajac.
[Video] How Has Vietnamese Fashion Changed in a Millennium of History?
The most fascinating factoid about the video project is that black teeth had such enduring appeal across centuries and dynasties.
[Photos] A Royal Tea Set, as Envisioned by a Vietnamese Graphic Designer
Poets ponder flowers, aristocrats paint ceremonial masks, and courtesans gather lotus flowers in wooden boats, all while fragile threads of steam uncoil from ceramic pots of tea.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Year in Review: Saigoneer's 20 Picks for Best Vietnamese Music of 2020
Despite the uncertainties and upheavals of 2020, Vietnamese artists have continued to produce excellent music that defies genres, merges past influences, and exceeds expectations.
Government Lifts Ban on Lip-Syncing in Live Music Performances
A new decree removes the ban on singers using pre-recorded audio tracks during live performances.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 27: Santa Claus Is Coming to Quarantine
Vietnam makes no special safety-protocol exceptions for Santa Claus.
[Photos] Bask in the Festive Spirit at Hanoi's Holiday Decoration Street
With Christmas just around the corner, businesses and public places in Hanoi are awash in red and winter-themed paraphernalia. Crowds of young Hanoians flock to Phố Hàng Mã, one of the city’s major kn...
'On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous' by Ocean Vuong Is Being Adapted Into a Movie
A prominent work of contemporary Vietnamese-American fiction is being adapted for the big screen.
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Favorite Non-Pandemic Stories of 2020
It's our last episode of the year!
Crate-Digging for Audio Gold at the Second Hanoi Records Day
In September of this year, Quan Cam played host to VOC Record’s second Hanoi Records Day. Saigoneer met with the organizers and collectors to learn more about Vietnam’s growing culture of crate digger...
On Deep Reading the Poetic Works of Vietnamese Writer Nhã Thuyên
Reflections on Nhã Thuyên’s poem 'Traces of nothing' and other writings.
[Photos] Saigoneer's Best Original Photography of 2020
Is it possible to ruminate on the past 12 months without agonizing over the looming threat of COVID-19 and the grief it has inflicted on global communities? Perhaps not, but if there’s any place in th...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Christmas Movies and Author Debby Nguyen
Our second-to-last episode of 2020 is here!
