Khôi Phạm

in Travel

Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River

As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes to explore.

in Culture

More Than Just Prosperity, Ông Địa Is My Personal Patron Saint of Misplaced Things

I was maybe seven when I first clasped my hands and whispered a plea to Ông Địa.

in Film & TV

The Charming 1990s Nostalgia in the Phim Mì Ăn Liền Cinematic Universe

If you lurk around online discussions of Vietnamese cinema, you probably have stumbled upon the term phim mì ăn liền, or “instant noodles films.” This popular Vietnamese expression describes local motion pictures with low-effort production value. But the term is not merely a common moniker. It dates back to the 1990s, when a specific type of commercial flick got audiences flocking to the cinema.

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

An Homage to the Sounds of Saigon Past That Are Going Extinct

After someone or something reaches the end of their days, which aspects of their existence in the minds of those who remain would be the first to succumb to the erosive brush of time? Is it sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound?

in Travel

Chùa Một Cột in Thailand Reminds Me of the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Land

On my last full day in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was on a mission to catch the sunset, although the cloudy and gloomy sky didn’t give me much hope. Instead, I randomly stumbled upon a gate with signs written in Vietnamese. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk in, and the farther I walked, the more clearly I spotted a familiar image from afar: a one-pillar pagoda standing right on the edge of the reservoir.

in In Plain Sight

I Grew up With Print Newspapers and Magazines. Now, They're Disappearing.

Print media was a crucial part of my childhood and a friend that opened a window into a vivid world of knowledge that was fascinatingly strange in the eyes of young me. But right at this moment when I hit the streets as an adult, the newspaper vendors of those days seem to have vanished, their colorful spread of magazines gone amid the busyness of today. A quiet transformation and farewell has begun.

Xuân Phương

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.

Back Arts & Culture

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

To Appreciate Tao Đàn More, Study the Park's Past, Present, and Future

Shallow shrub and fern roots tussle to send shoots, tendrils and stalks up and outwards, sprawling across uneven ground and grasping at patches of light. A musky, funky, fetid soil stink emanates from...

in Music & Arts

Resilience, Resistance Reflected in Propaganda Art Exhibition ‘Crafting a Message’

How did daily life on the battlefield look from the perspective of first-generation Vietnamese photojournalists? Why did colorful stamps and propaganda posters play such a significant role in the war ...

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

An Argument for Why Võng Should Be a Staple Amenity in Every Home

Everyone should have a võng in their home.

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

5 Albums to Put on While Driving Home at 12am Pretending You're in an MV

It’s 12:03am in Saigon. You've just finished a movie at the last screening of the day. The asphalt in the parking lot is coated in a layer of golden light from the streetlight. You walk gingerly to yo...

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Examining the Role of Shame in Building a National Identity via Vietnam's Thinkers

“Shame, rather than pride, can be the basis for national identity… individuals may be motivated to move their country in a desirable direction when national shame outweighs pride.”

Xuân Phương

in Culture

In Nam Định, a Village Goes All out in Festivities to Honor Their Holy Ancestor

Comprising a range of ceremonies and traditional activities reflective of Vietnam’s rice-growing culture, Keo Hành Thiện Pagoda’s annual festival is a momentous occasion for locals to pay respect to t...

in Quãng 8

Synths, Dreams, and French Culture: Inside Vietnamese Duo Coïncidence's 1st EP

“When we finally finished the project, I was just like ‘Yay, we’re done!’ Then I went to sleep to go to work tomorrow. I guess life just goes by like that,” recalled Thông, a member of Coïncidence, re...

in Music & Arts

Group Exhibition ‘In Absence, Presence’ Awakens Multi-Sensory Experience

Looking upward, downward, left and right, we follow an invisible yet powerful flow of energy in the dark, then carefully gaze at the artworks as if they are living entities. To enjoy this multi-sensor...

Văn Tân

in Music & Arts

Tử Mộc Trà Nurtures Her Family Bond With Textile Into Installation Artworks

Tử Mộc Trà, whose real name is Phạm Thùy Dương, is a young artist born and raised in Hanoi. Her artistic pursuit was nurtured by an innate sense of creativity, family traditions, and her time spent on...

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. Bo...

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

In 'Water: A Chronicle,' Nguyễn Ngọc Tư Wades Into the Mekong via Vignettes

“When you’ve lived to a certain age, you don’t ask whether or not something is true, you ask which truth it is.”

in Music & Arts

In Action Together During Traveling Art Week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024

Taking place in Đà Nẵng and Hội An earlier in August 2024, the traveling art week Nổ Cái Bùm 2024 became a platform for local artists to showcase artworks, and attracted the attention of many local an...

in Music & Arts

Explore the Realm of Sơn Mài Paintings via Nguyễn Xuân Việt’s New Solo Exhibition

What does it mean for an artist to preserve and continue the legacy of traditional Vietnamese lacquer across generations? Through this solo exhibition, Nguyễn Xuân Việt showcases his vast expertise an...

in Culture

Amid Saigon, a Traditional Lantern Craft Village Stands the Test of Time

Cellophane lanterns, the nostalgic anchors of our past full-moon festivals, are still alive thanks to the nimble fingers of craftspeople at the Phú Bình lantern “village” in Saigon.

Xuân Phương

in Culture

This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans

Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Amo...

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

Are We Living in the Final Days of Cô Mía?

They say a person dies twice: once when their heart stops beating and a second time when people stop mentioning their name. If we alter this phrase a bit to include the last time one’s image is seen, ...

in Quãng 8

Aprxel Builds Her Ethereal R&B Dreamscape With 2000s Nostalgia

“High school was when we all had lots of thoughts and reflections. And I felt like I didn’t fit in with the world around me at that time, so I turned to music as my companion,” Aprxel reflects on the ...

in Film & TV

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.

in Music & Arts

Vy Trịnh Takes Us 'On Da Dream' via Her Solo Exhibition at Galerie Quynh

Tough-looking, yet elegant metal ribbons spark, spill, move and occupy all corners of the empty space: up and down, left and right, and in countless directions. Through a new series of sculpture works...

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

Via Webcomics About Sơn Đoòng, Hai Bà Trưng, a Link to Vietnam Across the Ocean

An enormous chim Lạc snatches Mai from her school library in the present day and lifts her high above Sa Pa more than 2,000 years ago.