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 Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
Saigoneer Podcast: Street Art in Vietnam; Puppetry Artist Linh Valerie Pham
A new podcast episode is available now!
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Đoạn Trường Vinh Hoa' Is Cải Lương at Its Most Heart-Wrenching
As the screening came to an end, there were quiet sobs echoing softly across the auditorium. For a lot of us viewers with water in our eyes, it was a complete surprise that a documentary about a seemi...
Christ Pratt to Star in Hollywood Remake of 'Vệ Sĩ Sài Gòn'
Will Chris Pratt play the sullen or the silly half of the bodyguard duo in the Hollywood remake?
Elise Luong in Music & Arts
Culture Lab, a Creative Feast Spanning Disciplines, Media, and Even Physical Borders
In May this year, the Goethe-Institut of Hanoi initiated the project "Xưởng Văn Hoá" (Culture Lab) in an effort to support artists and their community during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Saigoneer Bookshelf: In Poetry Collection 'OM,' Đặng Thân Embraces Human Turmoil
At the heart of Đặng Thân's poetry collection, OM [Other Moments], is the poetics of dichotomy: beauty and brutality, light and darkness, hope and despair, nihilism and existentialism.
Memories of 1960s Hanoi, as Captured by a German Photographer
Manzi Art Space’s current exhibition “Hanoi 1967–1975” displays the vision of German photographer Thomas Billhardt through documentary imagery taken during his multiple trips to Hanoi from 1967 to 197...
Month of Arts Practice Returns to Hanoi With Virtual Lectures, Livestreamed Talks
For its fifth consecutive year, the annual “Month of Arts Practice” (MAP) is currently running from its base in Hanoi with a series of online events and a final exhibition opening on November 21.
'Blind Man' by Mimi Nguyen
The blind man knows the direction of destiny.
Saigoneer Podcast: Central Vietnam Floods; Sustainable Fashion Designer Lê Ngọc Hà Thu
Our latest episode is available now!
How a Vietnamese Ethiopian Designer Built Her Fashion 'Dynasty'
“I’m young so I still have big dreams,” Kim Berhanu begins our chat on an early September day. At the tender age of 23, Berhanu is already the CEO and creative director of the fashion brand Dynasty th...
Elise Luong in Music & Arts
[Video] Rap Song Offers Glimpses Into the Lives, Loves and Labors of Hanoi Residents
The British rapper behind 'Oi Gioi Oi' and 'Find Me in the Mountains' has just released a new video, titled 'The Charming Beast,' describing his mixed experiences of living in Vietnam’s beautiful but ...
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Dream Pedestrian Areas; Chilling Stories for Halloween
We're back!
[Videos] Get up Close and Personal to Hanoi's Myriad of Urban Textures
To walk through Hanoi is to move simultaneously forwards and backwards in time.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 26: Urban Decay
What happens after the cho thuê nhà signs go up?
Đinh Tiến Mậu, Photographer of Old-School Saigon Glamor, Passes Away at 85
You might not know who Đinh Tiến Mậu is, but if you’re a fan of nhạc vàng, his works are impossible to miss.
How a Controversial SEA Games Mascot Design Inspired an Art Campaign
The upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) will take place next year in Hanoi and some nearby provinces.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
'Ròm' Review: A Sterling Portrait of Saigon's Dark Underbelly, Despite Falling Short of Its Potential
I stepped out of the theater after watching Ròm with a heaviness weighing down my shoulders. It was, however, a refreshing feeling that one rarely experiences after a Vietnamese feature film these day...
Vietnam Debut of 'Les Misérables' to be Staged Next Month in Hanoi
The play with a title that currently describes the general mood of humanity is heading to the Hanoi Opera House.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Other Moons' Aims to Amplify Voices of Vietnam's Wartime Writers
Why must we continue talking about war?
Khôi Phạm in Culture
These Illustrations of Vintage Trung Thu Lanterns Are a Ticket to Your Childhood
There are many harbingers of mid-autumn in Saigon: the mushrooming of street-side mooncake vendors, the gradual arrival of corporate mooncake boxes, and a kaleidoscopic tapestry of lanterns along...
