Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists
Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.
The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs
"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
Parasite's Historic Oscars Win and What It Means for Asian Cinema
With a beguiling mix of style and substance, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s class thriller Parasite cuts through societal divides and sends a vital message to “world cinema.”
Trinh Cong Son Biopic 'Em Va Trinh' to Start Filming in 2020
The biopic will be produced by the same producer as Mat Biec, the movie adaptation of the Nguyen Nhat Anh novel of the same name.
In Tình Đầu Exhibition Space, a Home for Hanoi's Bohemian Young Artists
Nestled deep within labyrinthine alleyways in Hanoi’s Ba Đình District, Tình Đầu (first love), a studio-gallery run by a collective of Vietnamese artists, is growing a reputation as a home for the cap...
Saigoneer Podcast: After the Success of 'Parasite,' a Look at Asian, Vietnamese Cinema
Our latest episode is available now!
One Night at Epizode, Vietnam’s Largest Island Music Festival
I arrived shortly before sunset, draped in my best floor-length party vest, and free of expectations on the second and final Saturday of Vietnam’s largest, globally-acclaimed music and art festival, E...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
In Defense of Bảo Tàng Địa Chất, Saigon's Most Underappreciated Museum
By (un)conventional standards, Saigon’s Geological Museum may warrant a score of 1.3/9, but if one considers it as a source of whimsy, it’s a solid 8.2/9.
From Fan to Filmmaker: How Le Lam Vien Found His Confidence as an Independent Director
At the age of 12, Le Lam Vien saw a movie at the cinema for the first time, and it swept him away to another world – one he’s been chasing ever since.
In Warsaw, Homemade Thịt Kho Trứng for the Homeless
The Vietnamese community in Poland started to form in the 1950s, and to this day, most of its residents are very active in Poland.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws
We're back from the Tet holiday!
[Photos] Japan Releases New Sketches of Upcoming Ghibli Theme Park
A cafeteria containing Spirited Away's ghostly food stalls, a full-size version of the house where Mei and Satsuki lived when they first met Totoro, and an interactive version of the Irontown tha...
An Artist's Intimate Portraits of Genderfunk's Collective Energy
The collective of drag artists and performers known as Genderfunk has been creating safe spaces for local queer creatives and blowing the minds of Saigon’s denizens for nearly two years, and they are ...
Netflix Star Comic Iliza Shlesinger to Perform in Saigon, Hanoi This Month
American stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger gained popularity after she became the first woman and the youngest comedian to win NBC’s talent competition Last Comic Standing.
Two Vietnam Poems by Hoa Nguyen, Inspired by Saigon Ghost Stories
Vietnam Ghost Story: High School Clock Tower and Vietnam Ghost Story: Towers of District 5
[Illustrations] An Art Book of Watercolor Saigon Sketches 3 Years in the Making
How envious we are of those who can render in great detail paper scenes that otherwise could only be accessed through one’s memory.
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 chi...
Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding
They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar.
21 Studio Ghibli Films Are Coming to Netflix Vietnam in the Next 3 Months
In the upcoming months, Ghibli aficionados in Vietnam will be able to stream their favorite flicks right at home.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia
In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.
Saigoneer Podcast: Tet Food Improvements and Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Ken Burns Docuseries Required to Pay $30,000 in Royalties to Vietnamese Composer
Producers of the popular American documentary series didn't pay the composer because his song was produced 50 years ago, and they assumed he had passed away.
