How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
Phan Thiết's Vibrant Whale Worship Festival Reflects Vietnam's Rich Animist Traditions
Whale worship started from a folk belief harbored by fishermen seeking help from the gods to endure the arduous days spent at sea, but over time, it grew to become one of the most prominent spiritual practices of Vietnam’s fishing communities, especially in Phan Thiết. This reverence of whales reflects the people’s fervent passion for life, and a benevolent coastal culture that seeks harmony between mankind and nature.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
Shrimp Fishing in Thanh Đa Is Fun Even When You Don't Catch Anything
If it weren’t for shrimps, developing taste buds would have been an outrageous waste of evolutionary time and resources. Truly, without the potential for boiled, grilled, fried, baked or even raw shrimp, I find little point to getting out of bed with my tongue still in my mouth.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Bến Phà Xác Sống' Is the 2nd-Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I'm Sad It's Over.
The day when the Saigoneer team organized a little get-together to watch Bến Phà Xác Sống in the cinema, I was running seriously late.
In Gò Vấp, a 'Floating Temple' Stands the Test of Time and River Currents
On an isle amid the Vàm Thuật river in Gò Vấp District, Phù Châu Temple, colloquially known among locals as the “floating temple,” has welcomed religious practitioners looking for a serene quarter in fast-paced Hồ Chí Minh City for over three centuries.
On the Hunt for One-of-a-Kind Treasures in Saigon's Thriving Thrift Shops
In the summer of 2021, Hương Nguyễn decided to pivot away from her office job and launch an online thrift store called Vintage Hearts. She was motivated by how difficult it was to find clothing in Saigon that reflected her personal style — what she used to describe as “inspired by foreign pop singers on Pinterest,” she tells me, but what is now known as “Y2K,” or “year two thousand.”
Ocean Vuong Brings Vietnamese Text, Original Photos to Helmut Lang Collection
Peter Do, the recently named Creative Director of the storied fashion brand Helmut Lang, enlisted writer Ocean Vuong to provide text and photos for his debut collection.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Huế, an Interdisciplinary Exhibition Opens Literal and Metaphorical Doors
“I cannot stop opening doors,” Phan Lê Hà said in regard to the physical objects that reappear throughout her creative works.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Cù Lao Xác Sống' Is the Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I Love It to Death.
When we entered the auditorium to watch Cù Lao Xác Sống, no theater attendant was there to check our tickets. Perhaps the telling emptiness of the room made them realize they could be doing better thi...
Meet Humm, the Music Collective Blending Soft Tunes With Orchestral Instruments
Though palpably yearning in nature, Humm's music invites listeners to embark on a journey where healing is the quintessential experience.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
'Bronze Drum,' an Entertaining, TV-Ready Reimagining of the Legend of Hai Bà Trưng
Turning a beloved but brief legend based on scant historical evidence into a page-turning novel is no easy task. But Phong Nguyen’s book Bronze Drum succeeds in depicting the upbringing and rebel...
Short Film 'Don't' Dreams of a World With an All-Asian Crime-Fighting Squad
One day, Sally Tran realized that many of her friends in New York City were going to self-defense classes and buying weapons to protect themselves in the city they call home.
Đợi Kiều: A New Creative Project Examines 'Truyện Kiều' With Fresh Eyes
In an effort to facilitate new discussion and appreciation of Vietnam’s national epic poem The Tale of Kiều, this September, the team behind YUME - Art Project is launching a series of events titled “...
The Peculiar Gender Dynamics of Hanoi's Male-Dominated Cờ Tướng Scene
On a sunset wander through Hanoi, you may be surprised by the peculiar sight of men haphazardly perched in nooks and crannies playing the ancient game of xiangqi.
Illustration Series 'Phố Trong Hộp' Preserves Our Street Corners in a Tin Can
The cheeky illustration project “Phố Trong Hộp” (City in a Box) was conceived when its author Khánh Băng started merging Vietnam’s quaint street corners with some of the country’s most iconic FMCG pro...
Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê
“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Thuận’s Novel 'Chinatown' Targets the Tedium of Migration
Vĩnh, born in Hanoi to a Vietnamese mother who studied in the Soviet Union and teaches English in France, and an ethnically Chinese father raised in Hanoi but now working in Chợ Lớn, dreams of the day...
OHQUAO Lifts Young Designers to the Forefront of Vietnam's Creative Presence
“What we wanted was to bring iconic images of Vietnam to a global audience — metal doors, plastic stools, cà phê sữa and at the same time use these as tools for people to become connected,” said Hoa P...
Ghosts and Other Myths: How Vietnam Celebrates the 7th Lunar Month
In Vietnamese customs, the lunar month of July contains many special days of worship and celebration, with various traditions.
Khánh Hợi, Incomparable Cải Lương Icon of Northern Vietnam, Passes Away at 100
Earlier this month, Merited Artist (NSƯT) Khánh Hợi passed away in Hanoi at 100 years old. She was a cải lương legend with enthralling roles that shall live on in the heart of the community....
Great Vietnam Resurrects Nguyễn-Era Fashion, One Traditional Costume at a Time
In the last four to five years, ancient Vietnamese costumes have gained more visibility, becoming a welcome sight among young locals thanks to the efforts to reproduce and promote historic fashion fro...
Once Derided, 'Lục Xì' Is a Trail-Blazing Lesson in Nuanced Sympathy
Lục Xì is a reportage written by Vũ Trọng Phụng in the first volume of Tương Lai newspaper in 1937. In the series, Phụng describes his experiences visiting the dispensary (nhà lục xì) where prostitute...
Japan-Vietnam Football Manga 'Sơn Goal!' Releases 1st Volume in Vietnamese
If Captain Tsubasa was a treasured part of your childhood, perhaps you can give Sơn Goal! a try.
From Oral Lore to a Mini Encyclopedia of Folk Demons, Ghosts, and Restless Spirits
River entities hiding the bodies of drowned victims, spectral ma lai whose head and guts hover in the air, ma trành spirits luring unassuming victims into the path of tigers, or the ghosts of a family...
Paul Christiansen in Quãng 8
Born in Cần Thơ and Raised in the US, Rapper Mixed Miyagi Stays True to His Many Roots
"Miền Tây sông nước tao ngắm cánh đồng xanh / Buổi sáng là thức dậy để đi cày mà làm ăn / Trên đời này thành công là siêng năng / Không có giống mấy thằng chó, có chút tiền rồi kiêu căng."
Linh Pham in Culture
Banana Island Is a Peaceful Oasis Amid Hanoi, but for How Much Longer?
As the xe ôm is about to reach the halfway point of Long Biên Bridge, I tell him to stop.
An Exploration of H'Mông Fashion Through the Eyes of a Young H'Mông Curator
Combining elements of the traditional and the modern, Hnubflower and her collaborators have brought to life a project to recreate the fashion of many H’Mông communities in provinces across Vietnam.
The Collector Preserving Decades of Saigon History, From Vintage Brands to Pandemic Memories
"A Việt Kiều customer living in France paid me a visit. She looked at my sofa and started tearing up because its design was so similar to one she had in her childhood home. She said she missed home an...
