Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
A Touch of Magical Realism in ‘The Cemetery of Chua Village’ by Đoàn Lê
Vietnam transitioned to a market economy like an old train lurching to life: momentous shakes and shudders, steam bursting out busted gaskets, disheveled cargo tumbling from luggage racks, sparks shooting off wheels screeching across warped rails and a whistle ripping into the placid sky.
Mèow Lạc on Growing up in Hanoi Rock City and Giving Voice to Cats
Having just finished recording their new album, Mèow Lạc is temporarily taking time apart to focus on individual development so that, when they regroup, fresh ideas can come through.
Escapism Awaits This Summer at The Grand Ho Tram
Vacations offer glimpses into idealized versions of your life.
Uyên Đỗ in Culture
Inside Chôl Chnăm Thmây, the Festive New Year of Saigon's Khmer Community
As April's fickle weather shifts between sunlight and breeze, Candaransi Pagoda sheds its usual solemnity, becoming animated with a festive spirit. The air hums with the resonant sounds of temple bells and the rhythmic beat of the wooden fish drum, a vibrant counterpoint to the warm laughter shared by monks and lay Buddhists. Anticipation builds as everyone awaits the midnight chime, signaling the arrival of the Khmer New Year.
How Music Transcended Political Divides: The Stories of 5 Timeless Wartime Songs
Vietnamese musicians created a musical bridge across political divides, transforming the pain of a fractured nation into melodies that still resonate with both homeland and diasporic Vietnamese 50 years after the war's end.
Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments
“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
If Every Province in Vietnam Has a Mascot, What Would Your Hometown's Be?
Do you know Bé Sen?
Reframing War Memories via the Western-Vietnamese Photographic Perspectives
War photographs, often viewed as windows into the past tragedies, are believed to offer an immediate representation of reality. But what lies beyond the frame? What purpose did these images serve, and who were they meant for?
On Returning to K-Drama, the Glue Bringing My Mom and Me Close Together
Before Squid Game became an international phenomenon and put K-dramas on the world map, audiences in Asian countries including Vietnam were enthralled by Boys Over Flowers, The Medical Brothers, ...
Khôi Phạm in Rewind
For a Horror Film About an Ageless Portrait, 'Mười' Hasn't Aged Well
It’s undeniable that Mười: The Legend of a Portrait has left a lasting impression in the minds of a generation of Vietnamese, as the first collaboration between Vietnam and South Korea’s cinema indust...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
An Ode to Photo Booths, the Korean Trend Preserving Our Memories in Time
How can photo booths be a new trend if they’ve been around forever?
Linh Phạm in Trích or Triết
The Life, Death and Legacy of 7 Pillars of Vietnam's Quốc Ngữ Literary Wealth
When I first started as a writer, I noticed that I couldn’t write in Vietnamese very well, despite the fact that I was born here. Most of my English vocabulary comes from books, so in order to improve...
Thành Đồng's Music Is a Breath of Fresh Air in the Era of Overproduction
Inspired by life 's simple joys, Thành Đồng delivers a sense of familiarity, earnestness, and narrative richness with every song.
Hanoi's Largest Indoor Aquarium Is Surprisingly Impressive for a Mall Attraction
I am a champion of the public aquarium. For many people, the aquarium is the only place where they can meet marine life outside of perhaps a wet market or seafood restaurant. Some research suggests th...
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Social Commentary, Empathy in Nguyễn Quang Thân's Short Story Collection
Nguyễn Quang Thân passed away on March 4, 2017, several weeks before I moved to Saigon. So of course I never met him, but I feel like I know him. My first introduction was via An Insignificant Family,...
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
At Bùi Chát's Painting Exhibition, a Freedom to Feel Without Preconceptions
Contemporary art can intimidate viewers. People often think they need familiarity with certain histories, theories, philosophies and biographies to appreciate a painting. I have friends who do not hav...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
How Nam Cao Almost Ruined My Favorite Canal Cafe
Spoilers for an 80-year-old story that every student in the nation is required to read: the dog dies, the old man dies, his son's misfortunes show no sign of abetting. Simply, misery abounds at the en...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
On a Boat Ride Through Nhiêu Lộc Canal, a Fish's-Eye View of Saigon
Could your life in Saigon be made into a quirky indie film?
Uyên Đỗ in Music & Arts
Galuocad's Artworks Create a Universe of Very-Vietnamese Whimsy
Staying in one place for an extended period can lead to what's known as the "boiled frog effect."
A World of Riveting Medically Inspired Magic in Vanessa Le's YA Debut
Captured by Butchers, the “blackmarket bogey men who deal in rare goods,” Nhika Suonyasan is caged and auctioned off to the city’s elite. A figure in a fox mask attempting to purchase her is outbid by...
Lemaire's Campaigns Blend Vietnam's Street Scenes, French Fashion
Stuck in traffic on a Honda Cub, but make it fashion.
Indie Short Film 'Saigon Kiss' Is a Quintessential Saigon Queer Love Story
Is there a meet-cute more characteristically Saigon than a motorbike breakdown and subsequent friendly assist from a stranger?
Tuyết Nhi in Culture
In Ê-đê Villages, Bến Nước Is the Heart Pumping Water Across the Community
Ever since the beginning of time, Ê-đê people have treated water as a respected resource of the community. Water, in their belief, is the life force bringing about bountiful harvests for the villages....
Nam Jam Festival Returns to Đà Nẵng With Week of Mural Arts
The Nam Jam Festival from March 4 to 10 invites more than 50 local and international street artists to create massive works of street art in Đà Nẵng.
'Madame Pirate,' Film Project Based on Asia's Greatest Female Pirate, Sets Sail Again
Zheng Yi Zao “started as a prostitute, resisted the authority of the Qing emperor, kicked everyone’s bottom, and then got away with it... also she has been ignored by history,” explains Vietnam-b...
Hanoi Director's Debut 'Cu Li Never Cries' Wins Best 1st Feature at Berlin Film Festival
After Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell won the Camera D’or award at Cannes last year, this year, another independent film from Vietnam was honored at Berlinale.
From Tò He to Tamagotchi: Local Designer Brings Our Childhood Toys to Stamps
For Vietnamese kids today, when it comes to games, there’s a possibility that their childhood is entirely confined to the digital world. From phone applications like Temple Run and Pokemon GO to block...
Xuân Phương in Culture
Meet 90-Year-Old Huỳnh Văn Ba, the Father of Hội An's Foldable Lanterns
In his 90s, Huỳnh Văn Ba’s hair has turned completely silver, but when he was telling me stories about lanterns, his voice and eyes sparkled with a particularly lively hope. Thanks to Ba’s invention —...
