Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...
ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 19: Learning to Swim
Folk wisdom offers a unique way to achieve aquatic efficiency.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
With Debut Album 'Họa Âm Xưa,' Saigon Soul Revival Brings Back Old-School Cool
From covers of old songs from the 1960s and 70s, Saigon Soul Revival now presents their own original music in an exciting debut album, a continuation both in spirit and execution of the silvery vein o...
Saigoneer Podcast: Traditional Vietnamese Culture's Role in Pop Culture; Dessert Fight
The latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is out now!
Khoi Pham in Film & TV
6 Vietnamese TV Classics That Should Be on Netflix Instead of 'Hậu Duệ Mặt Trời'
Gone were the days of timing one’s bathroom dash exactly during commercial breaks and gathering around a neighbor’s old television set, the only one in the entire alley, to relish every minute of a ho...
[Illustrations] An Emptier Side of Tokyo in Naoki Tomita's Oil Paintings
One thing that can safely be said about Tokyo is that it is not under-represented visually.
In 'Ba Lan,' a Photographer Maps the Diverse Identities of Poland's Vietnamese Diaspora
Poland is a largely mono-ethnic country with a negative immigration rate and has one of the lowest rates of foreigners in the European Union. Even migration specialists are often shocked to hear about...
Saigoneer Podcast: The Lure of the 'Promised Land' and the Collapse of Mon Hue
We're back after a little break!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
District 105 Leads Saigon's Metal Scene Into a Bright, Loud Future
"You don't listen to music like this usually, right?" Huynh Hoang Huy asks before he and his bandmates rip into another hard-driving song from their catalogue.
Vietnamme Project Explores How Vietnamese Culture Transformed Through the Eras
The Vietnamme Project aims to reinterpret ancient Vietnamese cultural traditions with a contemporary outlook, via artistic and visual practices. Ahead of our first major event on December 15, we'd lik...
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Review: On Ngọt’s Newest Album, Urban Loneliness Lingers on Mellow Strings
Ngot’s latest album brilliantly captures the band’s most appealing quality: the ability to walk the fine line between playful brightness and bitter profundity.
How The Learning Hub Creates a Space for Positive Change
Hanoi, like most big cities in this age of shared spaces, boasts a growing collection of co-working spaces and work-friendly cafes. But few take their mission as a catalyst for positive social change ...
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Review: In Ngọt’s Album '3,' Urban Loneliness Lingers on Mellow Strings
Ngot’s latest album brilliantly captures the band’s most appealing quality: the ability to walk the fine line between playful brightness and bitter profundity.
Matca's First Periodical Captures Vietnam's Only Photography Museum
Matca, a Hanoi-based photography exhibition space and an online journal, has just brought out its first physical publication, a bilingual periodical titled Có Một Làng Nghề Nhiếp Ảnh — A Vietname...
Re-Mixing DJ Gender Ratios: How Maggie Tra Gets Women on the Decks
In Hanoi’s male-dominated music industry, Maggie Tra offers an oasis for females.
Institute of Vietnamese Costumes Officially Opens in Saigon With Discussion on Áo Dài Lemur
Historical fashion enthusiasts might find the newly minted institute a choice destination to explore Vietnam’s past clothing trends.
Institute of Vietnamese Costumes Officially Opened in Saigon With Discussion on Áo Dài Lemur
Historical fashion enthusiasts might find the newly minted institute a choice destination to explore Vietnam’s past clothing trends.
In a Career First, Rapper Den Vau Announces Solo Concert This November
Tickets for the concert will be available for purchase starting from 8pm today.
Photography Exhibition Highlights Southeast Asia's Emerging Young Talents
The exhibition ‘we will have been young’ features no less than 12 emerging Southeast Asian photographers.
Vietnam to Unite Local, International Filmmakers With New Film Association
Last week, Vietnam announced the launch of its new film commission, the Vietnam Film Development Association (VFDA), during the Busan International Film Festival.
Singer Kacey Musgraves Draws Ire of Netizens for Sexualizing Áo Dài
The popular American singer may want to use her tour earnings to buy some pants.
