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...
[Photos] In An Giang, Buddhist Devotees Gather to Observe Uposatha Day
In September, Buddhists in An Giang Province gathered at Tuk Phos Pagoda in Tri Ton District to observe Uposatha day together.
Despite Drama at Home, Vietnamese Film 'Rom' Wins Important Award at Busan Film Fest
Despite legal issues at home, Vietnamese feature film Rom was awarded the top prize in the New Currents category at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) last week.
Vietnam Removes ‘Abominable’ From Cinemas Over Scene Showing East Sea Map
Vietnamese culture officials have pulled the DreamWorks animated film Abominable from cinemas after viewers discovered a scene showing China’s ‘nine-dash line’ in the East Sea.
Saigoneer Podcast: Instagram's Impact on Tourism; the Power of 'Made in Vietnam'
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Tran Kim Ngoc, a Pioneer of Experimental Music and Mixed-Media Art in Vietnam
Experimental music composer, mixed media artist, multi-instrumental performer, pianist and singer, theater-music composer, improvisational sound artist: describing the work of a key figure of the Viet...
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Groundbreaking Saigon Art Project Unites History, Coffee and Rice
Without notice, a gust of July rain swept through the museum of animals and plants' foyer, knocking down several paintings, strewing paper coffee cups and shattering the monitor that had been pla...
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Photos] QUA, a New Exhibition Space and Art Center, Opens Within HRC
Following the opening of Manzi’s new exhibition space, another new cultural space, ‘QUA,’ opened its doors last weekend within Hanoi Rock City.
A Look Inside Manzi's New Contemporary Art Exhibition Space
Manzi, one of Hanoi’s most well-known artistic hubs and a draw for creative crowds, is expanding.
Photographer Hon Hoang on Returning to His 'Foreign Hometown' After 11 Years
Saigon is changing so quickly that people who were born here can feel as if they are returning to a foreign land after years away.
Khoi Pham in Film & TV
Review: When Indie Music Meets Indie Cinema on a Grab in Saigon
In today’s aggressive stream of Marvel blockbusters, doll- and shark-themed horror flicks, and gratuitous comedies, Troi Sang Roi, Ta Ngu Di Thoi (Good Morning and Good Night) is like a stubborn wild ...
Saigoneer Podcast: Victim-Blaming in 2019; the Rising Indie Music Scene
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Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Through Vietnam's Stories of Coffee and Rice, a Trio Finds Where Art and History Meet
Without notice, a gust of July rain swept through the museum of animals and plants' foyer, knocking down several paintings, strewing paper coffee cups and shattering the monitor that had been pla...
[Illustrations] Vibrant Woodcut Prints Highlight Hoi An's Colorful Aesthetic
Attitudes towards Hoi An differ wildly, yet whether one considers the town a Disneyfied playground or a genuine haven harking back to a bygone era, its aesthetic appeal is undeniable.
This Saturday, 'Citizen Earth' Event Aims to Address Environment Issues
Citizen Earth, a new project run by Six Space, is set to kick off in Hanoi this weekend.
How Real Clothes Expanded from a Small Family Business to a Major Clothing Company
The whir of a sewing machine accompanied Thao’s childhood mornings.
[Video] Le Cat Trong Ly's New Music Video, a Career First, Is a Love Letter to Africa
For an artist of Le Cat Trong Ly’s caliber, it’s remarkable that the recently premiered music video for ‘Tám Chữ Có’ (There Were) is the first-ever of her career. But then again, Ly is more special th...
Tran Huu Trang Theater Stages Free Shows to Draw Audience to Cải Lương
Like many traditional forms of theatrical arts in Vietnam, cải lương faces dwindling viewership in today’s society, a problem that theater owners are trying to rectify by offering free shows.
[Photos] The Vietnamese Origami Master Turning Paper Into Lively Artwork
For the average Joe, a paper crane is perhaps the most advanced foray they could undertake into the intricate art of origami. Artist Nguyen Hung Cuong, however, has managed to transcend the limits of ...
London Symphony Orchestra to Play at Ly Thai To Park on October 5
The famed London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is coming to Hanoi for their third performance in the city.
Saigoneer Podcast: Convenience Stores Take Over Saigon; Social Media Literacy
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