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.”

in Music & Arts

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.

in Culture

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.

in Travel

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...

in Loạt Soạt

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.

in Travel

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 Fashion

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).’

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

Coracle Music Festival Returns to Ho Tram for Second Edition

After a successful first edition last year, the music festival will be held on the beach in Ho Tram for the second time November 29–30.

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 9: The Turtle God of Hồ Gươm

Hanoi's lakes, including Hồ Gươm, are brimming with fish, debris and memories of historical lore. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Pets in Vietnam; the Significance of 'Ghost Month'

We're back with a new episode!

in Literature

[Short Story] 'Deviate' by Tran Thi NgH

The interplay between lust and creativity, origins of capricious desires and the relationship between art and artist: 'Deviate,' by Vietnamese-writer Tran Thi NgH explores a multitude of themes a...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 18: The Legend of Turtle Lake

The name "Turtle Lake" has more mythic origins than merely suggesting the presence of aquatic reptiles.

in Literature

'Deviate' by Tran Thi NgH

The interplay between lust and creativity, origins of capricious desires and the relationship between art and artist: 'Deviate,' by Vietnamese-writer Tran Thi NgH explores a multitude of themes a...

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Sixty Square, Hanoi's Beloved Art Quarter, Reopens After Closure Earlier This Year

Upon opening at the beginning of 2018, Sixty Square thrilled Hanoi's young creative crowd. When it suddenly closed earlier this year, it left hearts broken. Now, they're back once again. 

in Culture

This Set of Rare 20th-Century Đông Hồ Paintings Depicts a Society in Flux

The well-known woodcut folk paintings have always offered unique insights into the times during which they were produced.

in Music & Arts

Tiny Giant on New EP ‘Flying Mouse’ and Bringing Light Into Hanoi’s Greyness

The Hanoi duo’s debut release is so strong you’ll want to shout their name from the rooftops.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Deciding Where to Study Abroad; a Ride-Hailing App Update

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

LAKES’ Debut EP Is an Ambient Homage to Life in Hanoi

LAKES’ debut album draws inspiration as much from American electronic composer Tycho as it does from instrumental post-rock outfits, yet remains, thematically at least, firmly rooted in the Vietnamese...

Michael Tatarski

in Arts & Culture

'Reinvent Saigon' Asks Visitors to Reimagine the City and Themselves

Through tomorrow, the week-long Reinvent Saigon festival is taking place at five locations across the city.

in Music & Arts

To Bring Nature Into the Spotlight, an Architecture and Urbanism Festival Looks to Binh Quoi

Across Asia, urban landscapes are booming. The space they claim spreads further than ever, avidly consuming new land to cope with the influx of inhabitants and enterprises they must house.

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 8: The Golden Hooves That Formed Ho Tay

Do you know how Hanoi’s greatest lake was formed?

in Music & Arts

Limebócx: The Hanoi Duo Combining Hip-Hop, Beatboxing and Traditional Đàn Tranh

The music of Hanoi based duo Limebócx can be quite difficult to define. By taking elements of modern musical genres such as drum & bass, hip-hop, beatboxing and dub and combining them with t...

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Retro, Neon Japan of Kyoko Nakamura

These eye-catching illustrations articulate Japan's hyper dualities.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Food Authenticity Debate

The latest podcast episode is available now, and we've got a new recording sound!

in Arts & Culture

Vietnamese Version of Michelle Obama’s Memoir Released in Vietnam

On July 16, First News - Tri Viet officially released the Vietnamese version of Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Illusory, Colorful Retro Japan of Kyoko Nakamura

These eye-catching illustrations articulate Japan's hyper dualities.

in Literature

Turn Over a New Page in Hanoi's Hidden Libraries

I focused my attention on an amplifier lying on the shelf behind Hieu, the founder of Go West Library. He left his seat to retrieve a cable, and after returning he plugged his phone into the machine, ...