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 from a number of designers, brands, and interest groups that appreciate the country’s history and traditions.
In the Mekong Delta, Đồ Bộ Is Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Despite its humble beginning as something worn just for convenience’s sake, đồ bộ has entered every minute of life in the Mekong Delta as a staple fashion choice that’s both flexible and colorful. Đồ bộ means “set outfit” in Vietnamese, a type of female casualwear made of soft, thin fabrics that often comes in a top and long bottom combo. They’re sometimes referred to as “Vietnamese pajamas,” but these comfortable sets can be worn at any time of the day and even outside, not just reserved for sleep like pajamas.
Nguyễn Đổng Chi's Classic Retelling of Vietnam's Fairy Tales, Now in English
Folklorist and anthropologist Nguyễn Đổng Chi dedicated decades to weaving a significant portion of Vietnam’s folklore tapestry. He collected, researched, and rewrote over 200 Vietnamese folktales from all corners of the country. His work, initially scattered across five volumes published individually and consecutively over 25 years, appeared as a complete anthology in 1982. Guided by a comprehensive treatise of Vietnamese folktale, Chi’s Kho tàng truyện cổ tích Việt Nam (Treasury of Vietnamese Folk Tales) might be daunting for readers drawn to Vietnamese folklore but disenchanted by rigorous academic discourse.
Kit Humphrey in Travel
In Thổ Hà Village, Rice Paper Spills Onto the Streets and Wraps Around Daily Life
A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Thổ Hà, Bắc Giang Province, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.
Carol Kim Brings to Life Rare Performance of 'Tại Vắng Anh' Thanks to Saigon Jazz Revival
The rich, bluesy ‘Tại vắng anh,’ written by Tuấn Khanh, was performed by Carol Kim this past November at Saigon Jazz Revival's inaugural concert in New Orleans.
Cliché or Parody? Orientalist Readings of Nam Le’s ‘36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem’
One may be surprised to learn that Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer-winning novel The Sympathizer was rejected by 13 out of 14 publishers before its eventual publication. He describes in an interview why he believes his novel was rejected by all but one publisher he submitted to: “I knew in writing the novel that I was deliberately not doing what I was supposed to do as an Asian American writer, which is [...that] you have to end on a note of Americanization. You have to end on an embrace of the American dream, explicitly or implicitly. And the novel does not do that.” He comments elsewhere along similar lines, “I refuse[d] to subscribe to dominant American narratives and mythologies that allow someone like me a very narrow space to speak.”
Pete Walls in Travel
Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina
Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.
Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges
As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.
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'
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
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
The latest Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
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
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
“Made in Vietnam” Reinvisioned via Pretty Simple’s Sustainable Vegan Leather Bags
The term “Made in Vietnam” adorns clothing and accessories enjoyed by millions of people around the world, as Vietnam’s textile industry generates a whopping US$40 billion a year, constituting...
[Illustrations] Whimsical Vignettes of Everyday Hanoian Street Scenes
The menacing, irritating presence of a black SUV in a narrow alleyway, rain-soaked commuters, bird-like characters riding motorbikes in the capital; Olivier Blanchin's vision of Hanoi is quotidian and...
