Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
[Photos] After Bánh Mì, Altar Might Be Vietnam's Next Miss Universe National Costume
Remember the bánh mì dress? She’s dead, and this horrible design murdered her.
[Illustrations] 10 Endangered Species of the World as Illustrated by a Chinese Designer
In the decade of millennials, putting endangered species on hip T-shirts might be one of the best ways to raise awareness of biodiversity.
Le Pho Painting Sets Record for Most Expensive Vietnamese Art Sold at Auction
'Nude,' or 'Nue' in French, is an oil painting by famed 20th-century Vietnamese artist Le Pho. It was recently sold for US$1.4 million, more than 2.5 times its expected value at an auction at Christie...
Vietnamese Short Awarded Illy Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2019
Director's Fortnight is an independent event running parallel to the main Cannes Film Festival, organized by the French Directors Guild starting in 1969.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Laughing Gas Debate and Our Favorite Sauces
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
[Photos] How a Taiwanese Grandpa Used Art to Save His Village From Demolition
An abandoned 1,200-household village in Taichung, Taiwan was about to be torn down, but its last resident ended up transforming it into a huge, well-known masterpiece.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 16: Rainstorm Inspiration
While the rainy season's flooded streets, soaked satchels and delayed appointments can make one curse its arrival, sometimes when the torrent hits the neon storefronts just so, it becomes a source of ...
[Photos] Saigon Boulevard: The 9 Buildings You Miss in Saigon
Lys Bui is a Saigon-born illustrator who is currently living in New York.
The Punk Badassery of Antiantiart, Hanoi's Underground Fashion Rebels
In 2014, a group of restless young Vietnamese set up Nirvana, Hanoi’s first-ever punk streetwear store. In a city known for politics, and where the thickness of history constantly reminds us of t...
Hôtel Des Arts Brings Augmented Reality to Saigon
It’s incredible to witness a familiar piece of wood be slowly shaven down to one of the world’s most admired instruments.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Direct Routes to Whimsy in 'Ticket to Childhood'
Children can “hear the music and see the colors of letters on a page — magic portals to a wilderness without fixed meanings… all adults see are the neat rows of black lines, the building blocks of def...
Amid Online Backlash, Production Company Pulls 'The Third Wife' From Theaters
After just four days in theaters, the award-winning movie The Third Wife (Nguoi Vo Ba) has stopped being screened in Vietnam due to an online controversy that’s gaining traction.
Altars, Lucky Packets and Votive Dollars: Suboi's New Video Goes Back to Basics
Sleek? Inspiring? Sexy? Slick syllable-massaging? The newest video from Vietnam's rap queen delivers on all fronts.
[Video] In 'Sông Trăng,' a Celebration of Dance and the Vietnamese Physique
Shimmering pig brains, karst-adjacent acrobatics, Hanoi flame-twirlers, "Why don't you embrace me like when we first met?"
[Video] Hanoi Circus Acrobats Show Mesmerizing Moves in Short Film 'Sông Trăng'
Shimmering pig brains, karst-adjacent acrobatics, Hanoi flame-twirlers, "Why don't you embrace me like when we first met?"
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Reading Culture and Another Viewpoint on Folk Wisdom
It's our 50th episode!
Action Blockbuster 'Hai Phuong' Will Be Released on Netflix on May 22
Hai Phuong (Furie) follows a former gangster, played by Ngo Thanh Van, trying to save her kidnapped daughter.
[Video] Saigon's Sneakerheads Kick It up a Notch in New Documentary
While relatively unknown in Vietnam, Nike's iconic Air Max sneakers are some of the most popular shoes in the world.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 15: Birthright Balance
Navigating traffic with absurdly overburdened motorbikes comes as second nature to Saigoneers.
Vietnam's Lacquer Masterpiece Damaged by Dish Soap During Cleaning
Nguyen Gia Tri's lacquer painting 'Vuon Xuan Trung Nam Bac' was named a national treasure by the Department of Cultural Heritage in 2013.
