From Oral Lore to a Mini Encyclopedia of Folk Demons, Ghosts, and Restless Spirits
River entities hiding the bodies of drowned victims, spectral ma lai whose head and guts hover in the air, ma trành spirits luring unassuming victims into the path of tigers, or the ghosts of a family...
Linh Pham in Culture
Banana Island Is a Peaceful Oasis Amid Hanoi, but for How Much Longer?
As the xe ôm is about to reach the halfway point of Long Biên Bridge, I tell him to stop.
An Exploration of H'Mông Fashion Through the Eyes of a Young H'Mông Curator
Combining elements of the traditional and the modern, Hnubflower and her collaborators have brought to life a project to recreate the fashion of many H’Mông communities in provinces across Vietnam.
The Collector Preserving Decades of Saigon History, From Vintage Brands to Pandemic Memories
"A Việt Kiều customer living in France paid me a visit. She looked at my sofa and started tearing up because its design was so similar to one she had in her childhood home. She said she missed home an...
In Chợ Lớn, Leaf-Wrapped Rice Dumplings Abound Every Tết Đoan Ngọ
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is a day of great importance in Chinese communities all over Asia.
How Châu Đốc's Chăm Muslim Community Celebrates Ramadan
Vietnam's recent four-day holiday coincided with observations of Ramadan this year.
Here Are the Fabulous Finalists of Miss Universe's National Costume Design Competition
From feng shui to bánh tráng trộn, the chosen designers find their inspiration everywhere.
Handbook Project Empowers Local Communities to Write Their Own Cultural Narratives
“No one could sing our song but ourselves.” — Inrasra, Chăm poet and anthropologist.
In Hòa Bình, a Social Enterprise Supports Vietnam's Last Remaining Paper Artisans
As aid to Vietnamese communities decreases, how do we continue to preserve cultural heritage? Zó Project, an organization based out of Hanoi, offers a compelling example of the role social enterprise ...
Linh Pham in Culture
The Wall, a Costume, and a Nation's Identity: How the First Áo Dài Came to Be
How does a nation represent itself to the world?
Chris Humphrey in Culture
At Hanoi's Thousand-Year-Old Flute Kite Festival, Melodies and Prayers Cross the Sky
Passed down by village forefathers since the Dinh Dynasty, Ba Duong Noi Village’s kite festival has become a source of pride for the local community. With three bamboo flutes attached to each kite, it...
In Remembrance of Saigon Street Calls Past
Drowned out by the noises of modernization, sounds that once served as the background to a simpler time have begun to shrink, and eventually become lost in the wheel of progress. Tiếng rao, or street ...
Praying for Good Weather, Bac Giang-Style
My friends said that they were going to a festival which happens every four years, and that it would be great for photographs. I knew nothing more.
The Mud-Tastic Fun of An Giang's Cattle Race Festival
Every year when the 8th lunar month comes around, people from different walks of life gather in the land of Seven Mountains (Bay Nui) to immerse themselves in the jubilant atmosphere of the bare,...
How to Make a Bamboo Basket Boat, as Demonstrated by Phú Yên Artisans
As part of the sweltering south-central coast, Phu Yen Province has cultivated strong roots in the arts of gathering and rearing seafood.
Basket Boats: A Key Part of Everyday Life in Coastal Vietnam
Vietnam’s narrow tube houses come from the feudal era and the tax policy in effect at the time. The feudal state charged a fee based on the width of the street-facing facade to collect taxes, pushing ...
An Ode to Gối Ôm, Our Time-Honored Sleeping Companion
There’s a scene in The Sound of Music, where Julie Andrews gazes into the future on a stormy night and envisions something holy: play clothes. She wraps herself in her bedroom curtains, a stuffy ...
Đại Việt Kỳ Nhân: When Vietnam's Prolific History Meets Board Game
After copious exchanges with friends from abroad, Tô Quốc Nghị had a flash of realization: just like his friends’ countries, Vietnam has always had a wicked awesome history, but the dull, uninspiring ...
Vietnam's Female Comics Show How to Unapologetically Be Yourself on Stage
In recent years, Vietnamese women have gained a foothold in Vietnam’s comedy scene, despite it largely being dominated by men. But as the industry grows, the evidence of a gender gap seems to be incre...
For Vietnam's Millennials, Sneakers Reflect American Ideals, Self-Expression and Nostalgia
My memories of sneakers date back to when I was halfway through 7th grade, when a pair of Chuck Taylor All Star 70’s was given to me by my parents to commemorate my good end-of-semester results. The s...
