in Culture

[Video] Saigon, The City of Contrasts, Where Past Meets Present

  A new travelogue video featuring Saigon departs from the glossy sheen of its many travel-focused peers.

in Culture

[Illustrations] An Ode to Sữa Ông Thọ and the Games of Our Saigon Childhood

To assess how important condensed milk is in Vietnamese culture, think of cà phê sữa đá, Vietnam’s national drink that wouldn’t exist without a dollop of Sữa Ông Thọ (Mr. Longevity milk).

in Culture

From Entrepreneur to Organic Farmer: A Hmong Woman's Quest to Better Sapa

“You forgot to say ‘Uno’!” Lang Giang cheerfully exclaims before covering her mouth in laughter. It’s the twelfth time she’s caught me this trip and blocked me from winning. By this point in our trek,...

in Culture

[Photos] Local Photographer Creates Hilarious Tetraptychs of Hanoi's Common Traffic Offenses

Through the lens of photographer Pham Thanh Long, random acts of traffic law violations look almost...artistic, as ironic as that may sound.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

[Photos] A Quiet Saturday at Saigon's Greenest Tomb, Lang Ong Ba Chieu

Going from central District 1 into Binh Thanh in northern Saigon, you might have spotted the compound before: a spacious tree-lined temple flanked by four streets just a stone’s throw away from Ba Chi...

in Culture

[Photos] An Ancient Scroll Depicts the Wondrous World of Japanese Bakemono

Bakemono refers to preternatural monsters in Japanese folklore that shapeshift.

in Culture

[Video] The Eerie, Misty Quietude of Hanoi's Lakeside Parks

More often than not, videos about Hanoi focus on the dynamically frenetic city streets, leaving anywhere with a state of stillness overlooked: namely, hidden nooks in the capital's numerous lakes and ...

in Culture

[Photos] What's Inside Beloved Binh Tay Market's Glorious Comeback?

Binh Tay Market is the central market in the heart of Cho Lon, sitting on the very edge of District 6 along Thap Muoi Street.

in Culture

Hanoi Proposes Non-Smoking Areas Around Tourist Sites

The proposal was suggested for areas such as the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in an effort to make the area more welcoming to tourists.

Chris Humphrey

in Culture

[Photos] The Unbridled Joy of Hanoi’s Walking Streets

In a claustrophobic city where cramped houses huddle shoulder-to-shoulder and roads resemble battlegrounds, walking streets provide a rare breathing space for people used to clamor. More importantly, ...

in Culture

[Photos] Relish this Rare 1894 Edition of 'Truyen Kieu' Through World Digital Library

The World Digital Library allows people around the world to see high-resolution scans of the 1894 edition of The Tale of Kieu, annotated by Paul Pelliot, the famous French Sinologist, who bo...

in Culture

[Video] Revitalizing Traditional Khmer Arts With Cambodia's First Queer Dance Company

When the Khmer Rouge took power in Cambodia, their assault on the elite included murdering 90% of the country's traditional dancers. Therefore, it's astounding that only 40 years later, a group of nat...

in Culture

[Photos] Behold the Fierce Onna-Bugeisha, Japan's Badass Female Samurai

A large number of ruthless women warriors throughout Japan's history upend the popular notion that all samurai were men.  

in Culture

Tail Hair Jewelry Is a New Trend That's Hurting Vietnam's Elephants

Add demand for elephant tail hair jewelry, beside habitat loss and ivory poaching, to the list of what will likely lead to the extinction of this incredible creature. 

in Culture

Updated: Annual Walking Parade, Pride Festival Taking Place in Hanoi on October 6

Hanoi Pride 2018 features numerous cultural events and culminates in the annual walking parade. The parade was originally scheduled for September 23, but will now take place on October 6. 

in Culture

Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

As gentle as smoke, as strong as fire – lotus silk provides an alternative to silkworms that could revolutionize silk production in Vietnam.

in Culture

[Photos] An Homage to the Colorful Characters of Hanoi

There you are, waiting on the edge of the sidewalk.

in Culture

[Video] A Very Vietnam Guide to Escaping Ghostly Exes and Your 'Forever Alone' Fate

This quirky Vietnamese short video, titled Secret Fate, explaining that ghosts are the cause for Vietnam's "forever alone" community has gone viral.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

How Dép Tổ Ong Goes From Timeless Family Keepsake to Millennial Icon

Back in 2014, amid the weekly cycle of news, a particular image was more striking than most: Doctor and Professor Ngo Bao Chau stood in the middle of a makeshift classroom in a rural village in Thai N...

in Culture

New Excavation Mission in Da Nang Yields Rare 1,000-Year-Old Cham Artifacts

Elephant, snake and bird statues, as well as pieces of a tower, are amongst the 1,000-year-old relics discovered during the third archaeological endeavor in the area.