in Culture

For Vietnam's Busy Buddhists, Spiritual Teaching Is Just a Click Away With Online Temples

Boon or bane: spiritual service delivered to your nearest digital device.

in Culture

[Photos] Skaters Descend on Ly Thai To Park for Annual ‘Go Skateboarding Day’

Go Skateboarding Day is an official annual holiday for skaters around the globe. The occasion is all about celebrating skateboarding communities and, at Ly Thai To Park last Thursday, more than 100 sk...

in Culture

[Video] Powerful, Atmospheric Short Film Explores the Lives of Hanoi’s Street Kids

Filmmaker Dan Sadgrove is known for making atmospheric short films about travel, culture and wildlife. In his latest, he explores the lives of street kids in Hanoi, and the support they receive from l...

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Tale of the Coconut Skull Is a Perfect Balance of Weird, Heart and Family-Friendly Moral Lessons

Vietnamese folklore takes the old adage “beauty is only skin-deep” very seriously.

in Culture

In Binh Duong, This Ficus-Motorbike Entanglement Is a Local 'Celebrity'

Who would have thought that neglect and general wear and tear could result in a wonderfully weird local attraction?

Chris Humphrey

in Culture

[Photos] In Tho Ha Village, Locals Work From Dawn to Create Rice Paper

A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Tho Ha, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets. 

in Culture

The Evolution of Vietnamese Beauty Through Old Ads

Vintage cosmetic advertising and magazine covers depicting perceptions of Vietnamese beauty tell not only Saigon's, but Vietnam's feminine spirit in years gone by. Whether plain or in full color, each...

in Culture

In Bắc Giang, 'Mudball' Is a Centuries-Old Festive Sport

Held once every four years, the mud wrestling festival in Vân Village in Bắc Giang Province is one of the most dramatic and unique festivals in all of Vietnam.

in Culture

A Visit to Hanoi's Birdsong Clubs: Have You Heard the Call of the Oriental White-Eye?

Birdsong clubs, a tradition originating from China, are one of Hanoi’s hidden gems. If you’re willing to really look for them, it’s possible to find huge collections of birds kept in finely decorated ...

in Culture

Researchers Discover 1,000-Year-Old Cham Architectural Remnants in Binh Dinh

Twenty years ago, the Cha Ray Temple ruins were identified as an excavation area along with 14 others in Binh Dinh.

in Culture

[Video] The Drag Queens Firing Up Hanoi's Nightlife

For over two months, a tantalizing new event has been firing up Hanoi's nightlife: drag queens in burlesque outfits death dropping on stage.

in Culture

Inside the 170-Year-Old Homestead of Vuong Hong Sen, Vietnam's Famed Historian

This noble house is one of Saigon's dormant treasures. Dating back to 1848, it once hosted a notable Saigoneer, Vuong Hong Sen, and his family now calls it home. The lives of its current inhabitants i...

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore

In 1799, the ferocious Tay Son army forced the first Nguyen Emperor, Nguyen Anh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship...

in Culture

[Video] The Elaborate 'Holy Tower' of Caodaism in the Outskirts of Tay Ninh

In Tay Ninh Province’s Hoa Thanh District, a sizable community of Cao Dai followers lives thanks to the existence of the religion’s major temple, the Cao Dai Holy See.

in Culture

[Photos] A Trip to District 12's Stunning Japanese-Inspired Monastery

If you’re looking for a peaceful escape not far from the city, District 12’s Khanh An Monastery is just the place for you.

in Culture

Vietnam to Translate Sanskrit Texts at My Son Sanctuary Into Vietnamese, English

Sanskrit texts inscribed on the steles at the My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Hoi An, will be translated with help from Indian experts.

in Culture

[Video] Lanterns on the River at Saigon's Dieu Phap Pagoda

For Saigon’s Chinese community, the first full moon of the lunar year is an event of paramount importance. They believe that whatever you do to commemorate the occasion will have an overarching impact...

in Culture

[Video] At a Hero's Tomb, Vibrant Vietnamese Opera Mesmerizes Passersby

The first full moon of the lunar year is a big deal for Saigon’s Chinese community.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Legends of Tam Nương: Why You Shouldn't Start a Business on the 7th Day of Tet

There’s little doubt that superstition is still deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. These silvery threads of mysticism are woven into a plethora of aspects of locals’ daily lives, ranging from rather...

Khoi Pham

in Culture

[Illustrations] How Tet Traditions in Saigon and Hanoi Differ, From Booze to Bánh

How one’s family celebrates Tet can reveal a lot about where they hail from.