Enlightening Misery Under French Rule Explored in 'Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories'
Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930–1954 offers the contemporary reader an honest glimpse of a period in Vietnam history characterized by corruption, exploitation, dehumanization, pover...
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean du...
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Đa Cua Hải Phòng, a Rare Northern Treat in D10
On the way to Phú Thọ Indoor Sports Stadium in District 11, make a turn off 666/74 Ba Tháng Hai, go all the way to the far corner, and you’ll discover Triển Chiêu Quán’s bright yellow sign. Park under...
Lycée Marie Curie: The High School That Has Stood the Test of Time
Marie Curie High School, also called Lycée Marie Curie in French or Trường Trung Học Phổ Thông Marie Curie in Vietnamese, is a public high school located in Saigon’s District 3.
A Culinary Celebration of the Watermelon That Would Make Mai An Tiêm Proud
I never imagined there could be more than one way to eat a watermelon. Yet here it was, transformed beyond recognition, via a bold experiment and a deeply personal story, challenging everything I thou...
Local Designers Create Entire Family of Mascots for Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities
If given the opportunity, what would each of Vietnam's provinces select as a mascot?
Amid Saigon, a Traditional Lantern Craft Village Stands the Test of Time
Cellophane lanterns, the nostalgic anchors of our past full-moon festivals, are still alive thanks to the nimble fingers of craftspeople at the Phú Bình lantern “village” in Saigon.
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
Bimbim, Snack and Oishi: A Brief History of Vietnam's Regional Terms for Packaged Snacks
The differences between regional dialects across Vietnam is a fascinating field of research that can spawn days of discussion, but no other pairs of words has the power to mystify the internet like th...
Uyên Đỗ in Society
On Grappling With Our Complicated Bond With Single-Use Raincoats
Like many Vietnamese, I have owned more crumpled raincoats than I can count. They're the disposable kind, cinched with a few rubber bands, folded into a misshapen rectangle, then stuffed unceremonious...
Elise Lương in Architecture
To Teach Children the Importance of Play, First Bring Playgrounds Back to Hanoi
In rapidly developing urban Hanoi, finding engaging outdoor play areas for young children is near impossible. But since 2014, the social enterprise Think Playgrounds has colored public spaces across V...
'Lẽ Sống' Documentary Celebrates Strength, Resilience of Mekong Delta Women
Sometimes, just surviving is remarkable.
How 'Hãy Đợi Đấy!' Introduced a Generation Vietnamese to Glimpses of Russian Culture
It was an ordinary Saturday summer afternoon in the late 2000s, and I was sitting in my mom’s office while waiting for her to finish her work, watching YouTube on one of the computers in the room. It ...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Bánh Canh Nam Phổ, Huế's Hearty, Homey Afternoon Snack
There’s a commonly acknowledged nugget of folk wisdom amongst foodies that hole-in-the-wall eateries almost always have the best food. In the context of Vietnam’s street food landscape, this concept c...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
After Coconut and Salt, Is Peanut Butter Coffee Saigon's Next Drink Trend?
After egg coffee, coconut coffee, and salt coffee, is the next coffee trend going to be peanut butter coffee?
BVIS - A Leading International School with a Difference
What defines the British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City (BVIS)?
Paul Christiansen in Travel
In Hội An’s Pottery Museum, Mini Clay Landmarks Hold Unexpected Memories
When preparing to visit Hội An’s Thanh Hà Pottery Museum, I didn’t anticipate an opportunity to reminisce. I hadn’t been to the museum dedicated to the region’s pottery traditions before, so how could...
ONVIT’s Warm Light: A Korean Culinary Journey Through Vietnamese Terroir
Hanoi’s fine dining landscape has long been shaped by European and Japanese influences. But in August 2025, ONVIT, the first Korean fine dining restaurant in Vietnam, opened inside the Grand Pla...
Paul Christiansen in Mockups
More than a National Symbol: The Importance of Lotus for Mekong Delta Women and Ecosystems
Women in the Mekong Delta face numerous challenges, including limited access to educational opportunities and agricultural occupations threatened by the effects of climate change. A source of hope in ...
Paul Christiansen in Mockups
As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under...
Revisit the Colorful, Diverse Universe of Multinational Xe Đò in 1990s Saigon
Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 1990s will remember an era of secondhand products of mixed origins. This unique feature of daily life also extended into the transportation realm.
The Double-Edged Allure of Indochic in Postcolonial Vietnam
Bordering the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is Nguyễn Thái Học Boulevard, where a number of art shops sit side by side. Among them, tourists and visitors can find an endless supply of varying iteratio...
Hẻm Gems: The Legendary Miến Trộn That Feeds Saigon's Architecture Students
Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what m...
Review: Watch a Family's Trauma Unravel in Real Time in 'No Crying at the Dinner Table'
I had little to no expectation when I started watching No Crying at the Dinner Table, especially since the topic of generational distance in Vietnam has been discussed time and time again by many othe...
Destruction, Rebirth Enmeshed in Ngô Đình Bảo Châu’s Exhibition 'Projecting a Thought'
Darkness fills the space and a flame fiercely burns on the large screen, while dim lights and floating fabric linger behind. Ngô Đình Bảo Châu transforms domestic and bodily forms into works that expl...
Chris Humphrey in Travel
The Poetry of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam's Coastal Towns
Traveling south through central Vietnam by train can bring you to the familiar or the obscure: the Disney-fication of Hội An, the peaceful bays of Quy Nhơn, or the thrill of derelict spaces in Huế.
New 12,000-Year-Old Skeleton Breaks Record of Oldest Human Remains Found in Vietnam
After analysis, scientists believe that a 12,000-year-old set of human remains found in Ninh Bình belonged to a prehistoric man who died from infection after being struck by a quartz-tipped projectile...
Uyên Đỗ in Arts & Culture
Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers
What are our memories made of?
How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art
Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry
Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the ...
‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia
Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audi...
I Saw the World's Most Handsome Bird Right in Vietnam's Hidden Backyard
Everywhere I go in Vietnam, I keep my eyes peeled for the incredible birds that call this country home. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I scan the horizon above low hills for migrato...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so upl...
Uyên Đỗ in Hanoi
A Slice of Life in Coupon-Era Hanoi via Colorful Vintage Lottery Tickets
What can tiny sheets of paper reveal about a whole time period?
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats
As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that res...
Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist
In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I le...
Paul Christiansen in Dishcovery
Huế's Palm-Sized Bánh Mì Chuột Is the Perfect Snack for Nibbling While Walking
Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo quay, many of the most popular and delicious dishes are served in small portions that work togeth...
A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc
Signs are like voices.
Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate
A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes...
Linh Phạm in Travel
On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River
We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.
Hẻm Gems: 3 Hào, a Retro Industrial Cafe in D7 for Night Owls on Deadlines
What do you think of when imagining a cafe? For me, it's plants in every corner, small and cute paintings that adorn the walls, or a light- and neutral-colored space that brings a sense of peace to cu...
In 1920s–1940s Paris, Vietnamese Artists Painted Through the Interwar Period as the 'Others'
How did Vietnamese artists navigate the complex tides of social and political changes, and mark their own position in the art world as the “Others” during interwar Paris — which was celebrated as the ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
The Surprisingly Recent History Behind Bình Thạnh's Lonely 'Gia-Đinh' Gate
It’s claimed by several tourism websites that a gateway from one of the ancient Gia Định citadels has survived and may be viewed on the Lê Văn Duyệt-Phan Đăng Lưu intersection in Bình Thạnh District, ...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
5 Saigon Coffee Shops Based in Buildings With Southern Modernist Architecture
Saigon is a cafe enthusiast’s paradise. A decades-old coffee culture fostered by previous generations is still alive and well, in addition to the latest global trends brought over by the younger gener...
The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope
Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?
In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity, Gender Fluidity Too
“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by ...
Vietnam's Colonial Histories Reimagined as Fictional Adventure Tale in ‘The Year Is XXXX’
We often encounter adventure tales in books and through adaptations of films or television. But what if a newly imagined adventure tale can also be written as an exhibition — one that maps strange-yet...
The Legends of Thăng Long Tứ Trấn, the 4 Guardian Temples Protecting Hanoi
In the edict to move Vietnam’s capital to Hanoi, Emperor Lý Thái Tổ described this land as the middle of heaven and earth, the center of the four directions. Such a place would bring peace and prosper...
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Bún Bò in Huế That Rivals Even Saigon's Best Bún Bò Huế
Plastic stools circling low metal tables. Staff wearing pajamas and street clothes that match patrons welcomed from all walks of life. Meagre and/or mismatched decor. Views of street traffic with moto...
Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance '129BPM' to Perform at Art Festival in Malaysia in August
After two successful nights in Saigon last year, a mesmerizing contemporary hip-hop dance performance is bringing its raw energy abroad.
Tuyết Nhi in Travel
Visit a 160-Year-Old Chapel Inside Saigon's Historic St. Joseph's Seminary
Hidden within the compound of the Saigon St. Joseph’s Seminary is a historic chapel that has withstood the test of time.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
The Surprising Japanese Origin Behind the Vietnamese Term 'Ô Sin'
It’s not uncommon to come across words in everyday conversations that have roots in the French language. Albeit less frequently, a handful of Russian and English loan words have also made their way in...
Uyên Đỗ in Tech
There's a Cordial Vietnamese Greeting That Has Been Floating in Space Since 1977
At this very moment, while you're reading these lines, a silver “bird” of human design is hurtling away from the Sun at roughly 60,000 kilometers per hour, slipping past the boundaries of our solar cr...
Feel the Pulse of a Fast-Changing Vietnam in the 1990s via This Lively Photo Album
By the mid-1990's, Vietnam's astounding economic transformation was well underway.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Remembering Thuy Trang, the First Vietnamese Power Ranger
It was the late 1990s, and I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror of our childhood home, holding my dad’s solid-metal belt buckle up with a pseudo-serious expression on my baby face. Fortunate...
Paul Christiansen in Environment
How a Self-Taught Documentarian Spreads His Boundless Enthusiasm for Vietnam's Nature
Why “Sticky Discovery”? This was the first question I asked during my interview with the man behind the YouTube series of nature documentaries. His name is Dính, given by his paternal grandmother beca...
In 'Vietnam Retropunk,' a Young Illustrator Dreams of a Cyberpunk Hanoi
To Đặng Thái Tuấn, the talent behind illustration project “Vietnam Retropunk,” whimsical depictions of robots and animatronics sprouting out from everyday objects and activities embody the space in be...
A Story of Personal, Political Reckoning in a Singaporean Writer's Fictional Wartime Vietnam
The Immolation first came to me as a bewildering surprise: at a now-relocated bookshop in Singapore, the book caught the eyes of the 17-year-old me. It was not so much the cover’s pale blue background...
Street Cred: Dauntless Antiwar Icon Nguyễn Thái Bình and His Tragic Death
If one were to see the streets of Vietnam as a tangled network of people whose names they took, every city would resemble a messy collection of historical fragments.
Hẻm Gems: Chè Lâm Vinh Mậu Anchors the Last Remaining Hoa Vestiges of D1
Whenever I come back to Vietnam, it is a personal ritual of mine to visit locales of the past. As clichéd as it sounds, as I have been abroad in Singapore for six years, returning to Vietnam is almost...
In a D7 Residence, Natural Wood Textures Hark Back to Vietnam's Traditional Homes
During a new decade when architecture projects in Vietnam are increasingly looking towards the future and influences outside the national boundaries for inspirations, Memories House decided to do the ...
Xuân Phương in Culture
Under the Sky, Above the Water: Into the Heat at Ninh Thuận's Salt Fields
A 3,000-kilometer coastline is one of nature’s best gifts to Vietnam, bringing about not just ample seafood, but also a motherlode of sea salt.
Khôi Phạm in Dishcovery
A Tale of Three Chè Bột Lọc Heo Quay, Central Vietnam's Unique Savory Dessert
Why am I so obsessed with chè bột lọc heo quay?
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Enter the Dreamy Tales Told by the Works of Young Illustrator Thố Đầu • Hổ Vĩ
Being born at the cusp of the Year of the Rabbit (cat) and the Year of the Tiger offers the literal meaning for Hoàng Phúc's artist name, thố đầu • hổ vĩ, but he hopes it carries a metaphorical one, a...
Linh Phạm in Hanoi
Street Cred: Pháo Đài Láng, Home of Ông Voi and Where the War Began
More often than not, a country’s independence is won with guns. The location where the first shots were fired for Vietnam is memorialized to this day.
Xuân Phương in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Bodacious Bún Riêu Ốc Bò at Hanoi's 25-Year-Old Bún Bình Huyền
On the transient days when Hanoi’s weather morphs from winter to summer, the monsoon winds carry with them the drizzles of an in-between time. This cool climate evokes within me a yearning for some wa...
Khôi Phạm in Travel
Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River
As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes ...
More Than Just Prosperity, Ông Địa Is My Personal Patron Saint of Misplaced Things
I was maybe seven when I first clasped my hands and whispered a plea to Ông Địa.
The Charming 1990s Nostalgia in the Phim Mì Ăn Liền Cinematic Universe
If you lurk around online discussions of Vietnamese cinema, you probably have stumbled upon the term phim mì ăn liền, or “instant noodles films.” This popular Vietnamese expression describes local mot...
Paul Christiansen in Sports
Thống Nhất Stadium Offers Unexpected Opportunities to Reflect Upon the Soul
Where do you find revelation?
Xu Xoa, the Sweet, Gingery Dessert Soothing the Heat of Central Vietnam Summers
If Saigoneers often turn to sương sâm (leaf jelly) or sương sáo (grass jelly) as refreshments on hot days, the choice of residents of provinces along the central coast is xu xoa. Chunks of translucent...
Where to Rest Your Head Between Đà Nẵng and Hội An
Beach or mountains? Entertainment-rich city, sleepy small town charm or secluded resort? Accommodations with opportunities for luxurious indulgences or cozy spaces for bonding? When planning vacations...
A Collection of Scenes in 1964 Saigon, Bến Tre, Biên Hòa on Film
In 1964, Saigon’s Phù Đổng Roundabout didn’t feature the towering bronze statue of folk hero Thánh Gióng. Instead of the congestion hot spot the intersection is known as today, it was actually spaciou...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
An Homage to the Sounds of Saigon Past That Are Going Extinct
After someone or something reaches the end of their days, which aspects of their existence in the minds of those who remain would be the first to succumb to the erosive brush of time? Is it sight, sme...
Chùa Một Cột in Thailand Reminds Me of the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Land
On my last full day in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was on a mission to catch the sunset, although the cloudy and gloomy sky didn’t give me much hope. Instead, I randomly stumbled upon a gate with signs wri...
I Grew up With Print Newspapers and Magazines. Now, They're Disappearing.
Print media was a crucial part of my childhood and a friend that opened a window into a vivid world of knowledge that was fascinatingly strange in the eyes of young me. But right at this moment when I...
Xuân Phương in Culture
In Tây Hồ, an Artisan Community Holds Fast to Their Lotus Tea Traditions
Every sip of lotus tea encapsulates all the essences of the natural landscapes of Tây Hồ.
Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels
In our previous article on Vietnam’s southern citadels, we covered a mix of ancient structures and those constructed just before the dawn of French colonization of Indochina. In particular, we fo...