In Nam Định, a Village Goes All out in Festivities to Honor Their Holy Ancestor
Comprising a range of ceremonies and traditional activities reflective of Vietnam’s rice-growing culture, Keo Hành Thiện Pagoda’s annual festival is a momentous occasion for locals to pay respect to t...
Century-Old Historic Villa in Đồng Nai Faces Demolition Due to Road Project
It’s yet another case of new infrastructure versus old heritage building — one of Vietnam’s most common urban planning clashes in recent years.
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.
This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans
Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Amo...
This Charming Northern-Style Country House Is Made Entirely of Mooncake
Another Trung Thu season is just around the corner, and bakeries across Vietnam are busy at work churning out thousands of mooncakes to be given out as gifts or relish at home with family and friends....
This Terracotta Workshop Makeover Sings the Praises of Vietnam's Red Bricks
A Quảng Nam brick kiln that's been operating for over twenty years has received a makeover that allows guests to get a more intimate look at the traditional craft of making terracotta.
Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges
It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
Into the Beguiling Backyard Rice Wine Distilleries of Long An
The highway eases into sand and gravel the way history descends into myth and legend when traveling towards Long An. A mere 27 kilometers outside of Saigon, the province feels a world away: the differ...
A Visit to Vụn Art, Where Disabled Artisans Turn Fabric Scraps Into Artworks
Fabric scraps, often considered industrial waste, are “revived” by members of Vụn Art cooperative by turning them into intricate silk artworks.
Meet 90-Year-Old Huỳnh Văn Ba, the Father of Hội An's Foldable Lanterns
In his 90s, Huỳnh Văn Ba’s hair has turned completely silver, but when he was telling me stories about lanterns, his voice and eyes sparkled with a particularly lively hope. Thanks to Ba’s invention —...
Weddings, Birthdays, Business Meetings, Master Classes and Community Gatherings: Villa Song Excels at Event Hosting
Sleek white flowers accented by flickering candles contrasted the lush patch of trees across the river as the sun set and the couple exchanged their vows, alternating between laughter and near-tears.&...
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.
Bringing Beauty into Event Experiences at Villa Song
“If you think you’re beautiful, but you are not in a beautiful place; it’s not perfect,” explained Arief Gunawan, Villa Song’s General Director, to a gathering of business leaders last month.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Vignette: How Bình Định's Nón Ngựa Gave Me Hope for the Tourism Industry
In 1964, when Đỗ Văn Lan was only 14 years old, a group of American soldiers spent six months at his family’s Bình Định home learning how to make nón ngựa. Once he learned that I am American, he told ...
The Hanoi Village Where Making Folding Fans Involves Every Family
One summer day, I made a trek into suburban Hanoi to Thạch Thất District. Walking along the dirt road surrounded by green maturing rice fields, I reached Chàng Sơn Village.
Linh Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: What a Tea Ceremony Taught Me About Our Lotus Tea Traditions
“The lotus is our national flower, and lotus tea is regarded as the national tea.”
Villa Song's Masterclasses Address Vietnam's Hospitality Challenges
Vietnam is facing something of a hospitality crisis.
Chris Humphrey in Society
The Rustic Beauty of Hanoi's Red River Brick Factories
Living in a city as culturally rich and absorbing as Hanoi, it’s not unusual to discover new secrets in a place you thought you knew completely. The depth of the capital really is astounding. And yet,...
Go Through Centuries of Ceramic History at Hanoi's Bát Tràng Museum
The Pottery Museum in Làng Gốm Bát Tràng (Bát Tràng Ceramics Village) showcases the cultural heritage of the village through its exhibits of the works of past and present artisans.
Premier Village Phu Quoc Resort Re-Creates the Comforts of Home for Tết Travelers
Traditionally, people have been cautioned about traveling to Vietnam during the Tết holiday as it’s a time of year for locals to return to their hometowns to visit family, and thus opportunities for e...
The Parlor at Villa Song Adds Intimate Option to Thao Dien’s Culinary Landscape
You may have noticed the elegant space filled with refined architectural details, inspiring furniture, artwork and fresh flowers. The sunlight-graced scene has been used as the background for numerous...
Aims to Harmonize Nature and Luxurious Modernity at Eden Bay Villas
Untrammeled natured teeming with lush flowers, colorful fruits and calm waters laid out beneath triumphant horizons for people to enjoy: the word Eden conjures images of joyous humans living harmoniou...
Once Home to Hanoi's Greatest Tailors, Làng Cựu Is Fading Into History
Làng Cựu, a village about 40 kilometers south of Hanoi, houses nearly 50 mansions that showcase the best of French and Sino-Vietnamese architecture from the turn of the century. It was built with the ...
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.
At Saigon's Oldest Ornamental Fish Market, Fish Are Friends, Not Food
It is a street, not a river, that comes to mind when people talk about vibrant fish in Saigon. Located in District 5, Lưu Xuân Tín Street is only approximately 500 meters long, but it is home to ...
A Merry Morning Over the Fish Markets and Salt Fields of Phan Rang
I live in Đà Lạt, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.
Mang Thít, Vĩnh Long's 'Kingdom of Brick Kilns,' Is on Its Last Legs
Along the rivers and canals of Mang Thít, clouds of smoke from the Mekong Delta’s last brick kilns languidly stream into the air.
In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil
In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.
In a D6 Hẻm, Saigon's Last Remaining Broom-Making 'Village'
Nestled in a hẻm on Phạm Phú Thứ Street, District 6 is Saigon’s last remaining broom-making village.
Marvel at These Ceramic Boots Created by Legendary Bát Tràng Artisan Vũ Đức Thắng
"The Bát Tràng Ceramic Boots. An Inspiration from Italy" exhibition will feature 12 ceramic boots created by artisan Vũ Đức Thắng, who blended Italian fashion and Bát Tràng craft traditions.
Handbook Project Empowers Local Communities to Write Their Own Cultural Narratives
“No one could sing our song but ourselves.” — Inrasra, Chăm poet and anthropologist.
Thanh Hóa Announces Mắm Tôm-Drinking Contest to Lure International Tourists
How much mắm tôm can you chug?
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 ...
[Photos] Once Upon a Time in Bát Tràng Ceramic Village
Back in the day, when Emperor Lý Thái Tổ relocated the capital from Ninh Binh to Hanoi, five famous pottery families followed. They settled in a region on the east bank of the Red River where there wa...
Linh Pham in Food Culture
For 2 Decades, a Hanoi Family Has Kept the Fire of the Bánh Chưng Pot Burning
Much like the peach blossom or the lucky money envelope, bánh chưng is a staple part of Tết.
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...
D3 Heritage Mansion to Reopen as Dining Destination in 2022
One of Saigon's great remaining heritage buildings is nearing its public debut.
Just 50km From Hanoi, Đường Lâm Village Is a Charming Historical Relic
If one were to strike out west from Hanoi and follow the Red River for some 50 kilometers, there they will find Đường Lâm Village — a quintessence of rural Vietnam.
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 ...
[Illustrations] Art Project 'Đất Bắc' Celebrates Craft Villages of Northern Vietnam
"Đất Bắc" is an awe-inspiring art collaboration between 56 Vietnamese artists, started by the Facebook page Practicus. The project seeks to honor some of northern Vietnam's most notable traditional cr...
[Photos] A Phu Tho Home Embraces Traditions and Contemporary Design
Oh, to live amongst exposed brick and polished wood.
Villa Song Pivots Towards Local Communities
When you picture one of Saigon’s luxury hotels, you likely imagine it occupied by international business travelers and families indulging in dream vacations. The last year has changed that image, and ...
[Photos] Saigon Architects Turn Old French Villa Into Judo Dojo
A team of local architects has transformed a French building into a practice hall for martial arts.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Home for Live Music and Quietude Inside an Old French Villa
If Vừng Ơi Mở Ra Cafe were a person, it would be your older, more sophisticated and welcoming friend.
A Staycation to Explore in Saigon
The dawn rays of sun falling on the Saigon River resembled miraculous flames as we approached. Across the water, green palms trees shimmered as the occasional bird flicked across the surface, singing ...
The Virtues of Cruising on the Saigon River
With sunlight shimmering on skyscrapers that stretch proudly above the horizon across from untrammeled patches of green space, Saigon appears most attractive when viewed from the river.
Brian Letwin in Development
From French Villas to Slums, Da Lat's Lost Charm
Da Lat, once a sleepy French vacation town, full of ornate villas and majestic pine forests, is in danger of losing what charm still remains. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the city’s pine tr...
Brian Letwin in Asia
Thai Villagers Detain Google Maps Car Believing Driver is a Spy
While many wish that Google Street View were available everywhere, a Village in northern Thailand does not share this opinion. Yesterday morning, A Google Maps car, mounted camera and all, was stopped...
