BackStories » Vietnam

in Environment

Nguyễn Văn Thái Becomes Vietnam's 2nd Goldman Environmental Prize Winner

He has dedicated his life to fighting wildlife poaching in Vietnam.

in Vietnam

2 Vietnamese Academics Receive Noam Chomsky Award for Scholarly Contributions

Two academics from Vietnam have recently been honored for their contributions in scholarly publications to further trans-national research.

in Film & TV

'Canh Dong Hoang' Cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba Passes Away at 93

Most famously known for his part in making the film Canh Dong Hoang (The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone) in 1979, cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba died of old age at 1:50pm on June 1, 2020, at the age o...

in Film & TV

Award-Winning Film 'Rom' to Hit Theaters in Vietnam on July 31

After eight years in development and months of not knowing whether the movie would be allowed to be screened, the filmmakers behind Rom can now heave a sigh of relief.

in Sports

Coach Park Hang-Seo Plans to Open Football Academy in Vietnam

He aims to remain in Vietnam after his coaching contract ends.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam's London Design Biennale Artwork Now Available for Viewing in Hanoi

On display in Vietnam for the first time, installation work 'Khải' marked Vietnam's first participation in the London Design Biennale.

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Local Designer Turns Vietnam's Endangered Species Into Geometric Stamps

Beautiful illustrations of animals on stamps take on a mournful tone within the context of extinction.

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Professor Among 10 Winners of Prestigious European Mathematics Prize

A Vietnamese professor recently clinched a prestigious prize for young individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of mathematics.

in Film & TV

[Video] Hanoi Studio Turns Local Student's Drawings Into Kickass Earth Day Animation

Don’t you wish that every time 10-year-old you came up with a kickass comic, a team of veteran artists would step in to turn it into a professional animated short?

in Food Culture

[Photos] A Saigon Studio Made 'Cơm Tấm' Out of Discarded Styrofoam and Sponges

Are you tired of your trash looking plain-ol' trashy and your food too temporal and foody? 

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Saigoneer's Guide to What to Read While Social Distancing

“In good times arts are magical, and in tough times they are essential. That’s when you need them the most. Art makes you human.”

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside a New School for Lao Cai Children, Built by Hanoi Architects

While some students in Saigon bemoan slow internet that hampers their distance education at home, there are communities in Vietnam’s remote areas whose only school can barely withstand the elements.

in Music & Arts

A Slovak-Vietnamese Photographer Explores Her Own Hybridity Through Food

A feeble limb of cucumber supports a plastic cup filled with mango pulp. Enoki strands grow out of the orange mush, hoisting up a sheet of bánh tráng. The translucent rice paper bends, as if wilting, ...

Khoi Pham

in Tech

How 2 Vietnamese Software Engineers Created a Site to Track the Covid-19 Outbreak

What have you accomplished today while practicing social distancing at home? Did you work on the family’s trellises of gourds, attempt to whisk up a frothy glass of dalgona coffee, or learn a new lang...

in Film & TV

Iconic Novel ‘Số Đỏ’ by Vu Trong Phung Is Being Adapted for the Screen

Production on the film adaptation of Vu Trong Phung's satirical masterpiece Số Đỏ, or Dumb Luck, is set to begin this August.

Michael Tatarski

in Architecture

From Nature, Vietnam Slowly Forges Its Own Brand of Contemporary Architecture

When it comes to architecture in Saigon, a tiny fraction of buildings receive the vast majority of attention.

in Literature

[Video] This New Animated Adaptation of 'Truyen Kieu' Will Brighten up Your Day

What would a millennial take on Truyen Kieu, or The Tale of Kieu in English, look like? The answer is adorable characters, cartoonish effects and facetious narration by veteran comedian Quang Thang.

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Teacher Among 50 Finalists for Global Teacher Prize 2020

The Global Teacher Prize is an annual award given out by the Varkey Foundation, a global philanthropic organization based in the UK.

in Film & TV

Shot in Saigon, 'Monsoon' Stars Henry Golding as a Gay British-Vietnamese

Monsoon centers on a gay Vietnam-born British man named Kit as he returns to his home country.

in Food Culture

[Illustrations] A Playful Look Into Vietnamese Ingredients by Lucia Pham

Lucia Pham has created a set of four illustrations of Vietnamese cuisine featuring whimsical, personified ingredients. 

in Sports

Nguyen Van Duong Is Vietnam's First Boxer to Qualify for the Olympics in 32 Years

With an impressive performance at the qualifiers in Jordan, Nguyen Van Duong has become the first Vietnamese boxer to qualify for the Olympics in 32 years. 

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] An Art Book of Watercolor Saigon Sketches 3 Years in the Making

How envious we are of those who can render in great detail paper scenes that otherwise could only be accessed through one’s memory.

in Film & TV

'The Third Wife' Nominated for 3 Independent Spirit Awards

The controversial film got nods for Best Cinematography and Best Editing, while director Ash Mayfair was nominated as 'someone to watch.'

in Film & TV

Japanese Anthology Film 'Angel Sign' Adapts 2 Comics by Vietnamese Manga Artists

A new cinematic anthology by Japanese author Tsukasa Hojo will feature storylines by two Vietnamese manga artists.

in Architecture

Vo Trong Nghia Studio Wins Dezeen’s 'Architect of the Year' Award

Vo Trong Nghia and his studio have established a reputation both in Vietnam and elsewhere for incorporating local and inexpensive materials in their designs.

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species

Amid increasing awareness of the environmental and health dangers of plastic, a creative new group has joined the fight against this global scourge.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Beauty of Saigon Street Carts Through the Eye of Its Beholder

It’s easy to take Saigon street cart culture for granted, but it only takes the discerning eyes of an artist to remind us once again why these carts are the cornerstone of our urban tapestry.

Paul Christiansen

in Society

How to Juggle Newfound Attention as an Introvert and One of Forbes' 30 Under 30

With a devious grin on her face, Hau snatched the oversized plush pillow resembling a tree trunk from my hands, exclaiming, “Mine! And third steal so no one can take it away.”

in Architecture

[Photos] Viettel's New Offside Studio Is a Fusion of Geometry and Nature

Viettel is one of Vietnam’s largest telecommunication companies. Mentions of its name usually conjure up the vision of a steadfastly traditional conglomerate that’s omnipresent but uninteresting. That...

in Society

Who Are the Four Vietnamese in Forbes 30 Under 30 List 2019?

The annual 30 Under 30 Asia by Forbes shortlists 300 brilliant millennials from 2,000 entries in the Asia-Pacific region, and four Vietnamese made it onto this year’s compilation.

in Literature

'Your Shirt Button' and 'I Wander Alone' by Nguyen Quang Than

"You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece."

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 Music & Arts

[Illustrations] A Halcyon Hanoi Through Artist Pham Anh's Ultra-Realistic Oil Paintings

Living in the same neighborhood for an extended period of time can lead one to take it for granted. But it only requires the perspective of an artistically inclined outsider to make you fall in love w...

in Music & Arts

High School Student Gives Vietnam's History Textbooks a Sleek Makeover

This bold makeover project of Vietnam’s history textbooks might make you wish you were in school once again.

in Music & Arts

Q&A: How A O Show Creative Director Tuan Le Actualized His Vision for Performance Art in Vietnam

Some may say that modern performance art in Vietnam looks the way it does thanks to the works of Tuan Le and his colleagues. Almost two decades into a series of smashing theatrical successes across th...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] A Whimsical Collection of Vietnam's Most Iconic Architecture Styles in Pixel Form

Have you ever wondered what Vietnam would look like as the setting of a vintage RPG game?

in Arts & Culture

Dragonfly Theater Brings Award-Winning Broadway Comedy ‘Lend Me a Tenor’ to Saigon

On Saturday morning, in a small studio at Asia Music & Performing Arts Education, members of the Dragonfly Theater Company were frantically getting ready for rehearsal. On the floor were makeshift sta...

in Society

Meet Vietnam's First-Ever Female UN Peacekeeper in South Sudan

In just a few days, Vietnam’s first-ever female United Nations (UN) peacekeeper will depart from Hanoi for her mission in South Sudan.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] World-Famous Divas Meet Saigon Street Food

Vietnam’s cybersphere is a magical place.

in Vietnam

Vo Trong Nghia Wins Prestigious Prince Claus Award

Vo Trong Nghia, Vietnam’s resident starchitect, recently clinched the coveted 2016 Prince Claus Award, which rewards artists and organizations for their contribution to local culture and development.

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: Ho Xuan Huong, a Woman Ahead of Her Time

Despite being one of Vietnam’s most prominent classical poets, Ho Xuan Huong’s existence remains an enigma to this day.