The Splendor of Hát Bội, as Depicted in Vintage Posters for the 1889 Paris World's Fair
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- Published on 09 May 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Top image by Simona Nguyễn. Images courtesy of Ngọc Nguyễn.
From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, hát bội left a major mark on the hearts and minds of many viewers, including French colonizers. The French brought this form of folk performance art to the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, a world’s fair organized to showcase international cultures. Scenes of hát bội can be seen on promotional materials, souvenirs, and lithograph prints from back then.
Mangroves: The Everyday Superheroes Protecting Vietnam Against Climate Change
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- Published on 05 May 2022
- Written by Michael Tatarski. Graphics by Phan Nhi, Hannah Hoàng and Simona Nguyễn.
When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?
Ngõ Nooks: At Ốc Cô Nhung, an Affordable Five-Course Banquet of Snails and Snacks
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- Published on 28 April 2022
- Written by Linh Phạm. Photos by Linh Phạm.
If there is a restaurant in Hanoi that embodies the proverb “good wine needs no bush,” it’s Ốc cô Nhung. Though in this case, instead of wine, it is snails.
Wind, Sun and the Ocean: The Aerial Thrills of Paragliding Over Đà Nẵng
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- Published on 27 April 2022
- Written by Quang Hiệu Đặng. Photos by Quang Hiệu Đăng. Top image by Hannah Hoàng.
Paragliding means heaving in a lungful of air, bracing against a gale’s resistance, letting one’s mind ponder the vastness of the ocean below, floating in the middle of the sky, and — for me this time — taking film photos.
A Letter From Saigoneer
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- Published on 27 April 2022
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
Saigoneers ơi!
Vọng Cảnh, the Picturesque Hill in Huế That Even Emperors Cherished
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- Published on 26 April 2022
- Written by Tran Duy Minh. Photos by Tran Duy Minh.
The poetic Hương River flows calmly, the fresh air and breeze whisper through the lush pine forest, a coming sunset colors the peaceful natural spectacle. All of this can be experienced during a late-afternoon visit to Huế's Vọng Cảnh Hill.
'Spring Roll Dream,' a Short Film by Vietnamese Director Mai Vu, Is Screening at Cannes Festival
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- Published on 25 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
A short film directed by a Vietnamese director will be screened as part of the upcoming Cannes Film Festival.
Saigoneer Podcast: A Look Back and a Farewell (for Now)
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- Published on 25 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Sad times.
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Ocean Vuong Asks Questions in 'Time Is a Mother'
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- Published on 20 April 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Fame and poetry rarely go together.
[Photos] T3 Architects Turned a Modernist Villa Into a Celebration of Chocolate
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- Published on 19 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Looks like we'll be working remote today.
[Photos] Look Back at Hanoi's Nội Bài Airport in 1995
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- Published on 18 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
In February, 1995, Yuichi Kobayashi, a Japanese businessman, came to Vietnam with a mission to set up a factory here.
Inside the Backbreaking Work of Quảng Ninh's Coal Miners
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- Published on 15 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Đồng Hiếu.
“I am a person with two skin tones.”
Local Photographer Recreates Mai Trung Thứ Paintings in Fashion Shoot
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- Published on 14 April 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Photos courtesy of Minh Sơn.
In hopes of recreating the paintings of silk master Mai Trung Thứ, photographer Minh Sơn and his collaborators have done something extraordinary with this photo collection. The resulting works bear striking resemblance to their painted predecessors and have taken Vietnam’s social media by storm recently.
Mythology, History, and Supernaturals Mingle in the World of 'Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái'
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- Published on 12 April 2022
- Written by Nhi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái was one of Vietnam’s first anthologies written in Hán characters in prose form. It’s a collection of 22 folk tales, mythologies, and legends surrounding the origin story of the Vietnamese civilization, how our ancestors built and defended our sovereignty, and a myriad of ancient customs and spiritual folk beliefs.
Japanese Mobile Game 'Fate Grand Order' Unveils Hai Bà Trưng as Playable Heroines
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- Published on 12 April 2022
- Written by Thế Anh.
Time for all Vietnamese Masters to save their Saint Quartz.
Handbook Project Empowers Local Communities to Write Their Own Cultural Narratives
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- Published on 07 April 2022
- Written by Ann Ann. Photos courtesy of Giang Phạm, Bạch Tùng and Lê Dũng.
“No one could sing our song but ourselves.” — Inrasra, Chăm poet and anthropologist.
[Photos] A Journey Back in Time Through Northern Vietnam Around 1900
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- Published on 07 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam is certainly a country looking to the future, but sometimes it's worth looking back at the past as well.
[Photos] A House in Đồng Nai Designed for the Warmth of Tết Gatherings
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- Published on 06 April 2022
- Written by Saigoneer.
Family gatherings might be a touchy subject for many of us who don’t connect well with some family members, but if one was to design a house with cordial meals and warm banquets in mind, what would it look like?
Review: In 'Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ!,' Watch a Fraught Family Disintegrate During a Funeral
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- Published on 05 April 2022
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos courtesy of Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ!.
If a family is like a broken leg, does healing it require a more painful break? Đêm Tối Rực Rỡ! (The Brilliant Darkness!) grapples with this question by thrusting characters into a situation that exposes festering wounds in desperate need of attention.
Letter From Ukraine: Kharkiv Is My Home, I Never Imagined That We Could Be Attacked
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- Published on 04 April 2022
- Written by Viktoria Grivina. Top image by Phan Nhi.
Editor's note: This article is a personal essay written by Viktoria Grivina, a Ukrainian and friend of a member of our team. While Saigoneer has always focused our editorial content on Vietnam, as Vietnamese, we know first-hand how devastating and long-lasting the ramifications of war can be on a culture and nation, so we feel that it's important to give voice and provide support to war victims as best we can within our ability.
