Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...
ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...
Thi Nguyen in Film & TV
Examining Vietnam's Modernity Through the Lens of South Asian Independent Documentaries
The idea for Moving Reels: A Social Dialog formed in 2016 as the result of a dialogue between Dr. Shweta Kishore, a scholar, documentary filmmaker, film and media lecturer at RMIT University, and Zoe ...
Kit Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 6: Hoa Sữa by Any Other Name Would Still Smell as Caustic
The fragrance of hoa sữa, or milk flower, is so deeply embedded in the mythology of Hanoi’s autumnal days that singers, poets and authors alike have all sung its praises.
Saigoneer Podcast: English as an Official Language; Vietnam Cliches in Foreign Media; and Food Writer Soleil Ho
We're back in your podcast feed with a packed episode!
[Video] In 'Công,' Suboi Delivers Full-Throated Anthem for Young Vietnamese Women
After the great success of 'N-Sao?' in August, Vietnamese rap queen Suboi has returned and riled up her audience once again with her brand new song, 'Công.'
A Night of Revelations at the Saigon Opera House
A concert of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 held on a Sunday night last month at the Saigon Opera House presented a series of somewhat startling revelations.
Tam Le in Culture
From Entrepreneur to Organic Farmer: A Hmong Woman's Quest to Better Sapa
“You forgot to say ‘Uno’!” Lang Giang cheerfully exclaims before covering her mouth in laughter. It’s the twelfth time she’s caught me this trip and blocked me from winning. By this point in our trek,...
[Photos] Local Photographer Creates Hilarious Tetraptychs of Hanoi's Common Traffic Offenses
Through the lens of photographer Pham Thanh Long, random acts of traffic law violations look almost...artistic, as ironic as that may sound.
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Photos] A Quiet Saturday at Saigon's Greenest Tomb, Lang Ong Ba Chieu
Going from central District 1 into Binh Thanh in northern Saigon, you might have spotted the compound before: a spacious tree-lined temple flanked by four streets just a stone’s throw away from Ba Chi...
Saigoneer Podcast: The Retro/Vintage Aesthetic Trend and a Street Food Update
We're back with a new episode!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
German-Vietnamese Artist Linh TNX Blends Trap and R&B in Latest Single 'S.O.S'
Linh Tran, a German-Vietnamese singer who goes by the artist name Linh TNX, has debuted her first music video produced in Saigon since moving to the city two months ago.
[Photos] An Ancient Scroll Depicts the Wondrous World of Japanese Bakemono
Bakemono refers to preternatural monsters in Japanese folklore that shapeshift.
[Video] The Eerie, Misty Quietude of Hanoi's Lakeside Parks
More often than not, videos about Hanoi focus on the dynamically frenetic city streets, leaving anywhere with a state of stillness overlooked: namely, hidden nooks in the capital's numerous lakes and ...
[Photos] What's Inside Beloved Binh Tay Market's Glorious Comeback?
Binh Tay Market is the central market in the heart of Cho Lon, sitting on the very edge of District 6 along Thap Muoi Street.
[Photos] This Instagram Account Is A Visual Ode to Walls in Japan
A Japanese graphic designer finds beauty in the mundane.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
Q&A: Six Austin, Texas Musicians on the Excitement of Playing Quest Festival
Quest Festival is just around the corner, and this year sees a curious new addition – Project ATX6, a music documentary project that sends six emerging Austin musicians to perform at three internation...
Remi: How a Group of Audiophile Friends Built a Premier Place to Promote Live Music
The saxophonist's fingers run up and down the keys like the shiver sashaying a spine when one a cold breeze brushes across bare skin.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Beauty Pageant Obsession; Bad Behavior by Vietnamese Abroad
The latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is online now!
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
In Bac Ninh, New Residency Program Unites International Artists With Local Artisans
In a country with surprisingly few artist-in-residence programs, live.make.share represents a rare opportunity for cultural symbiosis and artistic development by giving international artists the chanc...
[Video] Spanish Filmmaker Captures Hanoi’s After-Hours, Neon-Lit Nightscapes
In a city that often serves as a muse for filmmakers, we are regularly treated to shorts that capture the capital’s allure. Yet it is less common to discover clips portraying the city’s nocturnal char...
[Illustrations] A Watercolor Food Alphabet for the Hungry Typographer
Is this not the most delicious alphabet ever?
