Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển

“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”

in Music & Arts

Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists

Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.

in Culture

The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs

"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.

in Travel

Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History

Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...

in Loạt Soạt

Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender

Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.

in Travel

Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'

Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.

in Fashion

In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time

My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.

Khôi Phạm

in Quãng 8

Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears

A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’

Back Arts & Culture

in Film & TV

'Co Ba Sai Gon' Is Vietnam's Contender for Best Foreign Language Film at Oscars 2019

Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor), directed by Tran Buu Loc and Nguyen Le Phuong Khanh, is an homage to áo dài.

in Culture

Tail Hair Jewelry Is a New Trend That's Hurting Vietnam's Elephants

Add demand for elephant tail hair jewelry, beside habitat loss and ivory poaching, to the list of what will likely lead to the extinction of this incredible creature. 

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 4: The Nudists of Banana Island

The naked truth awaits those who venture beneath Long Bien Bridge…

in Film & TV

Vietnam's Award-Winning Documentary About a Trans Woman Will Premiere in Saigon Next Week

A critically acclaimed documentary about a member of Vietnam’s trans community will finally see an official premiere in Vietnam next month.

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.

Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

In Saigon Supersound Vol. 2, an Unabashed Celebration of Saigon's Retro Tunes

In less than a year and a half between the releases of the first and second volumes of Saigon Supersound, the highly celebrated compilation’s unique sound hasn’t changed, but the city it celebrates ha...

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Watercolor Paintings of Tokyo, a City That Defies Total Darkness

While it's easy to bemoan the effects of light pollution on what would be a starry sky, for Polish artist Mateusz Urbanowicz, an abundance of light sources brings out Tokyo's unique midnight scenes an...

in Music & Arts

London Symphony Orchestra to Perform in Ly Thai To Park on October 6

The performance is part of the Inspire Me Festival, a two-day event which celebrates 45 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam.

in Arts & Culture

The Internet's Hopes for a Queer Romance on 'The Bachelor Vietnam' Dashed by the Bachelor Himself

Premiering in August, The Bachelor Vietnam is the adaptation of its US counterpart in which one titular "bachelor" meets 25 romantic interests who aspire to be his final match. In the Vietnam version,...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 10: In the Arms of Urban Vines

Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...

in Culture

Updated: Annual Walking Parade, Pride Festival Taking Place in Hanoi on October 6

Hanoi Pride 2018 features numerous cultural events and culminates in the annual walking parade. The parade was originally scheduled for September 23, but will now take place on October 6. 

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Revisit Your Childhood Mid-Autumn Memories Through This Hanoi Designer's Artwork

Every season in Vietnam is marked by a festive occasion that gets the entire country into a mood to revel.

in Culture

Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

As gentle as smoke, as strong as fire – lotus silk provides an alternative to silkworms that could revolutionize silk production in Vietnam.

in Film & TV

Vietnamese Director's Debut Feature 'The Third Wife' Wins Award at Toronto Film Festival

The directorial debut from Nguyen Phuong Anh, also known as Ash Mayfair, won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award at last week's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Saigon Traffic Plans, Mid-Autumn Festival and Saigonita Founder Tam Le

Happy (damp) Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Culture

[Photos] An Homage to the Colorful Characters of Hanoi

There you are, waiting on the edge of the sidewalk.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] In Their Downtime, Superheroes Undertake Household Chores for This Malaysian Artist

Deadpool watering plants, Batman mopping the floor, Hulk helping moving a mattress and Superman pulling fresh underpants from the clothesline: rarely do we get to see superheroes in the domestic spher...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fast Fashion, Bubble Tea Madness Returns and Urban Tales Cholon

Happy Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Film & TV

Review: 'Song Lang' Is a Cải Lương Tribute for the Ages

Asia is well-known for its rich history and diverse cultures, with many countries taking pride in distinct styles of traditional art performances.

in Literature

Vietnamese-Canadian Author Kim Thuy Among 4 Finalists for Nobel Prize Substitute

Vietnamese-born Canadian Kim Thuy joins the ranks of Vietnamese diasporic writers like Thi Bui and Ocean Vuong who are getting recognized by international literary awards.