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.”
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.
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.
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...
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.
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 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).’
[Video] Saigon Electronica Ep. 4: Establishing the Scene With Saigon's Underground Venues
The Observatory, a gritty and modest club located at the Saigon Port in District 4 was synonymous with underground electronic music in Saigon. The bare walls, smoky interior and unnaturally narrow bal...
New Digital Typeface L'Hanoienne Preserves Classic Hanoi Hand-Painted Fonts
Hanoi streets' handprinted signs haven't been replaced with neon like in other Asian metropolises, yet; but when they are, their traditional lettering will not be lost forever.
'Despacito' Star Luis Fonsi to Headline Music Festival in Da Nang This July
The international Latin hit will be performed live in Vietnam this July.
'Star Wars' Actress Kelly Marie Tran Quits Instagram After Months of Online Abuse
After enduring months of vile online racism and bigotry, the Vietnamese-American actress has shut down her Instagram account.
In Binh Duong, This Ficus-Motorbike Entanglement Is a Local 'Celebrity'
Who would have thought that neglect and general wear and tear could result in a wonderfully weird local attraction?
[Illustrations] Local Artist Turns Saigon Street Snapshots Into Wholesome Postcards
If you’ve been fond of our Saigon Postcard series, you’ll come to love these wholesome illustrations by a local comic artist.
Kit Humphrey in Culture
[Photos] In Tho Ha Village, Locals Work From Dawn to Create Rice Paper
A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Tho Ha, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.
Saigoneer Podcast: Fake News Euphemisms, Vegetable Fight and Stand-up Comedian Vu Minh Tu
We're celebrating our sweet 16 this week!
The Evolution of Vietnamese Beauty Through Old Ads
Vintage cosmetic advertising and magazine covers depicting perceptions of Vietnamese beauty tell not only Saigon's, but Vietnam's feminine spirit in years gone by. Whether plain or in full color, each...
[Illustrations] This Artist Creates Ukiyo-e Paintings of Basketball Stars
Edo-ball is what happens when one combines Japanese culture, professional basketball and ukiyo-e paintings.
[Video] Saigon Electronica Ep. 3: Delving Deeper Underground With Asian Rave Connection and Chillgressive Saigon
The freetekno movement originated in Europe in the 90s. It was a movement that promoted free techno parties organized within the community at locations that were not limited to urban settlements and t...
Quyech: Mischief Merchants on Trees, Artist Archetypes and Rules for Creativity
Thanks to a minor miscommunication, the three members of Quyech who participated in this interview (more on the fourth later) arrived at different times.
Q&A: Six Space Founder Le Giang on the Hard Work of Contemporary Vietnamese Art
Hanoi-based visual artist Le Giang is an educator and co-founder of Six Space, an artist-run venue dedicated to exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and talks. Her practice spans installations, scu...
In Bắc Giang, 'Mudball' Is a Centuries-Old Festive Sport
Held once every four years, the mud wrestling festival in Vân Village in Bắc Giang Province is one of the most dramatic and unique festivals in all of Vietnam.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 6: Bus Beatitudes
With the subway years away, taxis too expensive, ride-share apps maddeningly inaccurate, motorbikes impossibly dangerous and walking beneath the sun akin to mobile self-spit-roasting, many Saigoneers ...
[Photos] What Happens When Marvel Superheroes Are Given Vietnam Makeovers
We probably don’t need to convince you that Vietnam’s online culture is a wonderfully weird place. The wits of local netizens have brought us joy on many occasions, like the many adventures of Hai Pho...
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Masterminds of Saigon's Most Memorable Concerts Join Forces to Create a Brand-New Beach Festival
The organizers of some of Saigon's most legendary recent concerts are combining forces to bring a new music festival to Ho Tram later this year.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Masterminds of Saigon's Most Memorable Concerts Joined Forces. A Brand-New Music Festival Was Born.
The organizers of some of Saigon's most legendary recent concerts are combining forces to bring a new music festival to Ho Tram later this year.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Folk Tales and Artist Quynh Lam
It's Monday, meaning it's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.
[Video] Saigon Electronica Ep. 2: The Dreamers From Behind the Decks
When Tran Huu Tuan Bach decided to embark on his DJ career at the beginning of this decade, he had already established himself as a film composer in Vietnam.
