Nguyễn Bình Phương's Tale of Magical Realism Revels in Absurdity
“Clip-clop, clip-clop.” So goes the sound of the water buffalo hooves pulling a wagon through the highlands against the magenta sky of an unending sunset. The wagon is guided by a nameless driver, and onboard are three travelers: a veteran referred to as “the Man” and two other younger men.
I Grew up Among Ducks in the Mekong Delta. They Always Remind Me of Home.
On a recent ritual walk around my suburb, I was held up by the sight of a middle-aged man with his “fur kid.” I introduced myself and when he heard the word “Vietnam,” his eyes lit up and with a smile as he tumbled out the words: “The Mekong Delta. Ducks.”
In Hien's Debut Album, a Self-Discovery Journey Through Vietnam, Hungary and the US
After a decade writing and gathering materials, Hien recently published her debut album, “Trăng Qua.”
‘Echoes of Tonkin’ Exhibition Challenges Clichéd Narratives of 20th-Century Vietnamese Art
“Echoes of Tonkin: Vietnamese Modern Art” opens in Hong Kong to challenge reductive narratives and clichés about 20th-century Vietnamese art.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Art Project ‘The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams’ Is a Wild Alchemy of Vé Số and Photography
Vé số ticket number 984430 yields a magenta fish contorting atop a ghostly image of an apartment high-rise in Tân Phú in “The Lottery of Forgotten Dreams – Topographies of the Unseen,” an art project by photographer Christian Berg. The experimental project, available to view in full online, employs computer technology to combine photography, numerology, and mythology and playfully reimagine how one visualizes Saigon.
In MARG1N, a Resolute Return to Print Media That Dissects Southeast Asian Cinema
The joy of reading, for most of my life, had been primarily grounded in the joy of learning, feeling, and thinking through words, independent of medium. That is, until college, when I found myself repeatedly longing for Thursday mornings, when the week’s freshly printed student newspaper would arrive neatly folded and stacked, ready to be spread over the dining-hall table like wrapping paper. I came to realize then that the joy of reading was not simply about words; it was also about the tactile touch of paper and of the inexplicable satisfaction of flipping through pages bigger than my hands could reasonably manage.
By Preserving Tradition, Honoring Creativity and Showcasing Sustainability, Young Vietnamese Chefs Excel at Ngon Challenge by Marriott International
The glossy menus, sleek decor, and iconic logos of international hotel restaurants often obscure the human stories behind each dish. While catering to global guests, these restaurants often serve meals with origins in family kitchens and regional culinary traditions. Young, local chefs balance nostalgic associations with contemporary techniques and creative expression to create these menus. Returning for its second year this past September, Ngon Challenge continued to celebrate and nurture Vietnamese culinary talent across Marriott International’s hotels and resorts in Vietnam.
Review: ‘Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist
On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its mark as a notable entry for its distinctly Vietnamese vistas, tones and essence.
Children's Book Translator Receives Vietnam's First-Ever Andersen Literary Award
Inaugurated in 1996 by the Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee, the Fairy Tale of My Life Award has been presented to 65 organizations and individuals who help to preserve the legacy of Danish aut...
Saigoneer Podcast: Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam
After a one-month break, we're back on the air!
Vietnam's Most Recent Social Media Celebrity Is a Majestic Cat Named 'Dog'
Behold Vietnam’s latest internet heartthrob, a majestic Scottish fold from Hai Phong.
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
[Video] This Music Video Is a Quirky Homage to Go Lim Frontwoman Nga Nhi
For those familiar with Hanoi's independent music scene, the name Go Lim should ring a bell. During their fleeting single-year existence between 2011 and 2012, Go Lim was a breath of fresh air among t...
[Photos] In Tom Blachford's Nightscapes, Tokyo Appears Like a Sci-Fi Dystopia
Australian photographer Tom Blachford has an eye for dystopian, futuristic aesthetics; he’s set it on Tokyo where he’s taken a series of photos depicting some of the city’s most ultramodern structures...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
In Rambutan Literary, a Home for Southeast Asian Voices From Around the Globe
This poem by Jenna Le appears in issue five of Rambutan Literary and serves as a prime example of the graceful, poignant material that spans its first five issues. Founded in 2016, the magazine featur...
[Video] At a Hero's Tomb, Vibrant Vietnamese Opera Mesmerizes Passersby
The first full moon of the lunar year is a big deal for Saigon’s Chinese community.
Mike Tyson Stars in Hong Kong Comedy About Female Friendship Set in Vietnam
Get this: apparently Mike Tyson was in Vietnam to film his part in a Hong Kong action comedy. What?
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Vietnamese-American Poet's First Return to Vietnam After Half a Century
The barking of a nearby dog forced Hoa Nguyen to pause mid-stanza. It was as if the canine was attempting to collaborate with her poem, a fitting start to the Year of the Dog. This young year saw the ...
Tam Le in Arts & Culture
[Photos] In Saigon's Labyrinth of Alleys, Textures and Typographies Galore
Saigon, like New York or Tokyo, is a city renowned for its crowds—the chaotic jostling of people pressing past other people that occurs whenever millions of lives inhabit the same few square meters. T...
Thich Nhat Hanh Documentary to Open in Vietnam Theaters This March
The documentary about the life and work of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh will open in his home country in March.
In Vietnam's Contemporary Horror Flicks Lives a Specter of Past Hauntings
About half-way through The Housemaid (Co Hau Gai) I felt an odd sensation. It wasn’t from the gore and panic on display in this horror film but from the fact that not once had there been an overt ment...
Khoi Pham in Culture
The Legends of Tam Nương: Why You Shouldn't Start a Business on the 7th Day of Tet
There’s little doubt that superstition is still deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. These silvery threads of mysticism are woven into a plethora of aspects of locals’ daily lives, ranging from rather...
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Illustrations] How Tet Traditions in Saigon and Hanoi Differ, From Booze to Bánh
How one’s family celebrates Tet can reveal a lot about where they hail from.
Paul Christiansen in Arts & Culture
Local Illustrator Breathes New Life Into Vietnam's Classic Folk Paintings
Illustrator Nguyen Xuan Lam’s project revamps 20 Vietnamese folk paintings through modern graphic design techniques.
Paul Christiansen in Film & TV
Oscar-Winning Screenwriter to Adapt Horror Flick 'Co Hau Gai' for Hollywood
Geoffrey Fletcher, whose screenplay for the Lee Daniels-directed movie Precious won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2010, will adopt Vietnam's 2016 horror flick Co Hau Gai (The Hous...
Other Intimacies: Photography Display Highlights Reflections on Living With Autism
For one week in late January, the group exhibition “Encounters: Reflections into the spaces surrounding families living with autism" transformed the top floor of the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi...
[Video] Crafting Altar Brassware in Saigon's Storied Lư Đồng Village
As Tet nears, families all over Vietnam are rushing to decorate their homes and check-off the last few items on their spring cleaning list, such as curtains, glassware, and most importantly, brass hom...
Saigoneer Podcast: U-23 Pride, Bubble Tea Madness, and the Saigon Heat
The Saigoneer Podcast is officially one month old!
Khoi Pham in Arts & Culture
Ve Ve Hat Boi: Saving Vietnam’s Age-Old Art With Youthful Passion
Obsolescence is not a problem unique to Vietnam’s traditional art forms. All over the world – in Cambodia, Bangladesh, and India, for example – ancient crafts are going out of fashion faster than they...
