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

Cinema Department Attends Cannes to Promote Vietnam as Film Destination

As the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival gets under way, Vietnam is hoping to generate interest among filmmakers and production companies from around the world in its push to become a major movie-makin...

in Arts & Culture

Young Saigoneers Turn Manhole Covers Into Street Art

Street art sporadically pops up in the most hopeless of places, and this time it’s Saigon's lowly manhole covers.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Music & Arts

French Hip-Hop Meets Viet Rap in New Piu Piu Collaboration

As Vietnam’s underground hip-hop scene begins to emerge into the spotlight, one of its rising stars joins forces with an up-and-coming foreign artist to create a track for worldwide release.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From Hue's intricate lanterns to a Saigon dusk, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Kiyohiko Azuma’s Intricate Sketches of Tokyo’s Urban Landscapes

This manga artist creates backgrounds with such extreme attention to detail that they could pass for standalone works of art.

in Film & TV

Vietnamese Film Wins Top Honors at ASEAN Film Festival

A Vietnamese film named The Way Station won Best Film, Best Lead Actor and Best Director of Photography (DOP) at the 2017 ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA).

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From a fishing village in Tam Giang to Hanoi's Long Bien Bridge, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] 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.

in Arts & Culture

Hoa Van Dai Viet: A Very Vietnam Take on Adult Coloring Books

As globalization transforms Vietnam’s cultural landscape, a group of young history aficionados have taken it upon themselves to keep old traditions alive.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From amused fishermen to forlorn coracle, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Culture

Local Artist Challenges Japan's Stigma Against Tattoos in Modern Era

In tattoo-averse Japan, a case heading to court in Osaka could help determine whether anybody will be able to get their body inked in the country in the future.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Vietnamese Animator Creates Wistful Reel of Saigon Memories From Pencil Sketches

Sometimes our childhood memories exist as little pieces of wonder.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Vietnamese-American Artist Helps Create and Share 'Made by Refugee' Stickers

If you’ve come across a “Made by Refugee” sticker in Saigon, know that they’re the brainchild of artist duo Kien Quan and Jillian Young, created in an effort to raise awareness of the global refugee c...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

City Rising: Richie Fawcett’s Intricate Saigon Panoramas Hit L’Usine This Week

Saigon-based artist Richie Fawcett is back with an extensive new collection of drawings that will soon be on display at L’Usine Dong Khoi.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From Saigon street at dusk to traditional Chinese decor, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Culture

Gambling and Globalization in Old Saigon: A Brief History of Số Đề in Vietnam

Since Vietnam started opening up its economy decades ago, the country has been developing at an impressive rate thanks to the effects of globalization, foreign investment and a constant exchange of cu...

in Music & Arts

Indonesia's 'Islamic Punk' Movement Marries Religious Faith With Musical Rebellion

In Indonesia, music aficionados are combining two elements that appear to be in complete contrast – Islamic faith and punk – to create positive changes in their community.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Masashi Wakui's Colorful Tokyo Vision

There are a lot of things to love about Tokyo: the food, the quirky fashion and the rich history. However, for photographer Masashi Wakui, it’s the city’s nightscapes that fascinate him the most.

in Culture

[Photos] A Group of History Buffs Have Recreated a Royal Costume From Scratch

A group of young history buffs recently accomplished an impressive feat: reconstructing an old Vietnamese royal costume by referencing an image.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] A Post-Apocalyptic Look Into 3A Station on Its Last Legs

A month after receiving its closing notice, 3A Station has gone from hip youth culture alley to post-apocalyptic wasteland.