Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments
“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
If Every Province in Vietnam Has a Mascot, What Would Your Hometown's Be?
Do you know Bé Sen?
Private BBQs, Expansive Breakfast Buffets and Ocean-Inspired Meals Await at Non Nước Beach
The soft rhythm of an empty ocean makes an ideal background for any meal. The scene’s grandeur takes on greater intimacy when it’s a private dinner with loved ones, as is the case with a private villa BBQ at Danang Marriott Resort & Spa, Non Nuoc Beach Villas.
Reframing War Memories via the Western-Vietnamese Photographic Perspectives
War photographs, often viewed as windows into the past tragedies, are believed to offer an immediate representation of reality. But what lies beyond the frame? What purpose did these images serve, and who were they meant for?
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
For the Love of Boney M: How a West German Disco Quartet Charmed Vietnam
“You’re gonna make me cry. That’s awesome,” Liz Mitchell exclaimed. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she covered her face and then clutched her black satin dress tightly. It was a rare moment of uplifting musical goodness when the past and the present of Vietnam’s music scene collided.
In the Latest Issue of 'No One Magazine,' 15 Stories From Vietnam's Queer Communities
No One Magazine, a print publication about underground queer nightlife around the world, is focusing on Vietnam for its second issue with corresponding launch events in Hanoi and Saigon.
Tranh Kiếng, Southern Vietnam's Glass Painting, Is at Risk of Disappearing
I’ve always loved marveling at the colorful tranh kiếng hung in our altar room whenever I get a chance to visit my mother’s hometown. Since I was little, the paintings have been an indispensable part of my grandparents’ homestead. Tranh kiếng is present everywhere in people’s houses in the town, but I’ve never thought to ask who created unique art pieces that perfectly encapsulate the soul of the southern community.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Sao La, Self, Hmong Identity: The Many Layers of Poetry Collection 'Primordial'
A book of poetry all about sao la?
[Photos] The Weird Fruits of Tet Are Coming
With Tet fast approaching, Vietnam’s array of strange, misshapen fruits is returning in full force.
[Photos] New Children's Book Introduces Southeast Asia's Animals to the World
A New York-based art director and illustrator recently published a children’s book on the fauna and flora of Laos and Vietnam featuring a host of intricate drawings.
[Music] How Indonesia’s Horn-Honking Became a Hit Among EDM DJs
On the streets of many Southeast Asian countries, vehicle honking presents yet another opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From quiet, waterfront cafes to bustling city corners, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Recording] Listen to Saigon’s Hottest Track From 1900
At the turn of the 20th century, with French colonialism well under way in Vietnam and the age of motion pictures just beginning, Saigon – and much of the rest of the country – became a subject of gre...
Wonderfilled Magazine Explores Saigon’s Sustainable Leather Goods
Ahead of their Saigon issue, Saigoneer presents an exclusive excerpt from Wonderfilled Magazine. Now in its sixth volume, the travel magazine tells stories about creativity around the world. Each issu...
An Illustrated Homage to Saigon Traffic
From old buildings and frenetic traffic to bustling sidewalks and endless construction, Saigon provides no shortage of visual inspiration for the city’s illustrators, artists and graphic designers.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From French colonial mansions to the chaotic traffic of urban Vietnam, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Illustrations] Animals, Explained: 6 Unusual Vietnamese-to-English Translations
When it comes to the gap between Vietnamese and English, there are a lot of things that get lost in translation.
[Photos] Meet Hanoi's Savvy Grasshopper Hunters
For most of Vietnam’s farming community, grasshoppers pose a real threat to fields and plantations. However for a particular commune in Hanoi’s suburban areas, these pesky insects have become a signif...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From cityscapes to seashores, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] Check out This Vietnamese-American Artist's Mesmerizing Portraits
Next time somebody claims that “colored pencils are for kids”, show them the work of Cuong Nguyen, whose intricate paintings are crafted entirely from colored pencils.
As Indonesia Modernizes, a Remote Culture Begins to Fade Away
Far removed from the rapidly modernizing cities of Indonesia, the Mentawai people are struggling to reconcile their traditional way of life with the country's development.
Indie Artists Bring New Sounds to Vietnam's Contemporary Music Scene
The state of current Vietnamese music is complicated. In the minds of the older generation, years of historical turmoil are intricately linked with their personal identity, thus they tend to harbor a ...
[Podcast] Songs From Southeast Asia: Vietnamese Music Through the Ages
Given the country's geography and the many twists and turns in its history, defining a distinctly Vietnamese sound is no easy feat.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From hand-painted signs to nón lá to the quiet coast of Con Dao, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Illustrations] Award-Winning Comic Depicts Favorite Pastimes of Ancient Vietnamese Elite
In its latest volume, Vietnam’s award-winning comic series Long Than Tuong shines a light on the country’s favorite pastimes during the Tran Dynasty, including Go, wrestling, kite-running and, surpris...
Iconic Hanoi Cinematheque Closes Doors to Make Way for Mall
The Hanoi Cinematheque, an independent movie house and cultural icon of the capital, closed its doors yesterday to make way for a shopping mall.
[Video] A Celebrity YouTuber's Heartfelt Father-Son Vietnam Documentary
In the opening of The Vietnam Notebook, narrator Casey Neistat flips open a fat, worn out Moleskine and holds a magnifying glass against the hasty scribble on the book’s bottom corner: “Experience doe...
Vietnamese Designer Sparks Debate With Modernized National Costume
Miss Vietnam's national costume for the 2016 Miss Supranational beauty pageant, created by designer Le Long Dung, has sparked debate over its cultural accuracy.
