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 Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From Hoi An's night lanterns to a spectacular Saigon sunset, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Arts & Culture

Passenger in Infamous United Airlines Video Was an Accomplished Pre-1975 Musician in Saigon

As the story of David Dao, the doctor who was forcefully removed from United Airlines Flight 3411 last Sunday, continues to unfold, Vietnamese media outlets have recounted the Vietnamese-American pass...

in Music & Arts

[Video] This Is What Happens When You Merge Cai Luong and Justin Bieber's 'What Do You Mean?'

Do: watch this video to improve your cải lương skills. Don’t: use this video to practice English pronunciation.

in Arts & Culture

'A Year with Thirteen Moons' Brings Vintage Style to the Lunar Calendar

“A Year with Thirteen Moons” is Rice Creative’s tribute to Vietnam’s cultural beliefs about numbers, dates and fortune.

in Film & TV

Hands-On Vietnam Brings Intensive, Affordable Workshops to Saigon's Budding Filmmakers

In a city brimming with actors, producers and filmmakers, it’s hard to imagine that a communal space for collaboration didn't already exist. Until last week, informal spaces like Facebook groups offer...

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From jocular street vendors to modernist buildings, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Culture

[Photos] Taipei Style: A City of Effortless Cool

Taipei’s street style is an eclectic mix of old Hollywood icons, Japanese minimalism and a whole lot of berets.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From city sunrises to Ba Chieu Market at sunset, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Arts & Culture

'The Best We Could Do': A Memoir of One Vietnamese Family’s Journey to America

At a time when the United States is grappling with its stance on immigration, the memoir of a Vietnamese-American writer has given a human face to the country's refugees.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From cyclo drivers to street vendors, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Arts & Culture

Art for You Returns to Saigon

In Vietnam and around the world, Art with a capital "A" can be an intimidating subject. The pressure to "get" abstract or contemporary artwork has a way of deterring some from becoming museum goers or...

in Arts & Culture

Saigon Is Getting a Natural History Museum in D9

Saigon’s cultural scene is getting a facelift soon, as local officials just broke ground on the city’s first-ever Natural History Museum.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] World-Famous Divas Meet Saigon Street Food

Vietnam’s cybersphere is a magical place.

in Arts & Culture

[Memes] Watch King Kong Stomp Across Vietnam

One week into the release of Kong: Skull Island, the hype surrounding the Hollywood blockbuster may have leveled off in real life – officials are no longer trying to erect a life-sized statue of the g...

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From city lights to Con Dao's island vistas, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] The Rustic Charm of South Korea's Mom-and-Pop Shops

While Hallyu fans take an interest in Korean culture because of its massive entertainment industry and eye-catching fashion sense, South Korean artist Me Kyeoung Lee pays homage to the count...

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

Saving the City's Soul: The Release of Saigon Supersound, Vol. 1

Despite being subject to a bombardment of ruthless changes, Saigon is surprisingly persistent in its love for all things old, rustic and gritty. For someone who was not born and bred in the bustling m...

in Film & TV

[Video] Filmmaker Captures the Many Faces of Vietnam

On a thousand-mile journey from the furthest reaches of northern Vietnam to the hot, sunny streets of Saigon, filmmaker Fabien Echochard captures the optimism of the Vietnamese people in beautiful det...

in Film & TV

'Kong: Skull Island' Smashes Box Office Records as Director Considers Move to Saigon

It was a big weekend for King Kong fans in Vietnam, with the giant ape's latest cinematic foray smashing local box office records, while the film's director announced his intention to move to Saigon.&...

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From birdcages to bird's eye views, this is what we saw through our lens this week.