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).’
In His Research-Driven Artistic Practice, Quang deLam Maps History, Knowledge Together
What if art functions as a visual form for transmitting knowledge and entangled histories, and the artist is a messenger between them and the audience?
Khôi Phạm in Culture
In the Era of AI Slop, I've Learned to Embrace Saigon's Ugly Urban Clutters
To live in Saigon is to coexist with clutter. Chaos is perhaps to be expected, when one’s habitat is a gargantuan crowded compressed narrow concretized megalopolis of over 10 million people, but few cities I’ve been to are as cluttered as Saigon.
Pete Walls in Travel
At Kon Tum's Đăk Đrinh Lake, Life Slows to a Therapeutic Pace
Đăk Đrinh Lake lies in the northern reaches of Kon Tum, where the hills rise in slow, deliberate waves and the pace of life is set by the land. The Ca Dong ethnic communities remain here, maintaining their language, stilt houses, and routines that have shaped this corner of the highlands for generations.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
On Grappling With a Consumerist Christmas in Saigon
Growing up in America, Christmas meant arriving at my grandmother's house and immediately devouring a handmade gingerbread cookie drenched in sugar; driving with my Dad to “candy cane lane,” where homeowners took particular pride in stringing colorful lights on their gutters, windows and frontyard pines; and sneaking to our living room’s Christmas tree at 5am to sit in the dark staring at the presents, waiting until my mom said we were allowed to wake up and open them. Christmas began when Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas songs played on the long ride home from Thanksgiving with relatives and continued through snowy Christmas tree lots, studies paused for classroom parties with pizza and soda pop, and the 1966 Grinch cartoon played on repeat.
Khôi Phạm in Arts & Culture
5 Vietnamese Brands for Christmas Gifts That Celebrate Local Creativity and Culture
Even though Christmas is arguably the most important holiday of the year in the west, it is not a traditional special occasion in Vietnam, at least not in the same way Vietnamese go gaga over Tết.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
In Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's New Novel, Saigon's Rhythms Hum in the Background
“I’m always homesick for Vietnam. To write is to return home. That's why I had to bring Vietnam alive onto the pages. I had to hear the people speak, I had to listen to the music, to the language; I had to smell the food, see the landscape — that's my way of returning home. Whenever I’m homesick, I just return home via my writing.”
Saigoneer’s Picks: 10 Places to Buy Artsy Gifts in Vietnam
From rich textile traditions to innovative contemporary art, ethnic minority handicrafts and dozens of local and international designers, there's far more to shopping in Vietnam than conical hats and ...
Vietnam Immune to 'Star Wars' Fever
Last weekend, moviegoers the world over collectively went insane over the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fans of the franchise purchased tickets weeks in advance, the internet was abuzz with...
[Video] Local Videographer Shows Why Sapa Is Awesome in Under 5 Minutes
Any good traveler will tell you that the best way to explore a place is by getting to know the locals.
[Video] Take a Look at Giant 17th-Century Drawings of Vietnam
History books tend to make for dry reading. Of course, they're full of important facts and details to be remembered for generations to come, but if you're looking for an interesting read, historical r...
[Photos] Cu Chi Teen Creates Model Planes, Ships out of Recycled Materials
Anyone can get a little carried away with a hobby, but Cu Chi teen Nguyen Chi Thanh is taking his love of model military vehicles to a whole new level.
Vietnamese Gameshow Contestants Make Terrible Fake DJs
The fastest way to a man's heart is through impeccable fake DJ skills. We all know it's true: you may have intelligence or beauty or an incredible sense of confidence, but a woman is nothing without t...
[Video] Hanoi Newlyweds Celebrate Marriage With Military Jeep Parade
Ever wonder what happened to all those American Jeeps left over from the 60s?
[Video] Vietnamese YouTubers Show You How to Step Up Your Social Media Game
In the increasingly cutthroat competition for social media attention, modern internet users must be well-versed in the art of sống ảo, or virtual living. Fishing for likes, staying relevant on social ...
Soul Archive Captures Vietnam’s Spirit Through Its Photographers
A quick Google search is all it takes to learn that photography about Vietnam is still predominantly linked to the war or, if not, dominated by images of the country’s iconic landscapes. Yet anyone li...
Agent Orange Documentary Shortlisted for Oscar
An American film about a Vietnamese teen has been shortlisted in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 88th Academy Awards.
[Photos] A Sneak Peek at Miss Universe Vietnam's Stunning Áo Dài
On December 16, Pham Huong will grace the 2015 Miss Universe stage in style.
Saigoneer’s November Art Picks
With Saigon's first-ever affordable art fair taking place last month as well as three exhibitions from two of the city's major galleries, November left art lovers spoiled for choice. Here are sev...
Event Rewind: Melting Pot 7 Festival @ Saigon Outcast
Last weekend, Saigoneers young and old turned up at District 2's Saigon Outcast for another installment of the Melting Pot Festival, a two-day music and art event which raises money for local children...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Music & Arts
Inside Award-Winning Vietnamese Children's Book 'The First Journey'
A couple months back, we wrote about Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien, a pair of Vietnamese children's book authors who took the top prize at this year's Asia-wide Scholastic Picture Book Award&n...
[Photos] 4 Vietnamese Mansions That Have Gone a Little Overboard
If you've wandered around Saigon's more upscale neighborhoods, it's possible that you've come across a house or two which fit this description: “nhà cao cửa rộng”. The Vietnamese saying – literally “t...
Graphic Designer Recreates Saigon's Colorful Concrete Tiles in New Book
When Giang Nguyen decided to hunt for old typography around Saigon, what began as a personal research project soon grew into an obsession with the city's old-school design.
[Photos] 13 Pictures of Vietnamese Locks in the Wild
When parking your bike for five minutes or simmering your broth for five hours, it’s hard to take stranger’s goodwill for granted. These photos show how some Vietnamese take the necessary steps for pr...
December Movies at Saigon's Alternative Film Venues
The awards season has officially started and for once, we welcome the razzle-dazzle that will come in the next three months, after a very dull summer, which was rescued only by independent cinema. The...
Event Rewind: Saigon Soul Pool Party @ The New World Hotel
As the Saigon rains yield to hot and dry weather, the time is right for the return of the Saigon Soul Pool Party.
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Photos] The Bike Blanket is Taking Hanoi by Storm
While Vietnamese people are well versed in sun protection gear, a new niche product has become an increasingly common sight on Hanoi’s roads – the bike blanket (think Snuggie for motorbikes).
