Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...
ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...
[Photos] Young Artist Creates Beautiful Paintings From Daily Materials
Vietnam is home to a host of talented, up-and-coming artists. Whether through paint or sculpture, performance or film, young creatives are pushing boundaries in the art world not only by using new sub...
Meet the Man Who’s Rewriting the Rules of Traditional Vietnamese Calligraphy
More often than not, the best things in Saigon take place on the sidewalk. Whether moonlighting as a parking lot or a restaurant, a barbershop or a spa, the lề đường is a rich eco system of all things...
[Video] Social Experiment Gauges The Honesty Of Danang, Hoi An Locals
Earlier this month, Danang student group Black or White wanted to create a social experiment to gauge the honesty of local residents.
September Movies At Saigon's Alternative Film Venues
This month’s film line-up ranges from stories centered around the world of music to the tale of post-civil war Mali, an animal uprising and a biopic of the painter that would change landscape painting...
Drop Everything: Kenny G Is Coming To Hanoi
Smooth jazz enthusiasts may want to take a seat for this thrilling announcement: next month, Kenny G is coming to Hanoi.
Saigon Artbook: Call For Submission
Saigon Artbook, the city’s platform for emerging artists, is currently seeking submissions for its quarterly art publication. Both local and foreign artists based in Saigon are encouraged to apply.
[Video] The Saigon Shoemaker Who Made Kicks for Kings: Part 2
In the second part of this collaboration between Saigoneer and Only In Saigon, famed shoemaker Trinh Ngoc tells the story of his return to the southern city. From his success as a bespoke designe...
A Bold Move: The Story Of A Saigon Jiu Jitsu Artist
Vietnam has a deep-rooted tradition of võ thuật, or martial arts. Both throughout history and in popular culture, the image of a wise, mild-mannered martial artist stands as the epitome of respec...
10 Things To Avoid During The Month Of Spirits
Today marks the ceremonial day of the “ghost month”, one of Vietnam's lesser known annual traditions. Often joked about, this is actually an important time in the Vietnamese year and influences much o...
The Groundbreaking Work of L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine Artists
The establishment of L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine (EBAI) in 1925 was a turning point for art in Vietnam. The establishment of the school not only ushered in a new era of traditional art that ...
[Video] The Saigon Shoemaker Who Made Kicks for Kings
In the latest collaboration between Saigoneer and Only In Saigon, we enter the shop of famed Shoemaker Trinh Ngoc, located at 50 Ly Chinh Thang, District 3. His story is one of success ...
[Video] Humans Of Saigon
Humans of Saigon follows in the footsteps of the acclaimed Facebook page Humans of New York that embraces the mantra “There’s more to a book than its cover.”
[Photos] Nha Xa: The Remote Village Packed With 30 Colonial Villas
The village of Nha Xa, located in northern Vietnam, is best known for its long tradition of silk weaving. During the colonial period, high demand for the quality product led to a boom for the town’s b...
Check Out This New Instagram Account Dedicated To Napping Saigonese
In Vietnam, there’s no shame when it comes to taking a nap in public as nearly every vehicle doubles as a makeshift sleeping pad. To capture Saigonese at rest, graphic designer Maria Tran Larsen (who ...
[Video] Parody Of American Teacher Mispronouncing Vietnamese Names Goes Viral
When a video like Key & Peele’s “Substitute Teacher” gets over 400,000 hits on YouTube, copycats and parodies are to be expected. One such imitation, “Substitute Teacher in Vietnam,” shows an American...
Viet Pride 2015 Arrives In Saigon
Tomorrow morning, Vietnam’s biggest LGBT festival, Viet Pride 2015, will kick-off in Saigon with a wide-ranging selection of events, from workshops, art shows, and community activities to a large para...
These 11 Infographics Show The Character Of Asian Nations
The Asian Creative Data Map is a project from the Asian Creative Network (ACN) that seeks to decipher how the character of Asian countries are changing due to rapid growth.
Drone Operators In VN Need Permission From Ministry of Defense To Fly
Drones have provided us with some entertaining and sometime mind-blowing views of Vietnam. However, few drone operators seem to be aware that they need permission from the Ministry of Defense to opera...
[Video] Toronto-Based DJ Films New Music Video On The Streets Of Hanoi
Toronto-based DJ and producer, Michael Imperial, recently traveled to Hanoi to shoot the video for his new track, All Night, inspired by martial arts, bowls of noodles and crime-dramas.
New Monopoly Set Takes You Back To Early 1900s Hanoi
The team that brought you 1880 Saigon Monopoly is back with a new edition of the game that seeks to capture the character of turn of the twentieth century Hanoi.
