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...
[Video] The Sounds Of Saigon Part 2
The Xúc Xích Đức team is back with part 2 of their series, Favorite Sounds In Saigon. This addition is a bit more ambitious than the first, capturing everything from the melodic cries o...
[Video] Inside The Mind And Shop Of A Saigon Bike Fanatic
Saigoneer has again teamed up with Only In Saigon to bring you stories from the city’s streets. This week, catch up with Linh who owns a vintage bike shop in Phu Nhuan District.
[Video] This Saigon Drone Video Looks Like It Was Directed by Michael Bay
This drone video of Saigon from How to Media has a distinctly Michael Bayesque feel with its sweeping panoramas, quick cuts and dramatic zooms.
August Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
This month, Saigon’s alternative film venues are offering up a solid selection of foreign films, Hollywood classics and recent hits.
Viet Pride Festival Hits Hanoi This Week
The fourth annual Viet Pride festival will kick-off this week in Hanoi to raise awareness about Vietnam’s LGBT community.
[Photos] Vietnamese Will Try Anything To Avoid The Sun
While Americans and Europeans spend hundreds of millions of dollars a year on tanning their pale skin, these photos from Vietnam Net show just how far Vietnamese will go to avoid the sun’s bronzing ra...
American Dubstep Pioneer Skrillex Confirms Saigon, Hanoi Shows
Sonny John Moore, better known by his stage name Skrillex, has confirmed that he will play two shows in Vietnam next month as part of his Asia tour.
Vănguard: Giving a Voice to Saigon’s LGBT Artists
The launch of Vănguard’s second issue last week followed the slow but swelling wave of support for LGBT rights in Vietnam.
Can Tho Launches Cardboard Police Force to Reduce Traffic Violations
Police in Can Tho have devised a basic but brilliant strategy to reduce traffic violations on the city’s streets - cardboard cutouts of themselves.
[Photos] Artist Creates Natural Oasis In Phu Nhuan District
These are images of a painter’s three-story house in Phu Nhuan District built by Truong An Architects back in 2012. The artist recently opened the doors to his home that is characterized by harmonious...
[Map] What Are Vietnamese Most Afraid Of?
Pick a few countries at random and you’re bound to find a number of different concerns shared by their people, from climate change and ISIS to economic instability. According to a recent survey, howev...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
DJ Ed Davenport On Electronic Music, Life and Saigon
After stops in Singapore and Indonesia, British-born, Berlin-based DJ and producer Ed Davenport is bringing his music to Saigon as part of his Asian tour. He took some time to chat with the organisers...
Epic Drone Video Shows Another Side Of Hong Kong
Add this drone video to the body of impressive video work we’ve seen come out of China in recent months.
San Art Laboratory Launches Kickstarter Campaign
Saigon-based non-profit art organisation San Art has just launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds for their Laboratory.
Central Vietnam Photography Workshop With Saigoneer’s Lee Starnes
This August, Saigoneer photographer Lee Starnes will be leading a central Vietnam photography workshop alongside Pics of Asia founder, Etienne Bossot.
Fashion Is Art At Dzung Yoko’s First Solo Exhibition
While in Paris the Helene Bailly Gallery is hosting an art show by designer Maurizio Galante and Viktor & Rolf are dressing models in canvasses, here in Saigon, we have the city’s very first show that...
[Photos] Artist Creates Mini Country House With Incredible Detail
The art of bonsai is one steeped in tradition and characterized by the miniaturization of trees, some of which fetch prices of up to US$1.2 million.
“One Country” Celebrates 15 Vietnamese Contemporary Artists
Vietnamese fine art is often looked through a geographic lens (South, Central and North) or by groups of artists rather than individual ones.
[Photos] Photographer Miniaturizes Saigon With Tilt-Shift Lens
Last year, amateur photographer, Nguyen The Duong, fitted his camera with a tilt shift lens and perched himself atop various buildings across the city. The effect of the lens in tandem with birds-eye ...
[Photos] The Hidden Gems of Saigon's Notre Dame Cathedral
The Notre Dame Cathedral is among Saigon’s most obvious iconic buildings, but while we may think we know everything about the building, its attic is filled with hidden treasures, from dusty old pipe o...
