Paul Christiansen

in Travel

'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction

The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.

in Culture

How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc

Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.

Văn Tân

in Culture

A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After

To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.

Paul Christiansen

in Travel

From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market

At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.

in Music & Arts

Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia

Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.

in Culture

On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past

Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.

in Music & Arts

A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted

A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?

in Music & Arts

In 'Đêm Giao Thừa' EP, a Đàn Tranh Artist Offers Novel Twists on Nostalgic Tết Sounds

Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi has just released Đêm Giao Thừa, an EP containing energetic covers of three classic Tết songs and an original track that pays homage to styles from the 1960s and 1970s.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Photographer Takes Home Grand Prize at International Photo Contest

A photo by Vietnamese photographer, Pham Ty, has beaten out 26,500 other submissions to take the top spot at the recently concluded Smithsonian Photo Contest.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Culture

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 2

Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out.Vietnam Coraclehas made a handy guide to some ...

in Culture

Incredibly Detailed Map Shows SE Asia's Amazing Diversity

This detailed map created by the Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples Network shows the incredible diversity of ethnicities in SE Asia.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam’s First IMAX Theatre To Launch In Saigon With “Furious 7”

IMAX is finally coming to Vietnam next month with screenings of the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Saigon Mad Men: “The Guitar-Maker's Labor of Love”

This short film is the fourth episode in a series called "Saigon Mad Men" that profiles some of the city’s most passionate business people.

in Film & TV

April Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

As we slowly move away from the awards season, our local film venues go back to what they do best: indie and cult cinema. 

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest [Results]

Over Tet, many of us got out of Saigon either to our hometowns, or for some much needed holiday time to surrounding countries. Either way, some beautiful images were submitted, and we had a rough time...

in Culture

21 Outrageous Photos Of Vietnamese Motorbikers – Part 2

For many living in Vietnam, motorbikes act as an appendage, taken everywhere and used for everything. They are monuments to function that are at once a personal vehicle, a delivery truck, a school bus...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Three Saigon-based Artists Bring Their Diverse Urban Art To Vin Gallery

This evening, American illustrator and street artist Kristopher Kotcher AKA Frenemy is bringing his work back to Vin Gallery with a new exhibition, Trialogue. It has been almost a year since his first...

in Music & Arts

This Is What A Mongolian Hip-Hop Video Looks Like

Tracing its roots back to the cities of the United States, Hip-Hop has since spread across the globe, penetrating even the farthest corners of human civilization.

in Music & Arts

S-A-I-G-O-N: Digital Pop Art Project Brings "Saigon" To Life

This incredibly detailed piece of digital pop art takes aim at Saigon's complex beauty.

in Culture

[Photos] Vintage Vietnamese Lottery Tickets Are Works of Art

In contrast with the bright red colored, formulaic designs of today’s Vietnamese lottery tickets, those of the mid-twentieth century were more like postcards and graced with intricate artwork.

in Culture

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 1

Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out. Vietnam Coracle has made a handy guide to som...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Saigon’s Own Suboi Making Headlines in America

Suboi, Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop”, has been making international headlines this week in anticipation of her performance at one of America's largest music festivals.

in Music & Arts

[Video] This Vietnamese Coke Commercial Might The Best We’ve Ever Seen

Say what you will about Coca-Cola’s poor human rights record and shady promotional practices, but the soda giant sure seems to have its marketing executions figured out.

in Culture

Infographic Shows The Most Popular Beers In The World By Country: Vietnam Confused

Vinepair, a website dedicated to all things alcohol, recently released a great infographic showing the most popular beers in the world by country. However, while the king of beers in most nations was ...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Photo Tips: Aperture Is Your Best Friend

Vietnam, and more generally Southeast Asia, are full of visual pollution. We are surrounded by plastic bags, motorbikes, flashy karaoke signs and electric wires. As a result, there is often a need for...