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 Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated.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

Local Handbag Company Seeks To Empower Minority Women And Preserve Ancient Weaving Techniques

When sustainable fashion designer, Danica Ratte, traveled to the far-flung corners of Vietnam, she was immediately taken with the weaving culture of the country’s ethnic minorities.

in Music & Arts

Exhibition Spotlight: Leonid Keller

Leonid Keller is the first and only exhibition in Saigon by Berlin-based artists Julia Ossko and Eugen Schulz.

in Culture

[Photos] The Mekong’s Grandest Flower Village In Full Bloom

Last week, the oldest and largest flower village in the Mekong Delta, Tân Quy Đông, was in full bloom.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

[Updated] Release Of “50 Shades Of Grey” Canceled In Vietnam

[Update Below] While CGV will soon introduce IMAX in Vietnam, it won’t be bringing local audiences one of the year’s most anticipated films as 50 Shades Of Grey has been pulled from Vietnamese th...

in Culture

[Videos] 20 Tết Dos And Don’ts

Unlike the Western New Year, Tet is a particularly superstitious occasion with plenty of dos and don’ts.

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Art Talk And Drawing Workshop With Rodney Dickson

Many local artists in Vietnam share a common ground for artistic inspiration – war – as it characterized a significant part of the country’s 20th century history. The global impacts of these conflicts...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Set To Get Its First 2 IMAX Theaters

IMAX and a Korean company have agreed on a deal to open Vietnam’s first two super-sized screens.

in Music & Arts

Galerie Quynh and San Art Announce Relocation Plans

On January 31, Galerie Quynh permanently closed its original location in 65 De Tham, leaving the new downtown gallery on Dong Khoi as its sole exhibition space.

in Culture

[Photos] Vintage Vietnamese Matchboxes

The images on Vietnamese matchbox covers before 1975 varied from the traditional - drawings of zodiac animals - to the modern – brand advertising and popular singers of the day.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

Art Talk: Drawing Workshop With Rodney Dickson

Irish-American painter, Rodney Dickson, developed his work based on the atmosphere of abandonment that characterized the post-war era in Cambodia and Vietnam.

in Film & TV

February Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

Classic and witty comedy, the one of the greatest sci-fi epics in recent history, the biggest Oscar contender of the year and a special screening from Saigon-based film festival, Impressions are some ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

[Video] European Graffiti Artist Tags His Way Across Saigon

We recently caught up with Munich-based graffiti artist, Nasca Uno, who spend five weeks in Vietnam last year, painting beautiful pieces of art in Saigon and Phan Thiet.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

[Video] Hanoi Hip Hop Group Mixes Beat Boxing, Rapping And Popping With Traditional Vietnamese Music

Hip hop’s roots delve deep into the crates of soul, funk, gospel and jazz. All of these stem from African forms of music and have created a rich fabric for the enduring art form.

in Culture

[Photos] The Coffee Shops, Train Track Photo Shoots And “Public Bathrooms” Of Hanoi’s Long Biên Bridge

Probably the most iconic and historic bridge in Vietnam, Long Biên Bridge has yet to receive much needed care for its current deteriorating condition (link). However, local residents don’t seem to min...

in Culture

[Photos] 15 Of The Most Ridiculous Signs You’ll Ever See In Vietnam

Whether it be Google translate fails, cultural misinterpretations or outright ridiculousness, these signs, sourced from Another Side of Vietnam, had us shaking our heads, laughing hysterically, and so...

in Culture

Ministry Of Justice Seeks To Punish Adulterers With Fines

A revised decree from the Ministry of Justice contains a proposal to fine members of a married couple that are found to be committing adultery.

in Music & Arts

[Video] "The Road Story Vietnam"

There’s no shortage of videos made by backpackers trekking through Vietnam which tap directly into our wanderlust. But few videos feature the high-level of production value found in "The Road Story Vi...