Khôi Phạm in Culture
What Can Vietnamese License Plates Tell You About the Vehicles and Who Drives Them?
There was a game I used to play with my dad whenever we would stop at a traffic light. He would point to a random license plate in front of us and quiz me on where it came from.
Mũi Né Among Top 10 Trending Travel Destinations Globally in 2026, Booking Says
Travel site Booking.com dubbed Mũi Né “one of 2026’s trending travel spots,” reflective of the international attention and domestic emphasis the beach city is currently receiving.
Euphoria, Ruin, Nostalgia: Tracing Hanoi's Changing Skyline by Its Soundtrack
From loudspeakers broadcasting construction anthems during wartime to melancholic ballads mourning vanished street corners, Hanoi's soundtrack reveals a city that has never quite learned to live in its present tense.
Paul Christiansen in Rewind
In 'Cú Và Chim Se Sẻ,' a Director's Radical Empathy for Saigon's Less Fortunate
“They can do what they want. The city owns the zoo. They could sell all the animals here. They could turn it into a golf course. We’re just little people — you and me.”
In 'No Man River,' Dương Hướng Highlights the Raw Pain of Postwar Survival
Dương Hướng’s No Man River (Bến không chồng) was first published in 1991 and won the Vietnam Writers' Association Prize for Fiction. Translated into English by Quan Manh Ha and Charles Waugh, it captures the brutal reality of conflict in Vietnam from 1945 to 1979.
Nguyễn Đức Tín Weaves Spirituality, Faith, Everyday Life Altogether in His Paintings
Can a painting reflect who we are, even if we can’t see ourselves thoroughly? And how does faith guide us forward in life?
Liên Bỉnh Phát Makes History as 1st Vietnamese to Win Best Male Lead in Taiwan
Vietnamese actor Liên Bỉnh Phát recently made history at one of Taiwan’s most prestigious national award ceremonies.
An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
Jagwar Ma To Bring Their Unique Indie/Dance Sounds To Cargo Bar In December
If ever there were an experiment in music that yielded such results as the FLRL community did in Sydney, audiences would be spoilt for a generation. Jagwar Ma is one of those results.
Black Infinity And White Noiz To Rock Cargo Bar Next Week
Smack in the middle of Saigon International Music Week on November 30th come two of the most reliable acts in Vietnam’s rock music scene.
Chinese Music Video “Chick Chick” Is The Definition Of Insanity
In what seems to be a mixture of “What Does The Fox Say” and “The Chicken Dance,” Chinese pop group Wang Rong Rollin’s “Chick Chick” is absolutely WTP (what the phở) worthy.
Vietnam’s Beauty in 30 Amazing Photos
VN Express’s Photo Contest 2014 kicked off in August and the site has released the 30 top pictures for the “Landscape” category.
[Chart] Vietnamese Dominating The US Manicure Industry
Vietnamese living in the US are known for saturating the manicurist market, but data from the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration show that they absolutely dominate the profession.
Back To The Basics: Experimenting With Pinhole Photography In Vietnam
While digital SLRs are all the rage these days, some photographers are moving in the opposite direction, opting for bare-bones techniques that provide unpredictable (and exciting) results. Will Branti...
Saigon International Music Week Arrives At Cargo This Month
Cargo Bar continues to raise the bar for live music in the city with the launch of Saigon International Music Week later this month.
Comic Con Is Coming To Saigon Next Month
Comic Con, one of the World’s largest gaming, technology, comic book, anime, manga, and cosplay events is coming to Saigon for the first time next month.
[Video] Daily Café Hustlin': A Digital Nomad’s Life In Saigon
There are plenty of digital nomads in Saigon, those who tote their laptop from coffee shop to coffee shop instead of sitting in a cubicle. But it’s not a life of glamour. It’s a hustle.
[Photos] 21 Outrageous Photos of Vietnamese Vehicles
If you’re from Vietnam, or have lived here for a while, you’ve probably come across some pretty outlandish things on the local roads. But if you think you’ve seen everything, this collection of photos...
November Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
If you believe that humanity is the essential aspect of cinematic endeavours, you will find plenty of it in this month programme from Saigon’s alternative film venues.
Vintage Vespa: The Extinction Of The Classic
Sadly, Vintage Vespa is now becoming an endangered species. Gregg Mitchell, a Vespa renovator, moved to Saigon where he found an abundance of ‘Vintage Vespas’. He stated sadly, “They just don't make t...
Vintage Vespa: A Design That Stands The Test Of Time – Part I
When Enrico Piaggio first saw the newly designed Vespa scooter, he exclaimed, “Sembra un Vespa it resembles a wasp!”. (The Vespa means wasp in Italian.) Out of a designer’s personal loathing for...
15 Awesome Drone Images of Downtown Hanoi
We’re all about seeing Vietnam from different vantage points, from street level to outer space. But perhaps the perfect middle ground are photos taken from drones which give the viewer a birds eye per...
Vietnamese Artist Wins Top Prize For Illustrations Showing The Plight Of Circus Animals
In April, Hong Kong-based animal welfare organization, Animals Asia, launched a painting competition about the lives of wild animals in the circus. Hanoi artist, Dương Đoàn Anh Minh, took first prize ...
Chart: Explaining Vietnamese Culture Using The Lewis Model
In Vietnam’s cities, where foreigners and locals interact on a daily basis, both socially and professionally, gaps in cultural understanding are common.
The 2014 Vietnam Salary Guide: How Much Should You Make?
HR Research firm, Adecco, has released its 2014 Vietnam Salary Guide which provides salary information for key positions in various sectors.
14 Incredible Satellite Photos Of Vietnam
There are plenty of hi-tech ways to show Vietnam’s beauty – time lapses and drone panoramas to name a few. But a less common vantage point is from above. Way above.
[Video] This Adorable Kid Washing A Motorbike Will Make You Smile
Not much to see here, just an adorable, chubby little kid having the time of his life washing a motorbike.
Event Rewind: Saigon Artbook 1 Year Anniversary Fundraiser
After 4 editions and parties over the past year, the Saigon Artbook team held their 1 Year Anniversary Fundraiser at 3A Station last Thursday.
