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.
[Video] Short Film “16:30” - A Day In The Life Of A Saigon’s Child Lottery Ticket Sellers
16:30 is a 17-minute short film by Vietnamese director Tran Dung Thanh Huy which made an appearence at the Cannes film festival in 2013. The film tells the story of a group of young Saigon boys who se...
[Photos] The White Prince Of Saigon
No one loves white more than this Saigon man.
[Photos] Vietnam Celebrates The 60th Anniversary Of Hanoi’s Liberation
On October 10, 1954, French troops folded up their flags and withdrew from their colonial capitol. As they left, Vietnamese communist forces entered the city, official ending 67 years of French occupa...
Optimist Club 100 - 2 Year Anniversary
Optimists! We made it to no.100 [and it's also our 2nd anniversary!
October Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
With Halloween coming up soon, expect some horror and gothic films at Saigon’s alternative film venues this month. Alongside titles that pay homage to the much-loved remembrance of the dead, these pro...
Should The Firing Range At Củ Chi Be Closed?
Over at his excellent blog, Rusty Compass, Mark Boyer argues that it may be time to close the firing ranges at the Củ Chi.
An Illustrated Guide to Vietnam's Motorbikers
The streets of Vietnam is home to many colorful personalities.
[Video] Sơn La Children Use Highway Water Drain As Water Slide
Highway 6 is a busy truck route connecting Hà Nội and Sơn La. But when it rains, local children take to the slippery, moss-lined water drains along its side, creating an impromptu water slide.
2014 Canon Photo Marathon Vietnam Comes To HCMC This Weekend
After a successful launch in Hanoi last Saturday in Hanoi, the 2014 Canon Photo Marathon Vietnam, “which aims to accentuate Vietnam’s natural and cultural charm,” will arrive in HCMC this weekend.
16 Pictures Of Vietnam’s Peckish Urban Chickens
In many developing countries the line between urban and rural is often blurred. If you live in Saigon or Hanoi, the lack of this distinction is typically manifested in the great number of chickens tha...
Event Rewind: The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride 2014
On the afternoon of September 28, 300 bikers on approximately 200 bikes took to Saigon’s Streets in formal attire in support of charity.
Creator Of “Humans Of New York” Visits Vietnam
Last week, Brandon Stanton, the photographer behind the bestselling photo book, Humans of New York paid a visit to Vietnam with stops in Hanoi and HCMC.
[Video] Rap Video Shows an Expat’s Life in Saigon
A week after the release of “The Mì Quảng Song,” another expat has taken to rapping to show their love for Vietnam.
[Video] Interview With Afro Funk/Disco DJ Frank Gossner Who Returns To Saigon Tomorrow
Frank Gossner has one of the largest West African funk and disco records around. He’s a collector, a DJ and a promoter. He runs the website Voodoo Funk, which is recommended by the Beastie Boys.
The 10 Unholy Driving Commandments Of Vietnam
On his website, On A Bike Vietnam, Alex Sinclair Lack presents his list of the 10 driving commandments for Vietnam. While a tad less scandalous than Biggies 10 crack commandments, keeping Lack’s list ...
[Photos] Event Rewind: Saigoneer Photo Walk With Lee Starnes
Last Sunday, Lee Starnes led the second monthly Saigoneer photo walk, taking a group of amateur photographers around the streets and alleys of District 1, capturing images of the area’s street life al...
[Photos] French Photographer Highlights Vietnam’s 54 Ethnic Groups
These photos of Vietnam’s ethnic groups are the work of French photographer, Sébastien Laval, who has been lugging his camera around the country since 1995. His works, along with those of his Vietname...
[Photos] The Simple Differences Between Hanoi And Saigon
As Hanoi and Saigon are constantly compared to one another, graphic designer, Nhat Le, created this illustration book, The Difference Between Hanoi and Saigon.
[Video] An Giang - Back To Motherland
Produced by Tam Bui and Tung Phan, this ode to the northwestern Mekong Province of An Giang should help you escape the stresses of life for about 2 minutes and 30 seconds.
Modernization Of A Holiday: The Mid-Autumn Celebration In Saigon
Today’s Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival) has become a “modernized” affair with plastic lanterns vendors and mooncake shops sprouting up on every corner, selling their wares a month beforehand. But ther...
