Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists
Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.
The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs
"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
Artist Paul Frank Wagner To Exhibit In Con Dao
Less than two weeks ago, I attended the opening of Sao La. While in the midst of the hustle and bustle typical of the opening of an art space, I found myself chatting away with artist Paul Frank Wagne...
4 of Vietnam’s Most Beautiful Schools
Well-known for both their elegant, classic architecture and the quality of education they provide, these 4 Vietnamese schools have stood the test of time.
Yersin Documentary To Premier In Hanoi, HCMC
To commemorate the 120-year anniversary of Alexandre Yersin’s discovery of the deadly Bacillus virus and a lifetime of devotion to science and humanity, the Swiss Embassy joined forces with filmmaker,...
[Video] 2 Girls Crash While Attempting To Recreate Titanic Scene
We’ve all been there – you’re driving down the street, enjoying the fumes from the bus in front of you. Then you notice someone doing something totally unsafe and think to yourself - “Wow. I really ho...
10 Incredible Churches in Nam Dinh
While they get the most attention, the Cathedrals in Saigon and Hanoi pale in comparison with Nam Dinh’s. Not only does the province boast this magnificent architectural specimen, but also a plethora ...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Photos] An Afternoon In Saigon’s Largest Cemetery
Blogger, Adam Young, recently took a walk through Saigon’s Binh Hung Hoa cemetery, once known as a hotbed for crime. Instead of forgoing his exploration due to this reputation, he grabbed his camera a...
Hue’s Eunuch (Thái Giám) Graveyard
7 kilometers from Hue’s Imperial Citadel and hidden in a wooded area full of green pine trees one will find Duong Xuan hill. Sitting on its top is the Tu Hieu pagoda which is among the most historic a...
5 Great Ways to Watch Independent Films in Saigon
I spent my childhood in a family that worshiped cinema, all sorts of films, from Disney cartoons, unsuitable films such as All that Jazz (way too early, I was 8 at the time), art films – Cinema Paradi...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Video] 2 Foreigners Attempt to Cover “What Does the Pho Say”
In an exceptional example of a cover of a parody, this dude, who goes by the name of Ăn Đu Đủ, enlisted a friend to help him cover “What Does the Pho Say.”
Mùng 5 Tháng 5 – Tet’s Little Brother
Yesterday was Mung 5 Thang 5 (Tet Doan Ngo) - a Vietnamese half-year Tet celebration which takes place on the fifth of lunar May (the fifth day of the fifth lunar month). We take a closer look at this...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Interactive Chart] How Vietnamese Consume Media
We can assume a lot about Vietnamese media habits based on our daily observations. Cafés are packed smartphone and tablets users and when walking down a hem at night, nearly every family seems to be s...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Video] Things Vietnamese Moms Do
YouTuber, Richie Le, makes videos about the Vietnamese community in California. In one of his more recent videos, he takes on stereotypes of Vietnamese mothers. While it takes place in the US, the vid...
American School of Vietnam Teacher Gets a $6,000 Haircut
In a refreshing alternative to stories about crazy things wealthy Vietnamese spend their money on, Michael Barrs, a teacher at The American School of Vietnam, promised his students that if they raised...
Zelda Goes to the Gallery: Art Basel Hong Kong
Last week, Art Basel Hong Kong proved itself worthy of its older siblings (Art Basel – Miami and Art Basel – Switzerland) and probably even bested them by becoming the meeting and merging point b...
Neighbors - Celebrate Lesbians @ La Fenetre Soleil
From the organizer: Neighbors is a series of events with the purpose to help strengthen the bond and understanding in the LGBT community. Besides, Neighbors aims to transfer the accurate information a...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Photos] Vietnamese Photographer Shoots Naomi Campbell for Harper’s Bazaar Cover
Global fashion icon, Naomi Campbell, is front and center on this month’s issue of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam.
Saigon Urban Legends: Haunted Tao Dan Park
Listed in UK travel guidebook Rough Guides as one of the most haunted places in the world, District 1’s Tao Dan Park is said to the home of young man's ghost.
4 Traditional Trades That Are Quickly Disappearing in Hanoi
Last week we heard the story of the Saigon Post Office’s last letter writer, a trade that is unlikely to last much longer. But letter writing isn’t the only traditional occupation endangered by Vietna...
Brian Letwin in Culture
[Photos] The Mud Wrestlers of Yen Vien Village
Every year between the 12th and 14th days of the fourth lunar month (May 10 - 12), the men of Yen Vien Village in Bac Giang Province partake in the a 3 hour “Ball Catching in Mud Festival.”
Brian Letwin in Culture
15 Unusual Maps That Compare Vietnam and Other Countries
Maps are not only a great way to look back through time, but also to understand the world in its current state. Time-wasting site, Bored Panda, compiled a brilliant collection of maps that reveal some...
