Xuân Phương in Culture
Inside Tế Tiêu, Home to Vietnam's Rare 'Land Puppet' Performances
Bidding goodbye to central Hanoi, I took the National Road 21B to reach Tế Tiêu Neighborhood, a small community in Đại Nghĩa Township of Hanoi’s Mỹ Đức District. This fertile patch of land by the Đáy River is the cradle of a unique form of traditional folk art: Tế Tiêu puppetry.
How Quy Nhơn's Old Cemetery Slowly Expands up Vũng Chua Mountain
You might miss it if you were driving past, but once you walk down a small hẻm off Quy Nhơn’s main Tây Sơn Street, the massive cemetery sprawls in all directions.
All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
Short Film 'Mud Below, Sun Above' Reveals Daily Trials of Hanoi's Scrap Collectors
Đồng nát translates to “junk; broken materials,” but it is also a term used in northern Vietnam to describe the recycling workforce, 90% of whom are elderly women, that operate in a nation that produces 68,000 tons of solid waste every day.
Inside the Vivid, Soothing Art Realm of Vietnamese Illustration Artist Phuongsongdep
Using her keen observation and sensitive art intuition, Minh Phương creates a colorful realm through her brushstrokes, w...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Learning to Ngồi Chồm Hổm Is a Simple Way for Anybody to Feel More Vietnamese
What is culture? For someone who writes for an arts and culture publication, you’d think I’d have a quick and clean answer, but the more I ruminate, the more I realize it comes down to a sloppy assemblage of habits, ephemera, and minutiae: eating preferences, holiday attire, styles of sneezes, methods for counting on one’s fingers, variety of fruits to gift and an endless string of social norms. Pile enough of these choices together, and you end up with a distinct culture.
Great Vietnam Resurrects Nguyễn-Era Fashion, One Traditional Costume at a Time
In the last four to five years, ancient Vietnamese costumes have gained more visibility, becoming a welcome sight among young locals thanks to the efforts to reproduce and promote historic fashion from a number of designers, brands, and interest groups that appreciate the country’s history and traditions.
In the Mekong Delta, Đồ Bộ Is Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Despite its humble beginning as something worn just for convenience’s sake, đồ bộ has entered every minute of life in the Mekong Delta as a staple fashion choice that’s both flexible and colorful. Đồ bộ means “set outfit” in Vietnamese, a type of female casualwear made of soft, thin fabrics that often comes in a top and long bottom combo. They’re sometimes referred to as “Vietnamese pajamas,” but these comfortable sets can be worn at any time of the day and even outside, not just reserved for sleep like pajamas.
Vietnam’s Big Casino Plans Hinge on Locals Being Allowed to Gamble
While Saigon and Hanoi are home to a number of casinos, it is illegal for Vietnamese to roll the dice in their country. Plans for large-scale casinos have been in the works for years but until locals ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Culture on 3 Wheels: Artsy 7-Story Tricycle Making its Way Around Hanoi
There are few things that surprise us in Vietnam these days – a gaggle of geese draped from a motorbike, electricity workers on precarious ladders, hell, even a volcanoes sprouting from the streets. B...
Video: Watch Prince William ‘Speak’ Vietnamese
Last week, Prince Charles and Prince William recorded a video with the BBC to encourage an end to the illegal wildlife trade. In an effort to spread the message to the world, the pair translated the s...
Saigon Soul - Pool Parties
Looking to cool off from the Saigon heat while relaxing and listening to some chill tunes? Then check out the weekly Saigon Soul pool party held at the rooftop pool of the New World Hotel, every satur...
Press Roundup: McDonald's Opens in Saigon
Since just about every major news agency has covered last Saturday’s McDonalds Saigon launch, we thought that, rather than rehashing the same story, we’d make a roundup of articles from the forei...
Artist Spotlight: Kristopher Kotcher
A child's imagination is pure, unpretentious, unique and unconcerned with other people's judgements or views. As we get older most of us tend to loose these qualities, often because there is an untold...
Infographic: The Most Popular Vietnamese Surnames
As Australia knows firsthand, the Nguyen surname is the most common among Vietnamese. But how does it stack up against others like Trấn, Lê and Phạm? One Vietnam put together a nifty infographic ...
Artist Spotlight: Yanneth Albornoz
There are very few people that you encounter accidentally in your lifetime with whom you can strike a spontaneous four hour conversation as if you have known each other for a very long time. Usually w...
Artist Spotlight: Landon Nguyen
18-year-old Saigon native, Landon Nguyen is an aspiring artist living in California. Though he has been a creative-type all his life, it wasn’t till he moved to the US that he realized his artistic po...
Tết Tây
Western New Year passed us by, towing an old sensation in its wake. It was a strange celebration, or if not completely strange then slightly out of joint. The Ball was stationary, and around its would...
Audio: Vietnam's Reggae Revelation
It may be played on repeat in tourist bars across Vietnam (and much of SE Asia) but reggae music has yet get traction in the local market. Hanoi-based journalist, Marianne Brown recently tal...
Event Rewind: Saigon Artbook Party 2
Saigon Artbook released their second edition on January 16th at Zest Café where the books’ artists and locals came out to support Saigon’s growing art scene. Zest proved to be an incredible space for...
Apocalaughs Now @ Cargo
From the organizer: Professional alternative stand-up comedy returns to Saigon on Tuesday Jan. 21 at Cargo Bar.
Event Rewind: Steve Aoki
After successfully rocking Hanoi last December, Steve Aoki made his Saigon debut last night to the delight of hundreds of bouncing concertgoers. Things started off a bit precariously with a last minu...
You'll Never Guess What These Boats are Made From
Unexploded bombs aren't the only thing the American military left behind in Vietnam after their failed interventions in SE Asia. According to The Aviationist, many American fighter-bombers such as th...
Behold: Japanese Fart Scrolls
It's been a while since we've checked in with our Japanese neighbors. And what piqued our interest this time? Traditional, Edo period Japanese fart scrolls, of course! These scrolls are called he-gas...
The Saigon Players Present: Two
From the organizer: Still part of the Saigon Players’ 10th Season, we present English dramatist, Jim Cartwright’s award-winning, tour-de-force play, Two. The play is about a night in a pub ...
Exclusive Interview: Electronic DJ, Daedelus
Electronic DJ, Daedelus, will be headlining this month's The Beats Saigon party as the collective celebrates its 7th anniversary. We caught up with Daelelus and talked about his new album, creative pr...
Trailer: Red Over the Rainbow - Vietpride 2013
As Vietnam becomes more accepting of their community (officially, at least), LGBT activists continue to publicize their struggle through the use of media. A forthcoming documentary from Hanoi-Based, F...
Behind the Cover: Saigon Artbook 2
The Saigon Artbook 2 party is coming up this Thursday at Zest Cafe. While tickets are currently sold out, Saigoneer will be giving a set of tickets away on our Facebook page later this afternoon. Here...
