Paul Christiansen in Literature
Meet Dạ Ngân, the Author of the Most Important Vietnamese Novel You've Never Read
When the wind strafes Dạ Ngân’s window, seedpods shake and rattle like spent bullet casings in the tamarind tree that Americans planted decades ago. They also built the large apartment complex where she now lives. It’s an ironic place to call home, considering Dạ Ngân was a resistance fighter in the south during the American War.
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.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Images of Destruction and Restoration: Hue Citadel
The Hue Monument Conservation Centre has just launched a poster exhibition that captures the long history of the imperial citadel at Hue. Due to its importance, the monument has been witness to many o...
German Film Festival Coming to Saigon
This year the Goethe Institut brings some of the most interesting German films of the year to silver screen enthusiasts in Vietnam; both by famous directors and young, new filmmakers. And it's free!
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Slideshow: Henry Saiz, Live From Saigon
Henry Saiz brought his rolling drums and electronic soundscapes to Cargo Bar last night and did not disappoint. Here are some of our favorite shots from the night:
Brian Letwin in Culture
H&P Concept, ‘Pavilion of Dream Terraces’ for Milan Expo 2015
H&P Architects is proving to be one of Vietnam’s leading sustainable architecture firms. From airy, bamboo huts in the country’s rural heartland, to the recently completed, Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavi...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Video: Vietnam's 'Miss World' Pick Has Some Work to Do...
Meet, Lại Hương Thảo, Vietnam's representative to the 2013 Miss World competition. Thảo recently took to Youtube where she posted a video to showcase her "underestimated beauty, shape, fashion sense a...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: Hanoi Hustle
Check out this Video, Hanoi Hustle, featuring music from Touliver and LK with choreography by Oliver and performed by Handi crew. Nice to see more hip hop and less kpop!
Brian Letwin in Culture
A History of Vietnamese Banknotes
These days, you’d be hard pressed to find Vietnamese coins as with a maximum value of VND5,000, inflation has rendered them virtually useless. However, even though banknotes have existed in Vietnam si...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Slideshow: Vintage Vietnamese Hairdos Recreated by Top Stylists
When we posted an article featuring Vietnamese album art from the 60s and 70s a few months back, we found the singers’ hair styles to be some of the more intriguing details.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Saigon Hotpot Charity Auction
Sky Lantern is Saigon Hotpot club’s most famous annual charity event, whose mission is to help underprivileged children by bettering their living and studying conditions. We would like to cordially in...
Everyone's A DJ Presents: Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop
Everyone's A DJ presents 'Shimmy Shimmy Coco Pop' - a 50s/60s rock'n'roll/motown dance party! From the organisers:
A Musical Journey with Henry Saiz
You wonder through the deserted landscape…it’s not a dream, not a nightmare, your mind is empty of memories as if you have always been here, since the beginning of time...you are afraid of yourself, y...
'Beautiful Saigon Project' Explores Saigon Through HipHop
Hip hop has a special place in our hearts so when we see the style gaining popularity in Vietnam, we get pretty excited. We just stumbled upon this extremely entertaining and well-produced hip hop vi...
Working Multiple Jobs: A Trend for Foreigners in Saigon?
It’s been almost a year since I first arrived in Saigon. Now, when looking back on my search for jobs in the city, I think that my personal experiences carry some value and may come in handy for those...
“Long way home” - Asia - Europe Short Story Contest
"They called her The Big Girl, sometimes The Lost Girl, but among themselves The Strange Girl. In her own world she was a little girl. But she stopped being little when she went travelling and decided...
Saigon Players Are Back and Calling for New Cast Members
“Saigon Players” will celebrate its 10th anniversary as a community theatre in Saigon. It is a non-profit theatrical group composed by amateurs and professional foreigners and Vietnamese who share the...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Dope Vietnamese Rap Mix
Over at Bodegapop, Gary has assembled a dope mix of Vietnamese hip hop tracks. Gary, always on the hunt for unique international music, was driven to find some Vietnamese hip hop at his local Vietnam...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Vietnam Struggling to Keep Treasure Hunters in Check
Since 1998, numerous ancient vessels have been found of the coast of Quang Ngai Province. The ships hold thousands of ancient artifacts, mainly ceramics as these waters were once part of the ‘Ceramic ...
VietPride Arrives in Saigon
Tomorrow, August 24th VietPride - "share the pride" will arrive in Saigon for the very first time. The LGBT community has prepared a series of activities and events to raise awareness about sex...
San Art Laboratory: Open Studio Session 3
Have you ever been in front of a painting, a photograph, a video installation or any other form of artistic creation, for that matter, and asked yourself “What was the artist/author thinking?”, “What ...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
New Web Series Captures the Vietnamese Diaspora Seeking a New Life in Vietnam
A new web series, Employed Identity, explores the phenomenon of the Vietnamese diaspora returning to the country of their parents’ birth, to find both themselves and successful careers. Directed by Ba...
