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.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Video: A Taste of Vietnam
Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine took a trip to Vietnam last year and brought along with some pretty sweet filming equipment. After editing what was presumably hours of footage, the duo condensed their 2 ...
Short Film Screening - Vietnamese Family Life
From the organisers: Mê phim - passionate about films and Sàn Art Laboratory are pleased to present a film event this time at Déjà Vu Cafe Two short films by two film makers one in Vietnam, one from ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Heart Beat Saigon Presents "Breaking Blanchy’s"
Heart Beat Saigon is taking over all three floors of Blanchy's Tash on Monday, October 14. From the organizer: "Breaking Blanchy’s" This time presenting UK Techno legend Oliver Ho aka Raudive. ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Saigoneer @ Saigon Flea Market
Hey Saigoneers! Just a head’s up that we’ll be at the Saigon Flea Market this Sunday at the Crescent in Phu My Hung. If you’d like to pick up one of our super cool t-shirts, you can find us outside, ...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Awesome 24 Hour Time Lapse of Saigon
We've seen some cool time lapse videos of Saigon in the past, many of which focus on the city's chaotic traffic. This video, produced by Jan Niederhumer, takes the high road, setting up his camera to...
Beware of the Dog...Napper
Hien Pham, a 29 year-old Vietnamese woman still wants to cry whenever she remembers Gina, a pomerian dog kidnapped one year ago.
Brian Letwin in Culture
Nhabeo House: Bringing Green to the Concrete Jungle
The Nhabeo House, located in Saigon was designed by Trinhvieta Architects with interior design by Quach The Vinh. The house was designed to connect with the outside environment and utilizing the space...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Pecha Kucha Global Night @ Saigon Hub
From the organizer: Join Pecha Kucha Nights HCMC for Vol. 5 and also Pecha Kucha Global Night! Not only will you hear awesome presentations as usual, but we will also be joining a GoogleHangout roo...
San Art Laboratory - Open Studio2 Session 3
On September 21, artists Nguyen Hong Ngoc (Hanoi) and Phan Thao Nguyen (Saigon) will open their studio to the public one more time before their final exhibition in November. Thao and Ngoc are two youn...
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...
