in Quãng 8

Ly Mí Cường Takes the Sounds of Sáo H'Mông From Hà Giang to International Stages

Born in 2005, Ly Mí Cường has taken sáo Mèo to international music competitions twice in his life — and he managed to take home the first prize both times. Cường’s anchor is always H’Mông culture, the wellspring that has nurtured his soul ever since he first took up the flute of his people, sáo H’Mông.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'The Colors of April' Invites Numerous Generations of Vietnamese to Reflect on War

“If the rain could wash away everything, maybe we could all find peace. For the third generation after the war, what was left behind wasn’t anger or bitterness, but an enduring sorrow that echoed from the heart.”

Thi Nguyễn

in Culture

In Vietnam, Joss Papers Link Life and Death, Modernity and Tradition

Joss papers and effigies consumed my experiences before I began to even question their meaning. On the anniversary of my grandfather’s death (giỗ), my grandmother routinely set up a large pot in our tiny front yard and burned a stack of replica paper money. It is quite a scene to watch — the fire turned the paper to smoke and ash, and within minutes it was as if the paper never existed.

in Culture

Every Mùng Một, My Family Organizes Our Own Temple Run to Visit 10 Temples

According to Vietnamese traditions, the first, second, and third days of Tết are reserved for one’s paternal family, maternal family, and teacher’s family, respectively.

in Culture

On Hội Xuân, the Harbinger of Tết for High School Students

When I was a high school student, Lunar New Year brought with it a lot of excitement. Not only did we get a week-long break, we also got plenty of fun school activities leading up to the holidays. For me, one of my most anticipated events during this period of time was the high school Tết concerts. 

in Culture

The Tết Board Games That Help Foster (and Destroy) Family Relations

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as beating all your siblings and cousins in a heated game of cờ cá ngựa. 

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

Bored of the Traditional Zodiac? A Case for the Shipworm as a New Con Giáp.

From games to sweet treats to flowers to traditional attire, the nostalgic elements of Tết often tug people to the past. Saig...

in Music & Arts

Between Victory and Sorrow: The Complex Realities Behind Văn Cao's 'Mùa Xuân Đầu Tiên'

Composer Trịnh Công Sơn once wrote: “In music, Văn Cao is as noble as a king. In the field of song composition, I am like a child dreaming that the sun is a paper kite to play with. Brother Văn's music is the music of soaring fairies. I wander among the human realm. He keeps flying and I keep sinking. Flying and sinking in our private destinies...”

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Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Touching the Infinite: An Interview With Vietnamese Canadian Novelist Kim Thúy

Why pencils are yellow; the connections between the aviation industry, a centuries-old Central American ballgame and sex; the “true” color of goldfish; the reason we never see Buddha peeing; and the g...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Post Releases Special Set of Stamps That Smell of Coffee

Have you ever sent a letter and thought "I wish there was some coffee in this envelope?"

in Quãng 8

Linh Ha's Ethereal Vocal Harmonies Push the Boundaries of Hanoi's Electronic Music Scene

When Linh Ha hosts Xom Nhac, Hanoi Social Club’s regular live music showcase, her electronic instruments, all sleek plastic and snaking black wires, lie on top of a silky floral scarf. The scarf is sp...

in Music & Arts

Sirens of Ha Long Drops New Album, Dedicates Part of Proceeds to Hanoi Rock City

Hanoi-based punk group Sirens of Ha Long released a new album last month. They have pledged 50% of the Febuary sales to Hanoi Rock City, a venue they describe as having "given Sirens countless memorie...

in Literature

How Indie Book Publisher Bar De Force Marries Art, Literature and Translation

“A collision of literature and art on the pages” is the descriptor that Bar De Force, a Vietnamese independent press, gives itself.

in Music & Arts

A Local High School Student Gives His Own Textbooks a Sleek Makeover

"I embarked on the project with the desire to help students like me have a more positive and interesting view of textbooks in particular and learning in general, making subjects no longer an abstract ...

Linh Pham

in Culture

The Wall, a Costume, and a Nation's Identity: How the First Áo Dài Came to Be

How does a nation represent itself to the world?

in Music & Arts

An Eclectic Collage of Tigers From the Viewpoint of Vietnamese Artists

The Year of the Tiger is officially here. To celebrate the arrival of the third zodiac animal, many Vietnamese artists have contributed to the community project "Behum 2k22." The name is a portmanteau...

in Music & Arts

Designer Lucia Phạm's Animated Video Refreshes Tết Wishes With New Visuals

To Lucia Phạm, a young graphic designer and illustrator, creating a personal project for the Lunar New Year has become an annual tradition. This year, instead of crafting static images, Lucia went all...

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Colorful Cats Simply Being Loveable

Artist Dương Nguyễn has illustrated a delightful collection of cats who are as vibrant as they are adorable.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] A Wonderfully Whimsical Wander Around Saigon

Here at Saigoneer, we would argue that you can never have too much whimsy.

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 29: Nhâm Dần Limps In

Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...

in Music & Arts

'54 Shades of Dần,' a Tribute to Tết in Tiger-Themed Playing Cards

Tết is coming, a time of joy, new beginnings and, for some, the ideal time for card games.

in Film & TV

Indie Documentary Project on the Music of Vietnam Releases First Trailer

It started as a personal project that has turned into much more.

Chris Humphrey

in Culture

At Hanoi's Thousand-Year-Old Flute Kite Festival, Melodies and Prayers Cross the Sky

Passed down by village forefathers since the Dinh Dynasty, Ba Duong Noi Village’s kite festival has become a source of pride for the local community. With three bamboo flutes attached to each kite, it...

in Music & Arts

John Legend to Perform at Vingroup Ceremony in Hanoi Tomorrow

On January 20, the American singer behind hits such as 'All of Me' and 'Love Me Now' will perform at a Vingroup event at the Hanoi Opera House.

in Music & Arts

A Vietnamese French Artist Reunites With His Own Roots Through Painting

On display at Thảo Điền’s Ngõ Art Gallery last year, the watercolor painting exhibition “Dream” is the conclusion of a decades-long artistic journey that has led a French national to learn more about ...

in Music & Arts

'In Art We Trust,' a Propaganda Art Exhibition for Gender Equality

Last weekend, Heritage Space and Ơ Kìa Hà Nội held the exhibition “In Art We Trust” — a collection of propaganda art on gender equality — at the Goethe Institute.

in Quãng 8

Mèow Lạc on Growing up in Hanoi Rock City and Giving Voice to Cats

Having just finished recording their new album, Mèow Lạc is temporarily taking time apart to focus on individual development so that, when they regroup, fresh ideas can come through.

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

Finding Fun and Revelation Aboard Saigon's Wayward Waterbus

Cement, clay, clapboard, spackle, rebar, piping, plaster smears, paint drips, pencil scrawlings: to witness the rise of a building, observe its innards, is to marvel at the pretense of an ego, for wha...