An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Books thus hold the unparalleled power to inspire, foster empathy, and expand one’s understanding of the human condition.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Multiverse Behind the 1990s Classic 'Người Tình Mùa Đông' by Như Quỳnh
There is a certain timelessness to the song ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ by Như Quỳnh, especially in the visuals of its very first performance. For generations of Vietnamese listeners, ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ is an icon in the hall of fame of Vietnamese music, but as I have come to discover, the melody that Vietnamese know as ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ has lived a life much richer and more transcendent than it might appear.
Vietnamese Creators Teach Kids to Appreciate Rice in 'Con Ăn Hết Rồi' Book Project
If one day, the grains of rice that you frequently put in your mouth suddenly start to move, talk, and give you a rundown on how they were created on the field, would you believe it? This seemingly absurd scenario is exactly what happened to Minh, a little boy who's the main character of Con ăn hết rồi!, a children's book by author Đỗ Nguyệt Hà and illustrator Lê Phương Quỳnh, also known as Buffy.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perfect for making art.
Enlightening Misery Under French Rule Explored in 'Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories'
Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930–1954 offers the contemporary reader an honest glimpse of a period in Vietnam history characterized by corruption, exploitation, dehumanization, poverty, and starvation. The Vietnamese texts, both a novella and accompanying short stories, not only delineate the immediate influence of French colonization on the sociopolitical functions of Vietnam, an enterprise solely designed for its economic potential, but also expose the extending impact on the quotidian lives of proletarians, particularly the peasantry.
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean dust. Once precious commodities, these pieces have become time capsules, carried into the Vietnamese waters by ships that never reached their destinations. What stories might these centuries-old ceramic artifacts hold about Vietnam’s connection with surrounding kingdoms?
Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu's Social Norms and the Impact of Ongoing School Closures
Our latest episode is out now!
Vietnam's Buddhist Temples, Now in Typographical Form
Rendered under the elaborate, rotund graphemes of Den typeface, every sentence becomes a slice of street scenery.
Parasite's Historic Oscars Win and What It Means for Asian Cinema
With a beguiling mix of style and substance, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s class thriller Parasite cuts through societal divides and sends a vital message to “world cinema.”
Trinh Cong Son Biopic 'Em Va Trinh' to Start Filming in 2020
The biopic will be produced by the same producer as Mat Biec, the movie adaptation of the Nguyen Nhat Anh novel of the same name.
In Tình Đầu Exhibition Space, a Home for Hanoi's Bohemian Young Artists
Nestled deep within labyrinthine alleyways in Hanoi’s Ba Đình District, Tình Đầu (first love), a studio-gallery run by a collective of Vietnamese artists, is growing a reputation as a home for the cap...
Saigoneer Podcast: After the Success of 'Parasite,' a Look at Asian, Vietnamese Cinema
Our latest episode is available now!
One Night at Epizode, Vietnam’s Largest Island Music Festival
I arrived shortly before sunset, draped in my best floor-length party vest, and free of expectations on the second and final Saturday of Vietnam’s largest, globally-acclaimed music and art festival, E...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
In Defense of Bảo Tàng Địa Chất, Saigon's Most Underappreciated Museum
By (un)conventional standards, Saigon’s Geological Museum may warrant a score of 1.3/9, but if one considers it as a source of whimsy, it’s a solid 8.2/9.
From Fan to Filmmaker: How Le Lam Vien Found His Confidence as an Independent Director
At the age of 12, Le Lam Vien saw a movie at the cinema for the first time, and it swept him away to another world – one he’s been chasing ever since.
In Warsaw, Homemade Thịt Kho Trứng for the Homeless
The Vietnamese community in Poland started to form in the 1950s, and to this day, most of its residents are very active in Poland.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws
We're back from the Tet holiday!
[Photos] Japan Releases New Sketches of Upcoming Ghibli Theme Park
A cafeteria containing Spirited Away's ghostly food stalls, a full-size version of the house where Mei and Satsuki lived when they first met Totoro, and an interactive version of the Irontown tha...
An Artist's Intimate Portraits of Genderfunk's Collective Energy
The collective of drag artists and performers known as Genderfunk has been creating safe spaces for local queer creatives and blowing the minds of Saigon’s denizens for nearly two years, and they are ...
Netflix Star Comic Iliza Shlesinger to Perform in Saigon, Hanoi This Month
American stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger gained popularity after she became the first woman and the youngest comedian to win NBC’s talent competition Last Comic Standing.
Two Vietnam Poems by Hoa Nguyen, Inspired by Saigon Ghost Stories
Vietnam Ghost Story: High School Clock Tower and Vietnam Ghost Story: Towers of District 5
[Illustrations] An Art Book of Watercolor Saigon Sketches 3 Years in the Making
How envious we are of those who can render in great detail paper scenes that otherwise could only be accessed through one’s memory.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my chi...
Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding
They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar.
21 Studio Ghibli Films Are Coming to Netflix Vietnam in the Next 3 Months
In the upcoming months, Ghibli aficionados in Vietnam will be able to stream their favorite flicks right at home.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia
In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.
