Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists
Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.
The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs
"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
Thai Indie Sensation Phum Viphurit to Perform at Music Festival in Saigon This May
Right on the heels of his new single release, Thai-New Zealander indie sensation Phum Viphurit will play his first-ever music festival in Vietnam this May.
Saigoneer Podcast: A Reckoning on Child Harassment; That Burger King Ad; & 'Startup Vietnam' Author Andrew Rowan
We're back from a two-week break!
German, Vietnamese Sound Artists to Hold Workshops, Perform in Hanoi
Starting this weekend and continuing through next week, Hanoians will have the opportunity to attend a combination of workshops and live performances from both German and Vietnamese sound artists.
Matca Opens New Photography Space With 'A Little Bit of This and That' Exhibition
Photography and visual arts magazine Matca expanded their horizons last week with the opening of a new exhibition space in Hanoi.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Video] Introducing Rooftop Concerts, Saigoneer's New Live Music Series
It is with unrelenting pride and excitement that we can finally introduce Rooftop Concerts, our new live music video series inspired by the likes of Tiny Desk Concerts and La Blogotheque.
New Hoi An Music Residency Opens Call for Applicants
Following a pilot initiative at Hanoi’s Phu Sa Lab this January, British Council is now looking for up to 10 Vietnam-based contemporary musicians to take part in a new FAMLAB music residency program i...
Hanoi Designer Turns Áo Dài Into Elegant Modern Typeface
Has the AODAI typeface captured the elegant essence of its namesake?
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
[Photos] Krossing Over Arts Festival Wraps up a Striking Week of Performances
The third edition of the Krossing Over Arts Festival ended in Saigon on Thursday, capping a week of exciting workshops, artist talks and contemporary dance performances.
On Reconciling With One's Vietnamese Half as an American
My mother is Vietnamese and my father is American, yet I’ve always felt as though I was a tea bag submerged solely in American water. I was born and raised in Minnesota, I speak only English, and I kn...
Award-Winning Film 'The Third Wife' to Screen in Vietnam in May
Set in the 19th century, The Third Wife follows 14-year-old May who was selected to be the third wife of a wealthy landowner.
[Video] Rapper Datmaniac Features Cat Shelter in 'May Con Meo' Music Video
If Japan’s “cat island” or Taiwan’s “cat village” are public venues maintained by collective efforts, Saigon’s cat shelters are run by Samaritans who take care of local felines using their own limited...
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Here's a Thiên Long Ballpoint Pen, Now Make Art With It
Nomer Adona has lived in Vietnam since 1994, a 25-year journey (so far) that has taken him from working as an architect with the Malaysian government to the halls of international schools.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Serious Play: A Conversation With Award-Winning Poet Duy Doan
A lion cub’s tussling, teething and roughhousing represent not simply play for play’s sake, but instead, training for a life of stalking, pouncing and throat-gashing; and so it might be with the poems...
Affordable Art Fair 'Art For You' Returns to Hanoi Next Week
Art For You, the art fair organized by Manzi Art Space and Workroom Four aimed at art enthusiasts who can't afford to shop at high-end galleries, is returning to Hanoi next week.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Photos] Digging Into Hanoi's Emerging Street Art Scene
Street art in the Vietnamese capital remains a nascent scene, yet it is growing swiftly, with both Vietnamese and foreign artists in the mix.
The Pink, Minimalist Aesthetic Enticing Hanoi's Millennials
At the intersection between Hang Bong and Phung Hung streets, there is a bakery whose lavender armchairs look as if they are made from giant ladyfingers. It’s called Baked by Julie and, since ope...
[Illustrations] Your Favorite Saigon Street Snacks as Seen in Pixel Art Form
Saigon’s street snacks always look mouth-watering in any form.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Serious Play with Poet Duy Doan
A lion cub’s tussling, teething and roughhousing represents not simply play for play’s sake, but instead, training for a life of stalking, pouncing and throat-gashing; and so it might be with the poem...
[Illustrations] A Graphic Design Project Inspired by Ancient Champa Seductresses
Apsaras are supernatural female beings who appear in many works of ancient arts in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Krossing Over Arts Festival Returns, This Time With a Series of Shows in Hanoi
Now in its third edition, the Krossing Over Arts Festival is currently taking place in Saigon and will this year be expanding to Hanoi too, with events beginning at the end of next week.
