Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
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 childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
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.
Myra Tran, Vietnamese Contestant of American Idol, Eliminated at Top 40
With a powerful voice and bright stage presence, Myra Tran had potential to realize her American Idol dream and do Vietnam proud. Alas, that dream was cut short even before the finalists were announce...
A 60-Year-Old Trash Chute Is Saigon's Latest Most Checked-In Place on Instagram
Editor's note: Happy April Fools' Day! This article was part of Saigoneer's 2019 April Fools' Day celebration. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, a...
Saigoneer Podcast: Listener Mailbag
Happy April Fools' Day!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Return of Krossing Over Arts Festival: Deeper, Bolder, Wider
Now in its third edition, the Krossing Over Arts Festival begins later this week and is expanding both in scope, with more events planned, and reach, as Hanoi is now on the schedule as well.
'The Song of Kiều' Is the Newest Addition to Penguin Classics Series
Originally written in Nôm script and lục bát (sixth-eighth) verses, Nguyen Du's epic poem Truyện Kiều has always been a quintessential reading for many Vietnamese across generations.
[Video] 2016 Documentary 'Xẩm Đỏ' Is an Ode to Vietnam's Last Xẩm Singer
Ha Thi Cau was born in 1928 and has been singing xẩm, a type of Vietnamese folk art often performed by blind artists and accompanied by đàn nhị or đàn bầu, since she was eight years old.
'Hai Phuong' Becomes Highest-Grossing Vietnamese Movie of All Time
Hai Phuong landed US distribution rights from Well Go USA Entertainment, and has been played in 28 cities in America and Canada since March 1.
Slow Craft: How a Photo Artist Built a Home for Analog Photography in Saigon
The digital age is in full swing, and photography its loyal servant. The last century has seen the art form seamlessly transform several times, allowing itself to be reframed and repurposed time ...
Spike Lee Starts Filming Next Movie 'Da 5 Bloods' in Vietnam, Thailand
Da 5 Bloods follows four African-American Vietnam veterans as they return to Vietnam to find their squad leader's remains and pursue the possibility of a buried treasure.
Khoi Pham in Culture
Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History
Among the best ways to learn of a country’s culture and history is looking at its stamp design through the ages. These paper tokens follow their owners’ letters to all corners of the world, serving as...
[Illustrations] Kaleidoscopic Renditions of Hanoi's Famous Landmarks and Streets
With its striking contrast between historic buildings and contemporary design, Hanoi is home to an impressive medley of architectural styles and is arguably one of the most charismatic and charming ci...
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Favorite Vietnamese Poems; Perceptions of Foreign Cuisine
A new week means a new Saigoneer Podcast episode!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Affordable Art Fair 'Art For You' Returns to Saigon Next Week
Art For You, the art fair organized by Hanoi-based Manzi Art Space and Workroom Four aimed at art enthusiasts who can't afford to shop at high-end galleries, is coming to Saigon next week.
Award-Winning Photo of Hmong Woman Raises Questions Over Photography Ethics
On Match 12, Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) 2019 announced that a photo of a Hmong woman carrying her two children, taken by Malaysian participant Edwin Ong Wee Kee in Vietnam, won its ...
