Mons in Music
In Debut Album 'Gió Thổi Mạnh,' Bluemato Yanks Us Along Their Escapist Journey
With youthful ennui turned energetic wanderlust, Bluemato’s "Gió Thổi Mạnh" album is a much-needed breeze for the underground indie scene of a suffocating Hanoi.
Jennifer Nguyen in Culture
[Photos] A Pre-Tet Wander Around a Holiday-Ready Hanoi
Tet has come and gone, but the memories remain.
Elise Luong in Music
Noise as Material: Hanoi's Soundscapes Revisited
In a study conducted in Hanoi in 2018 by the Institute of Occupational Health and Environment, the average noise on 12 main roads and junctions ranged from a deafening 77.8 - 78.1 decibels (dBA) in the daytime and 65.3 - 75.7 at night, which is up to ten times the healthy recommended levels.
Elise Luong in Art
Q&A: Gallery Director Suzanne Lecht on the 'Gang of Five' and Building a House of Arts
Tucked in an alley south of Hai Ba Trung stands Suzanne Lecht’s glorious home, a magical abode crowned with an ancient nhà sàn from Mai Chau. After having lived there for more than 25 years, Suzanne reflects on her work as a dedicated patron of the arts and how Kali, her beloved turtle, connected with Mick Jagger.
Hung Tran in Music
How LiveSpace, a New Music Initiative, Aims to Nurture Vietnam's Indie Musicians
A new joint initiative towards a more realized musical landscape extends the commitment of some of Vietnam’s key cultural players.
Urbanist Hanoi in Culture
[Video] A Dynamic Visual Ode to Hanoi, a City of Paradoxes
Cái Gốc (The Origin) is the latest release from music producer and video director Robin Marty and his collaborator Jakub Zajac.
Urbanist Hanoi in Culture
[Photos] Bask in the Festive Spirit at Hanoi's Holiday Decoration Street
With Christmas just around the corner, businesses and public places in Hanoi are awash in red and winter-themed paraphernalia. Crowds of young Hanoians flock to Phố Hàng Mã, one of the city’s major knick-knack markets, to take in the festive spirit.
Bex Hughes in Music
Crate-Digging for Audio Gold at the Second Hanoi Records Day
In September of this year, Quan Cam played host to VOC Record’s second Hanoi Records Day. Urbanist Hanoi met with the organizers and collectors to learn more about Vietnam’s growing culture of crate diggers.
Chris Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 8: The Golden Hooves That Formed Ho Tay
Do you know how Hanoi’s greatest lake was formed?
We Create Content in Music
Limebócx: The Hanoi Duo Combining Hip-Hop, Beatboxing and Traditional Đàn Tranh
The music of Hanoi based duo Limebócx can be quite difficult to define. By taking elements of modern musical genres such as drum & bass, hip-hop, beatboxing and dub and combining them with t...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Illustrations] The Retro, Neon Japan of Kyoko Nakamura
These eye-catching illustrations articulate Japan's hyper dualities.
Saigoneer in Culture
[Video] Watch the Cheeky Anti-Plastic PSA That's Taking Vietnam's Cybersphere by Storm
A plastic bag’s life is five times that of an average human.
Thi Nguyen and Chris Humphrey in Literature
Turn Over a New Page in Hanoi's Hidden Libraries
I focused my attention on an amplifier lying on the shelf behind Hieu, the founder of Go West Library. He left his seat to retrieve a cable, and after returning he plugged his phone into the machine, ...
Urbanist Hanoi in Art
New Exhibition Aims to Expose the Environmental Harm of Consumerism
Let’s reduce waste! opened yesterday, is free to enter, and will run until August 31 at L’Espace.
Saigoneer in Travel
Over 77% of Foreign Tourists in Vietnam Are From Asia, Statistics Office Says
Tourists from the Americas make up the second-largest group of foreign arrivals in Vietnam.
Abdelaziz Ibrahim in Travel
[Photos] From Rain-Soaked Nightscapes to a Serene Hanoian Dawn
Hanoi is known for its frenetic traffic and streets, which during my initial years in the capital led me to dream of escape.
Saigoneer in Music
[Video] Worlds Collide in New Son Tung M-TP Single Featuring Snoop Dogg
You heard that right.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Photos] A Glossy Design Project Seeks to Make History an Intriguing Subject
Lasting from 1225 to 1400, the Tran Dynasty was a prosperous era in Vietnamese history filled with heralded art, music and culture, in between three victories over Mongol forces.
Abdelaziz Ibrahim in Travel
[Photos] All Aboard the Slow 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 journ...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Video] Hoang Thuy Linh's 'Vo Chong A Phu' Video Is a Popping Literature Party
From one of Vietnam’s classic literature works to internet meme to a full-fledged music video: Mi from ‘Vo Chong A Phu’ is truly a cultural icon.
Chris Humphrey and Thi Nguyen in Film & TV
Q&A: In Conversation With 'The Future Cries Beneath Our Soil' Director Pham Thu Hang
Do communities inherit the sorrows of war? Is trauma re-experienced by the sons and daughters of those who suffered? How does life prevail amidst the normalization of loss? Pham Thu Hang’s debut film,...
Khoi Pham in Culture
The Discomforting Poetry of Vietnamese Cursed Image
The page description of Vietnamese Cursed Image (VCI) has a single line: “how did you get here?” — a question I find myself asking often.
Chris Humphrey in Travel
[Photos] Capturing the Unexpected Amid Vietnam’s Mountainous Landscapes
The Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, a smiling lady in a conical hat: human nature practically guarantees that even the most iconic image will eventually turn stale through proliferation. These depictions...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Photos] An Eerie Tokyo in the 1970s by Canadian Photographer Greg Girard
Born in 1955, Greg Girard is well-known for his photography work in some of Asia's largest cities.
Saigoneer in Film & TV
Local Filmmaker Thang Soi Launches Vietnam-Centric Stock Footage Service
Thang Soi is well-known for majestic flycam projects such as Vietnam - Dream of Unity (Non Song Mot Dai) and Vietnam From Above. Thang also does commercial work for flag carrier Vietnam Airlines ...
Saigoneer in Travel
National Assembly Member Suggests Imposing Departure Tax on Citizens, Tourists
The implementation of a departure tax, an elector of the National Assembly argued, could bring in additional revenue to improve Vietnam’s tourism infrastructure.
Saigoneer in Travel
[Video] A Serene Glance of Ninh Binh
Towering karst formations, light seeping in through the watery entrance to a cave, bananas sold out of shoulder-slung bamboo baskets by an old lady: clichés about Vietnam exist for a reason, and it ca...
Saigoneer in Art
Art Experts Call for 'Rescue' of Colonial Era Murals Blocked by Buildings
The murals are the brainchild of the first and second class of students and teachers of the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (Indochina College of Fine Arts), a French-established school that is no...
