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.
Saigoneer in Travel
[Video] Fly Across the Length of Vietnam in Filmmaker Thang Soi's Latest Short Film
Thang Soi’s short film Vietnam - Dream of Unity (Non Song Mot Dai) opens with a panoramic view of nacreous clouds reflected atop an idyllic expanse of flooded rice fields.
Nguyen-Hoang Quyen in Art
Other Intimacies: Photography Display Highlights Reflections on Living With Autism
For one week in learly 2017, the group exhibition “Encounters: Reflections into the spaces surrounding families living with autism" transformed the top floor of the Vietnamese Women's Museum in Hanoi ...
Will Dameron in Art
[Photos] Parkour Meets Fire Spinning in Abandoned Lideco Neighborhood
Back in 2007, construction began on Lideco, which was supposed to become a paradise for Hanoi's super-rich. Like Ciputra or Royal City, it was intended to be an all-inclusive development, with housing...
Luca Powell in Art
[Illustrations] An Illustrated Homage to Hanoi's Central Districts
“From Hanoi, with love.”
Saigoneer in Culture
[Video] This Quirky Stop-Motion Video Shows the History of Women's Fashion in Vietnam
Not long ago, we introduced you to the different styles of Vietnamese men through the years, now it’s time for a history lesson on female fashion.
Saigoneer in Art
[Illustrations] The Rustic Charm of South Korea's Mom-and-Pop Shops
While Hallyu fans take an interest in Korean culture because of its massive entertainment industry and eye-catching fashion sense, South Korean artist Me Kyeoung Lee pays homage to the count...
Thi Nguyen in Music
The Legacy of Kak Channthy, Cambodia's Rock and Roll Heroine
For many Cambodian music fans, March 20 was a heartbreaking day because Kak Channthy – the 38-year-old female vocal of the band The Cambodian Space Project – passed away in an accident in Phnom P...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Travel
Mai Chau: A Delicate Balance of Mass Tourism and Independent Travel
With around 13 million international visitors last year, not to mention an ever-increasing number of domestic tourists, Vietnam’s tourism industry is growing at a rapid pace. Across the country, ...
Duc Nguyen in Travel
[Photos] Exploring Hanoi's Eerie 'Skeleton Cave'
Halfway between Hanoi and Ba Vi National Park lies Thay Pagoda, a Buddhist temple technically within the city limits. It’s a beautiful building in its own right, but what’s more fascinating is Ca...
Thi Nguyen in Music
The Facetious Gender Politics of Go 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 Nhi), the lead singer of Go Lim – a ...
Khoi Pham in Travel
[Video] Under Muted Tones, Vietnam's Northern Landmarks Are No Less Striking
For those of us who are stuck working behind a desk all day, at times watching beautifully put together travel features might be our only reprieve from the humdrum of daily routines.
Michael Tatarski in Travel
[Photos] Hue's Abandoned Waterpark Is a Post-Apocalyptic Beauty
Just south of Hue sits the Ho Thuy Tien Waterpark. Once a sign of aspirational middle-class family entertainment, it now sits abandoned, creating an eerie, graffiti-splashed destination in its own rig...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Vietnamese-American Poet's First Return to Vietnam After Half a Century
The barking of a nearby dog forced Hoa Nguyen to pause mid-stanza. It was as if the canine was attempting to collaborate with her poem, a fitting start to the Year of the Dog. This young year saw the ...
Saigoneer in Culture
[Video] At a Hero's Tomb, Vibrant Vietnamese Opera Mesmerizes Passersby
The first full moon of the lunar year is a big deal for Saigon’s Chinese community.
Thi Nguyen 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 ...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Rambutan Literary Gives Voice to Southeast Asians at Home and Abroad
This poem by Jenna Lee appears in issue five of Rambutan Literary and serves as a prime example of the graceful, poignant material that spans its first five issues. Founded in 2016, the magazine featu...
Chris Humphrey in Art
An Unexpected Makeover of Hanoi's Old Quarter
In the spring of 2017, Scott Matt became a celebrity in Vietnam overnight. Known as ông Tây râu xồm (the Bearded Westerner), he appeared in news outlets and on various TV channels, all because he...
Peter Ford in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: Indulging Your Inner Castaway on Con Dao
Knowing the time of the tides is important here. The shallow waters around the 16 islands which make up the Con Dao Archipelago some 240 kilometers south of Saigon make for impressive golden beaches a...
Saigoneer in Travel
Quang Binh Plans to Build World’s Longest Zip Line Over Cave Kingdom
The 3.5-kilometer-long zip line will be part of a large tourism service complex in Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, which is home to world-famous Son Doong cave.
