Back Arts & Culture » Culture » [Video] The Drag Queens Firing Up Hanoi's Nightlife

[Video] The Drag Queens Firing Up Hanoi's Nightlife

For over two months, a tantalizing new event has been firing up Hanoi's nightlife: drag queens in burlesque outfits death dropping on stage.

The pioneering drag queens have sparked rounds of applause and fired up cozy bars in Tay Ho, using nothing other than budget make-up and tailor-made costumes. The event, which started off as a viewing party for the international hit show Rupaul’s Drag Race, quickly transformed into a night of its own after talented crowd members took their chance to enjoy the limelight.

Makeup artist Zazazellia found herself in goth lingerie lip-syncing to 'Toxic' by Britney Spears only a few nights after going to see the show. Long-time drag fan Emma, an American expat living in Hanoi, finally stepped onto the stage for the first time after years of financial limitation and family opposition.

Meanwhile, high-schooler Vanessa and college student Betty have been traveling every weekend from port city Hai Phong to perform in the capital. Having performed as crossdressers for four years, the two members of the Hai Phong VIC team admit there are limited opportunities to perform drag.

“Most people haven’t heard of drag before, let alone booking us to perform,” 22-year-old Betty tells Saigoneer. “Normally we have only about two shows per year.”

Vietnam decriminalized gay marriage in 2015 and cross-dressing has been part of UNESCO heritage ritual hầu đồng for centuries. Yet drag, though not uncommon in Saigon, is a complete novelty in conservative Hanoi.

Drag queens Vanessa and Betty shares that they have experienced discriminating remarks during their four years of performing. Yet when the show was stopped a few weeks ago after people threw bottles of fish guts, feathers and engine oil at the event, the two performers were among those left bewildered.

“We’re surprised at what happened,” event host Tamah Lake tells Saigoneer, “because [the] Vietnamese people and international people that I speak to are overwhelmingly positive.”

Among the performers, there’s still a strong sense of hope for this form of free expression in Hanoi.

“I don’t think it’s not received in Vietnam, it just needs time for people to accept it,” Hai Phong drag queen Betty added. “I think there’s a big well of understanding in Hanoi that just hasn’t been tapped into yet,” American drag queen Emma concluded.

Watch their story below:


Related Articles:

Teenage Indonesian Girls Shred Muslim Stereotypes With Heavy Metal Band

 - [Video] At a Hero's Tomb, Vibrant Vietnamese Opera Mesmerizes Passersby

 - [Video] This Music Video Is a Quirky Homage to Go Lim Frontwoman Nga Nhi


Related Articles

in Culture

5,000 People to Take Part in a Street Festival in Hanoi This Weekend.

Themed ‘The Quintessence of Hanoi – Confluence and Shine,’ the street festival will take place around Hoan Kiem Lake between 8am and 11am on July 29.

in Culture

A Visit to Hanoi's Birdsong Clubs: Have You Heard the Call of the Oriental White-Eye?

Birdsong clubs, a tradition originating from China, are one of Hanoi’s hidden gems. If you’re willing to really look for them, it’s possible to find huge collections of birds kept in finely decorated ...

in Culture

Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

As gentle as smoke, as strong as fire – lotus silk provides an alternative to silkworms that could revolutionize silk production in Vietnam.

in Culture

Experience: How Becoming One of Hanoi's First Drag Queens Transformed My Life

“Oh my god! You look beautiful! You belong on the runway, why aren’t you on the runway?” said Tamah Lake, the organizer of last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party events in Hanoi. She came up to ...

in Culture

Hanoi Gets Inked: Expo Showcases Vietnam’s Tattoo Boom

When Link Do was a child in Hanoi, she learned English from an American woman with a tattoo on her hand. Link, who loved to draw, thought the tattoo was beautiful, and began to imagine a future as an ...

in Culture

Hanoi Proposes Non-Smoking Areas Around Tourist Sites

The proposal was suggested for areas such as the walking streets around Hoan Kiem Lake in an effort to make the area more welcoming to tourists.

Partner Content