Hanoi's Largest Indoor Aquarium Is Surprisingly Impressive for a Mall Attraction
I am a champion of the public aquarium. For many people, the aquarium is the only place where they can meet marine life outside of perhaps a wet market or seafood restaurant. Some research suggests that watching fish swim around can reduce stress and lower blood pressure, and that seeing marine life in their (simulated) habitats can inspire people to care more about these endangered species in their besieged environments. For the serious study of marine life, aquaria allow biologists to observe the behaviors of animals that are otherwise difficult to observe in nature. Vietnam has a few public aquaria: the Viện Hải Dương Học and Trí Nguyên Aquarium in Nha Trang, the Vinpearland-branded aquaria in Hanoi, Phú Quốc, and Nha Trang, and a handful of others. When Vietnam’s newest aquarium opened at the end of last summer, I had to go take a look.
Britain’s Prestigious North London Collegiate School Arrives in Vietnam
A World-class IB Family of schools with 175 years of exceptional education in the UK, Korea, Dubai, Singapore, and Vietnam invites families to join.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Social Commentary, Empathy in Nguyễn Quang Thân's Short Story Collection
Nguyễn Quang Thân passed away on March 4, 2017, several weeks before I moved to Saigon. So of course I never met him, but I feel like I know him. My first introduction was via An Insignificant Family, the fictionalized memoir written by his wife, writer Dạ Ngân, which includes a description of the 10 years they spent apart, writing letters to one another from opposite ends of the nation, followed by their life together. In the years since I first interviewed her about that novel, I’ve been blessed to be adopted as her son; one of the greatest gifts of my life. No visit with her goes past without him being mentioned. For years, Nguyễn Quang Thân has simply been Ba Thân.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
At Bùi Chát's Painting Exhibition, a Freedom to Feel Without Preconceptions
Contemporary art can intimidate viewers. People often think they need familiarity with certain histories, theories, philosophies and biographies to appreciate a painting. I have friends who do not have a formal art education or extensive art background and thus think visual art is not for them.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
How Nam Cao Almost Ruined My Favorite Canal Cafe
Spoilers for an 80-year-old story that every student in the nation is required to read: the dog dies, the old man dies, his son's misfortunes show no sign of abetting. Simply, misery abounds at the end of “Lão Hạc.”
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
On a Boat Ride Through Nhiêu Lộc Canal, a Fish's-Eye View of Saigon
Could your life in Saigon be made into a quirky indie film?
Galuocad's Artworks Create a Universe of Very-Vietnamese Whimsy
Staying in one place for an extended period can lead to what's known as the "boiled frog effect."
A World of Riveting Medically Inspired Magic in Vanessa Le's YA Debut
Captured by Butchers, the “blackmarket bogey men who deal in rare goods,” Nhika Suonyasan is caged and auctioned off to the city’s elite. A figure in a fox mask attempting to purchase her is outbid by a rich family that carts her off to a mansion that boasts luxury beyond anything Nhika has ever seen. The family immediately commands her to heal a witness to the wealthy patriarch’s death.
Two Vietnamese Films Shortlisted for SeaShorts Film Festival 2020
The film festival will be held online from September 12-20.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Velvet Chains and Epaulet Couch: How a Curious Artist Plays With Symbols
What would it mean to sit on the shoulder-attached epaulet of a military uniform that denotes rank?
From Window to Logo
Designing the “perfect” logo is a winding road littered with failed fonts, well-intended but misguided icons, and superfluous design elements — necessary artifacts that serve to catalog the arrival at...
Sơn Tùng Documentary to Premiere Worldwide on Netflix Tomorrow
The documentary chronicling the pop star's mega-successful 2019 Vietnam tour will be available to viewers in 190 countries.
[Photos] Hanoi's Perusers of Perfect Pedals
It was a cloudy Saturday morning when Saigoneer arrived at the Thanh Nien Street trà đá spot next to Ho Tay.
Envisioning the Mekong's Future Through the Eyes of 5 Regional Filmmakers
The future of the Mekong Delta is uncertain. The river and the people that rely on it are facing the impact of climate change, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, hydropow...
This New Edition of 'Số Đỏ' Comes With Lively Illustrations by Thành Phong
If your grasp of the ingenious satire of Vũ Trọng Phụng’s Số Đỏ (Dumb Luck) is slipping, this newly published edition might prove helpful for brushing up before the film adaptation comes out.
'Con Ăn Cơm Chưa? | Have You Eaten Yet?' by Jessica Nguyen
it took me till my college years when saying “I love you” became a normal thing
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Portraits of Frontline Workers From Inside Quarantine
In Con Đã Về Nhà - I'm Home, Tăng Quang documents his two-week stint in quarantine at Military School Zone 7 in District 12 of Saigon with a combination of paintings and prose.
Saigoneer Podcast: Diacritics in English Writing; the Da Nang Covid-19 Outbreak
The podcast is back after taking a few weeks off!
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
On Loving the Saigon Zoo Despite Its Flaws
We’ve all wanted something we can’t have. Something we can see but can’t touch. Something dangled in front of us but just out of reach like an especially succulent apple growing on a branch inches ...
Get to Know Vietnam's 54 Ethnic Groups via These Adorable Emojis
If only these adorable emojis existed back when we were toiling over our geography homework years ago.
3 Vietnamese Films Selected for Locarno Film Festival
The Locarno Film Festival opens this month for the 72nd year running, this time as a new hybrid edition titled "For the Future of Films."
Paul Christiansen in Film & TV
How Famed Filmmaker Việt Linh Built a Family Around Art
“The lonely sound of a lute cannot cure your pain. You need Tơ’s singing to bring you serenity.”
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 25: Child's Play
Who builds Saigon's bridges?
[Video] In 'Ba Đình Đời,' a Study of Hanoi's Nocturnal Textures and Shapes
As Vietnam battles a fresh coronavirus outbreak, art from the country's initial battle and social distancing period is still being released.
[Photos] From Bamboo to Altar: The Life of an Incense Stick in Vietnam
Vietnamese see the process of burning incense as a sacred ritual said to provide a bridge between the visible life of human beings and the spiritual world of gods.
Nguyễn Đức Sơn, Eccentric Poet and Pillar of Southern Literature, Passes Away at 83
On the morning of June 11, poet Nguyễn Đức Sơn, pseudonym Sao Trên Rừng (Star Over The Forest), passed away at the age of 83.
[Video] The Homeless Saigon Man Who Built a Home for Rescue Dogs
In recent years, uproar over the consumption of dog meat has culminated in demands for a national ban on the controversial dish, which some consider a traditional delicacy while others claim it is une...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Effort to Increase Fertility Rates; Visual Arts Curator Bill Nguyen
We're now 90 episodes old!
