Be Like The Lotus

Chris Humphrey talks to Dang Thanh Long, Executive Director of Vietnam Green Buildings Council, about how they increase the number of environmentally-friendly buildings in Vietnam and improve quality of life as a result It seems fitting to meet Dang Thanh Long in Creative City, one of Hanoi’s most progressive office spaces. The building houses cutting-edge design companies, art galleries, hip clothing shops, internet start-ups and also Vietnam Green Buildings … Read more

Down to a Fine Art

Zunk, a central figure in Hanoi’s street art scene, discusses hip-hop, supporting the community and the future of Vietnamese graffiti I meet Zunk by the corner of the Cuban Embassy. We walk together down a few alleyways, heading to his studio for the next few months. As we walk, something about him immediately strikes me. He has a way about … Read more

A Paper Trail

A visit to Suoi Co in Hoa Binh to find out how to make artisanal Dó paper using traditional techniques Dó Paper has been made for centuries in Vietnam. It’s part of the country’s rich heritage of traditional craft, dating back as far the Ly Dynasty in the 13th century. More recently, it was made … Read more

Drama Queen

Have you been to the Eiffel Tower? What about the Grand Canyon? London’s Tower Bridge? All questions you might reasonably be asked by a travel-obsessed friend. You might even be able to answer positively to many of them. But what exactly did you do there? There are few in the world who would be able to answer these questions in as dramatic … Read more

Taking the Lead

Nguyen Nhu Quynh, star of Cyclo and The Vertical Ray of the Sun, discusses traditional Vietnamese culture, her journey to international recognition and playing a psychopathic mafia boss. When Nguyen Nhu Quynh appeared in the film Indochine, it marked a dramatic change in her career: the former student of cai luong had made the big time. It was also a representation of Vietnam’s beauty … Read more