Rifle Range

Saigon’s sniper club aims to promote camaraderie and sportsmanship, not war “War taught me how to handle a gun and shoot. It has saved my life many times. But this is peacetime now and I don’t want people to think only of war and bloodshed when they see a gun. I want people to look at it and see more than what TV shows and movies show them. I want … Read more

Take a Bow

Make like Katniss and Robin Hood and learn how to hit the bullseye “People ask me these questions a lot: Why archery? Why not some other modern sport?” says Hoang Anh, founder and president of the Saigon Archery Club (SAC), the first and largest archery club in Ho Chi Minh City. “To a lot of people, archery is kinda boring. Watching an archery tournament is … Read more

Frequency and Depth

Meet the man building his own sound diffuser panels for better listening In Thu Duc District in Ho Chi Minh City, accountant Pham Khac Tuong is turning discarded wood into one-of-a-kind, handmade sound diffuser panels worth thousands of dollars. Used by professional musicians or the most discerning music lover, a sound diffuser is an acoustic … Read more

Big Love

The woman behind Vietnam’s extravagant, over-the-top weddings Lam Tran and Hien Vo tied the knot on December 19, 2014. The theme of their wedding was called “Love in the Air” because the couple loves to travel. It was an extravagant affair nine months in the making that consisted of an executive producer, 20 artists, craftsmen, … Read more

The Armor Man

Costume designer turns play into work In the cosplay community, Han Phi Tuyet (also known as “The Armor Man”) is the go-to designer for bespoke one-of-a-kind anime or sci-fi inspired costumes. At 28, Tuyet has created sets and props for movies, celebrities and online gaming companies. In Vietnam, he is one among the only two artists who specialize in historical costumes. “I started hanging … Read more

The Iron Maiden

Vietnam’s female bodybuilder who’s smashing stereotypes “I didn’t choose this job. It chose me.” says Dinh Kim Loan, seven-time Asian gold medalist and twice world champion female bodybuilder for her weight class. Entering into our interview, Loan looks very little like the Asian ideal of feminine beauty. Her waist may be small and her hair may be long, but nothing can hide her sharply defined muscles and … Read more

A Model Citizen

Vietnam’s male supermodel explains why modeling fame isn’t as simple as looking good In the last few years, and with the aid of shows such as Vietnam’s Next Top Model, and The Face Vietnam, modeling has emerged and grown in local psyche as a legitimate and highly desirable career choice. Once known only in certain circles, Ha Anh, Hoang Thuy … Read more

The City of Tombs

Villagers compete to build increasingly lavish and elaborate tombs for their ancestors In Vietnam, belief of the afterlife and the importance of its preparation runs deep among the populace. “There’s a saying that’s really popular around here: “Life is fleeting, but death is eternal.” Everybody here knows it, and while some don’t agree with it, most … Read more

Leveraging Languages

Is translanguaging the answer to 21st century multilingual classrooms? It is hard to argue against the importance of English as a truly world language. Used by almost 942 million people around the world, and in five of the world’s top ten largest economies, it is considered vitally important in global business, diplomacy, politics, and even in … Read more