Latest news with #JoeyGann
The Star
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Hanoi honoured as top cultural and artistic destination in Asia
A hop-on hop-off bus passes by Hanoi's iconic flag tower. — VNA/VNS HANOI: Hanoi has been ranked ninth among the world's 20 greatest cities for art and culture for 2025 by the UK-based Time Out magazine, making it the highest-ranked destination in Asia. The Vietnamese capital ranked ninth among the world's top cultural destinations, with Paris, Florence and Edinburgh taking the top three spots. At the same time, Hanoi emerged as Asia's leading representative, placed ahead of other major regional cities such as Beijing (11th), Jakarta (13th) and Delhi (14th). According to Time Out, Hanoi is the cheapest city for art and culture on the list, with 82 per cent of locals ranking it highly for affordability. 'Take its weekend walking streets – by far the most recommended of all the city's cultural offerings in our survey – where the roads of the Old Quarter and around Hoan Kiem Lake are cleared of traffic to make room for street performances, traditional dance and live music. Several mentions also went to the grand, neoclassical Hanoi Opera House, as well as the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.' Local writer Joey Gann was quoted in the magazine's article on the list as saying: 'In the Old Quarter, the group Dong Kinh Co Nhac breathes new life into ancient silk-stringed instruments, while across town at Hanoi Rock City, up-and-coming local bands command packed dancefloors. About 100km south in the mountains of Mai Chau, the 'rave in a cave' Equation Festival, now in its seventh year, is increasingly garnering international attention. "Hanoi's fashion scene is just as dynamic – designers like Kilomet109 and Subtle Le Nguyen are transforming ethnic minority textiles into globally revered couture, drawing on centuries-old silk traditions.' The list was compiled based on a global survey conducted by Time Out, gathering the views of 18,500 residents across various cities on their local cultural scenes. Each city was scored according to the quality and affordability of its cultural offerings. The top-scoring cities in each country made the longlist, after which Time Out's culture editors selected their favourites. In a separate recent Time Out survey, Nha Trang in the south-central coastal province of Khanh Hoa was named one of the world's rising travel stars for summer 2025. Ranked 11th, it was praised as a stunning bay city with rich cultural traditions and a vibrant culinary scene. — Vietnam News/ANN
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
This charming Southeast Asian capital city is one of the world's best cities for culture right now
If you ask us, it's about time for Asia's art and cultural scene to get the global spotlight. We're home to some of the world's oldest civilisations, and to balance that, the region is thrumming with youthful energy, driving an exciting calendar of arts festivals, literary events, and underground parties. If you're eager to dive into Asia's flourishing cultural landscape, then we've sussed out the cities you can start with. Time Out surveyed 18,500 locals worldwide to get their thoughts on the quality and affordability of their city's cultural scene. Our network of art and culture editors then narrowed the list to 20 of the world's finest cultural hubs. We thought outside the box of museums, galleries, and theatres to consider free-wheeling, community-rooted events like pop-up festivals, museum parties, and even raves in caves. So, the best city in Asia for a large dose of art and culture? Hanoi (No. 9), Vietnam's charming capital with a history stretching back more than 1,000 years. As local writer Joey Gann puts it, "What's charming about modern, youthful Hanoi is that the past is never far away." One minute, you can be in the Old Quarter watching performers on ancient silk-string instruments; the next, you can rock and roll with upcoming local bands at Hanoi Rock City. The city is home to the aforementioned 'rave in a cave' Equation Festival, and blistering fashion talent who are bringing ethnic textiles to the global couture stage. The kicker? Getting cultured in Hanoi is super easy on your wallet. It's the cheapest city for art and culture on our list, with 82 percent of locals ranking it highly for affordability. Case in point: weekend walking streets filled with street performances and traditional showcases you can enjoy for free. In a bit of a shocker, Japanese cities like Tokyo and Kyoto didn't crack the top 20. Instead, Beijing comes next at No. 11, standing out for its intriguing mix of Chinese tradition and modern life. Locals particularly love the National Centre for the Performing Arts and Tiananmen Square, so make space in your itinerary for those. We're glad to see Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, at No. 13. This city has long been wildly creative, with "big name museums and galleries, [as well as] many smaller spaces like Artspace, Jakarta Art Hub and M Bloc Space becoming popular venues for various creative communities," says local expert Leyla Rose. She also highlights Jakarta's vibrant music scene, which shines with annual fests like Java Jazz Festival, Djakarta Warehouse Project, and We the Fest. It's the most affordable city for the arts after Hanoi, too. The final Asian city on the list is Delhi at No. 14. 89 percent of locals rated their city's culture scene highly in our survey, which local writer Shuvajit Payne says is becoming "bigger, better, and more inclusive each year." If there's one thing to check out, it's the newly opened Humayun's Tomb museum, a marvel of Mughal architecture. So, which is the best city in the world for arts and culture in 2025? Take a wild guess – or find out below. Paris Florence Edinburgh Mexico City Sydney Barcelona Chicago Lisbon Hanoi Cape Town Beijing Tbilisi Jakarta Delhi Medellin Amsterdam Marrakech Vienna Prague Abu Dhabi
