Revisit the Colorful, Diverse Universe of Multinational Xe Đò in 1990s Saigon
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- Published on 11 September 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Saigoneers who spent their formative years in the 1990s will remember an era of secondhand products of mixed origins. This unique feature of daily life also extended into the transportation realm.
As Wind Power Struggles to Thrive in Southeast Asia, Vietnam Leads With Early Momentum
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- Published on 10 September 2025
- Written by Tyler Roney.
Countries in mainland Southeast Asia have stark differences in renewable energy strategies, balancing them with ample but controversial hydropower and entrenched interests. While solar power has become accessible and cost effective, many of these nations have struggled to make wind power an essential part of renewable energy strategies, despite having locations with high potential. Meanwhile, others have become regional wind power leaders, such as Vietnam. In this explainer, we explore how various mainland Southeast Asian countries are engaging with wind power development.
The Double-Edged Allure of Indochic in Postcolonial Vietnam
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- Published on 10 September 2025
- Written by Vinh Phu Pham. Illustration by Ngọc Tạ.
Bordering the Temple of Literature in Hanoi is Nguyễn Thái Học Boulevard, where a number of art shops sit side by side. Among them, tourists and visitors can find an endless supply of varying iterations of socialist iconography, gold-plated replicas of Đông Sơn drums, and faux-impressionist paintings of colonial Indochina. In Mũi Né, a 127-room resort unironically called The Anam Mui Ne boasts its Indochine allure with “Indochine Charm. Modern Luxury” on its home page. Throughout the resort are paintings depicting women in traditional áo dài and scenes of tranquil fishing villages, gesturing toward the bucolic past of Vietnam. In Saigon, numerous cafes and eateries are decorated in encaustic cement tiles with intricate floral, pastel designs, while brandishing French names and wrought iron railings on their balconies.
Hẻm Gems: The Legendary Miến Trộn That Feeds Saigon's Architecture Students
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- Published on 09 September 2025
- Written by Đình Phúc. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
Upon finding out that I’m a student at the University of Architecture HCMC, people tend to bombard me with a barrage of questions: if my coursework is tiring, if my school fees are skyhigh, and what my plans for after graduation are. These curiosities are understandable, but in the past years, one peculiar query has popped up more frequently: “I heard there’s a really good miến trộn place outside your school, is it true?”
Review: Watch a Family's Trauma Unravel in Real Time in 'No Crying at the Dinner Table'
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- Published on 06 September 2025
- Written by Vĩnh An.
I had little to no expectation when I started watching No Crying at the Dinner Table, especially since the topic of generational distance in Vietnam has been discussed time and time again by many other media, including Bố Già and Nhà Bà Nữ, both feature films by Trấn Thành.
Destruction, Rebirth Enmeshed in Ngô Đình Bảo Châu’s Exhibition 'Projecting a Thought'
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- Published on 06 September 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Darkness fills the space and a flame fiercely burns on the large screen, while dim lights and floating fabric linger behind. Ngô Đình Bảo Châu transforms domestic and bodily forms into works that explore the interconnectedness between the human body and the surrounding environment within this evolving world — in between destruction and rebirth.
The Poetry of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam's Coastal Towns
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- Published on 05 September 2025
- Written by Kit Humphrey. Photos by Kit Humphrey.
Traveling south through central Vietnam by train can bring you to the familiar or the obscure: the Disney-fication of Hội An, the peaceful bays of Quy Nhơn, or the thrill of derelict spaces in Huế.
New 12,000-Year-Old Skeleton Breaks Record of Oldest Human Remains Found in Vietnam
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- Published on 03 September 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by C M Stimpson / Proceedings of the Royal Society B.
After analysis, scientists believe that a 12,000-year-old set of human remains found in Ninh Bình belonged to a prehistoric man who died from infection after being struck by a quartz-tipped projectile.
Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers
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- Published on 28 August 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
What are our memories made of?
How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art
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- Published on 28 August 2025
- Written by Tuệ Đinh. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.
Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry
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- Published on 25 August 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Ngàn Mai.
Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the book jolted me from expectations and why the experience provides a unique and valuable addition to the array of Vietnamese novels translated into English.
‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia
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- Published on 24 August 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audiences, the piece has now been presented on an international platform at George Town Festival 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone for Vietnamese contemporary hip-hop performance on the international stage.
I Saw the World's Most Handsome Bird Right in Vietnam's Hidden Backyard
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- Published on 21 August 2025
- Written by Alexander Yates. Photos by Alexander Yates.
Everywhere I go in Vietnam, I keep my eyes peeled for the incredible birds that call this country home. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I scan the horizon above low hills for migratory hawks. I stare into breaks in the foliage for passing buttonquail. I peer into rice paddies, fingers crossed for a cryptic snipe. And, of course, there’s Facebook. I refresh Facebook over and over again, waiting for the arrival of the mandarin duck. Its scientific name is Aix galericulata, which one assumes means “prettiest goddamn duck in the world.”
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
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- Published on 20 August 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so uplifted by the comfort that, every fortnight or so, I can hop on my motorbike, sit for 15 minutes, and have cơm hến on the table in a blink of an eye for gulping pleasures. Cơm hến is one of my favorite things, so naturally, when I got a chance to visit Huế, the dish’s hometown, there was no way I could miss out on this small joy that packs big flavors.
As Saigon Moves Forward, Xích Lô Lag Behind as Nostalgic Remnants of a Past Era
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- Published on 19 August 2025
- Written by Zukhra Tatybayeva and Dana Filek-Gibson. Photos by Lee Starnes.
Among Bùi Viện's assortment of xe ôm drivers and street food vendors, Bible-toting religious enthusiasts and other colorful personalities, 66-year-old Nghĩa stands out for his kind eyes and walrus-like mustache.
A Slice of Life in Coupon-Era Hanoi via Colorful Vintage Lottery Tickets
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- Published on 18 August 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
What can tiny sheets of paper reveal about a whole time period?
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats
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- Published on 17 August 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân.
As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.
Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist
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- Published on 14 August 2025
- Written by Tuệ Đinh. Graphic by Dương Trương.
In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I learnt back in high school: there is something so different, refreshing and oddly contemporary about it. As I consider every page of his bulky posthumously published anthology Thơ (Poetry), I find his legacy remains inspirational even for contemporary readers — especially other young Vietnamese — on what it means to “be an artist.” This does not only entail one’s appreciation and production of Vietnamese art, but also their adoption of an artist’s mindset into daily life.
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
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- Published on 13 August 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Mai Phạm and Mai Khanh.
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush and that one tree in the front yard of our school.
Huế's Palm-Sized Bánh Mì Chuột Is the Perfect Snack for Nibbling While Walking
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- Published on 12 August 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo quay, many of the most popular and delicious dishes are served in small portions that work together collectively to fill one’s belly, but don’t get the job done on their own.
