How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
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- Published on 06 April 2026
- Written by Garrett MacLean. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
Ngõ Nooks: At Vietnam's Only Palestinian Eatery, Eating Maqluba and Dreaming of Peace
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- Published on 05 April 2026
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
“If you have a heart and you have a mind, you must support Palestine,” Saleem Hammad emphasized as we sipped sweet tea overlooking Hanoi’s Old Quarter from the balcony of his restaurant, Oliva. The dinner we had just finished was delicious, but the visit to Vietnam’s only Palestinian restaurant felt more significant than a simple meal. Learning about Saleem’s journey, his personal relationship with Vietnam, and his efforts to deepen ties between Palestine and Vietnam underscored how cuisine can foster cultural exchange and understanding towards peace.
All Aboard Bus 146, Home of Plushies, Rubber Chickens and a Side of Humanity
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- Published on 03 April 2026
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
“Cute” doesn’t seem like a fitting descriptor for any mode of public transport, but a bus in Saigon is driving straight into the heart of Saigoneers for being the quintessence of “smotheringly adorable.”
The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Modernist Architecture
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- Published on 03 April 2026
- Written by Phạm Vinh. Sketches by Phạm Vinh. Top image by Hannah Hoàng and Uyên Ngô.
Since the mid-20th century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, etc. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global modernism.
Saigon Set to Make Bus Service Free for All to Cut Congestion, Air Pollution
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- Published on 02 April 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Jimmy Art Devier.
Saigoneers without private vehicles might be happy to hear that the city is planning to make the municipal bus system free to ride in the near future.
Bạc Liêu-94, Cà Mau-69: In Saigon, a Surprising Reminder of Home Lives on License Plates
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- Published on 01 April 2026
- Written by Đình Phúc. Graphic by Dương Trương.
Once in a while, I bump into a little sliver of my hometown on a random license plate on the street.
Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor
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- Published on 31 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.
Water as a Metaphor for Trauma, Memories and Unspoken Histories in Quế’s Art
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- Published on 30 March 2026
- Written by An Trần.
Through installations and animated films, Quế traces the flow of water as they move through personal memories and collective histories, carrying generational trauma amidst urbanization, and even natural disaster.
Hẻm Gems: Atop a Beef Bowl Eatery, the Hidden Cozy World of Shochu Bar Mitsuboshi
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- Published on 29 March 2026
- Written by Tom Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Looking back at my days in Japan, I cherish most the moments I decided to get lost in yokochos — small and narrow alleys filled with shops, often bars — and push on a random door, not knowing what could await me behind it. It could be a wooden stall illuminated by blinding lights, its noisy customers showered with beer; or a 19th-century-style Manhattan bar, where the only movements come from trails of smoke off the customers’ cigarettes and streams of light going through bottles of whisky behind the counter.
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
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- Published on 27 March 2026
- Written by David McCaskey. Photos by David McCaskey. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.
When Rush Hour Hits, The Straits Offers a Singaporean Alternative
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- Published on 26 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Saigon’s streets snarl with hot, sticky knots of traffic every evening. As people finish their workdays and look ahead to quality time with families at home, precious hours pursuing hobbies and meeting with friends around the city, they must first contend with horrific congestion. This rush hour period, when movement is slow and frustrating, coincides with peak skyline beauty.
Vietnam's Woolly Bat Is Being Hunted to Extinction to Be Halloween Decorations
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- Published on 25 March 2026
- Written by Spoorthy Raman.
With hues of orange and black on its wings and a furry, fluffy face, the painted woolly bat is a stunner. But its beauty has become a deadly liability. People want to hang the bats — dead and stuffed — on their walls, display them as collectibles and even set them in jewelry.
From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam
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- Published on 24 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress.
In Search of Ba Khía, the Mangrove Crab That Captures the Soul of Cà Mau
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- Published on 23 March 2026
- Written by Đình Phúc. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
The tide is low tonight. The mud flats, enveloped in the mangrove forest’s darkness, are dotted with the sporadic flares of headlamps. On bundles of exposed mangrove roots, shadows cast by black crabs crowd out one another. In my hometown, we call them “ba khía.”
Pristine Blue Sky and Memorial Park: Ruminating on What the Covid-19 Pandemic Left Us
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- Published on 21 March 2026
- Written by San Kwon. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Recently, I visited Saigon’s newly inaugurated COVID-19 memorial park. Located at 1 Lý Thái Tổ, Vườn Lài Ward, the park opened in February as a part of the city’s efforts to expand its green spaces. The centerpiece of the park is its teardrop-shaped sculpture, a monument commemorating the solidarity and care that carried the city through the hardships of the pandemic.
Hẻm Gems: Tokyo Moon Cafe Introduces Homey Korean Flavors to Japan Town
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- Published on 21 March 2026
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Stepping into Tokyo Moon is like venturing into a world of wonders, neatly packed within a mere 35-square-meter space.
Tourists Generate Up to 3 Times More Plastic Waste Than Locals, UNDP Finds
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- Published on 19 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
A recent report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that plastic waste pollution poses increasing problems for both the environment and the economy of the tourism industry, especially as the sector continues to grow rapidly.
HCMC's Đồng Khởi Among World's Top 20 Most Expensive Retail Streets, Report Says
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- Published on 18 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
Saigon’s very own Đồng Khởi has once again made the list of world’s commercial streets with the highest annual rents.
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
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- Published on 16 March 2026
- Written by Thi Nguyễn.
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'
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- Published on 15 March 2026
- Written by San Kwon. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians.
