An Homage to the Sounds of Saigon Past That Are Going Extinct
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- Published on 19 June 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Mai Phạm.
After someone or something reaches the end of their days, which aspects of their existence in the minds of those who remain would be the first to succumb to the erosive brush of time? Is it sight, smell, touch, taste, or sound?
Chùa Một Cột in Thailand Reminds Me of the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Land
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- Published on 18 June 2025
- Written by An Trần. Photos by An Trần.
On my last full day in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was on a mission to catch the sunset, although the cloudy and gloomy sky didn’t give me much hope. Instead, I randomly stumbled upon a gate with signs written in Vietnamese. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk in, and the farther I walked, the more clearly I spotted a familiar image from afar: a one-pillar pagoda standing right on the edge of the reservoir.
I Grew up With Print Newspapers and Magazines. Now, They're Disappearing.
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- Published on 17 June 2025
- Written by Minh Phát. Graphic by Dương Trương.
Print media was a crucial part of my childhood and a friend that opened a window into a vivid world of knowledge that was fascinatingly strange in the eyes of young me. But right at this moment when I hit the streets as an adult, the newspaper vendors of those days seem to have vanished, their colorful spread of magazines gone amid the busyness of today. A quiet transformation and farewell has begun.
In Tây Hồ, an Artisan Community Holds Fast to Their Lotus Tea Traditions
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- Published on 16 June 2025
- Written by Xuân Phương. Photos by Xuân Phương.
Every sip of lotus tea encapsulates all the essences of the natural landscapes of Tây Hồ.
New Tarot Deck Uses Traditional Motifs, Legends and Folk Wisdom to 'Speak Vietnamese'
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- Published on 15 June 2025
- Written by Ý Mai. Photos by Nguyễn Hữu Đức Huy.
Tarot decks can feel written in a foreign language.
Pages of Passion Bookstore Epitomizes What It Means to Run a Passion Project
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- Published on 13 June 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
On the sixth floor of an old apartment building on Nguyễn Văn Tráng Street in District 1 stands Pages of Passion, a true haven for book lovers. New and used literature from around the world; non-fiction spanning philosophy, natural science, history, biographies, and psychology, and even some poetry fill the floor-to-ceiling shelves in the inviting space. One could spend time wondering why it took so long for a shop like this to open in Saigon, but those hours are better spent perusing the titles that include best-sellers, classics, and global phenomena alongside overlooked treasures.
Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels
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- Published on 11 June 2025
- Written by Thi Nguyễn and Brian Letwin. Top graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
In our previous article on Vietnam’s southern citadels, we covered a mix of ancient structures and those constructed just before the dawn of French colonization of Indochina. In particular, we focused on Gia Định Citadel, a hulking structure that once stood in what would become Saigon’s city center. Undertaking a similar exercise for Vietnam’s central and northern regions is less practical, given the sheer quantity and variety of citadels in those regions. So, for the second part of our citadel series, we instead will focus on a unifying feature across such fortifications — Vauban architecture.
'Đây Ngồi Ráp Việt' Pixel Art Project Turns Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities Into Model Kits
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- Published on 11 June 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Illustrations by Callmebu.
How many of us can identify all 63 localities in the current administrative map of Vietnam? Who has been to all of them? Who can name all the 54 ethnicities of Vietnamese across the country? These are all surprisingly hard things to do considering the average citizen doesn’t travel to other provinces often, and if they do, few actually stray from popular tourist destinations.
Between Motion and Stillness, Huỳnh Công Nhớ Explores Memory and Belief in ‘Mắt Nhớ'
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- Published on 10 June 2025
- Written by An Trần. Photos courtesy of Gallery Medium.
Drawing on themes of childhood memories, human beliefs and spirituality, filmmaker and painter Huỳnh Công Nhớ moves between the worlds of cinema and painting, inviting viewers on a journey in search for the quiet beauty in life’s simplest moments.
Opinion: Anthony Bourdain Made Me Proud to Be Vietnamese-American
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- Published on 09 June 2025
- Written by Dan Q Dao.
I landed Friday night in Saigon just in time for the news of Anthony Bourdain’s passing lighting up my phone in a jumble of tweets, texts and news alerts. As details emerged about the chef-turned-travel show host’s apparent suicide at 61, an outpouring of grief and shock flooded the internet. I’m sure many of us will remember exactly where we were at the moment we learned of his death.
The Simple Pleasures of Having Your Hair Washed at the Hairdresser’s
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- Published on 08 June 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
I get my face shaved by sidewalk barbers; stop at every roving laminator I pass to have ticket stubs, photos, and doodles encased in plastic as souvenirs; and will always select a stool surrounded by traffic over a fine dining establishment. Add in the fact that I’ve kept my hair well past my shoulders for decades, and it should be a no-brainer that I regularly frequent tiệm gội đầu. And yet, somehow, last week was my first visit.
An Ode to Our Childhood Games and the Days of Being Wild
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- Published on 06 June 2025
- Written by Thảo Nguyên. Illustrations by Ngọc Tạ.
This season, chò seeds drift through the air, their tiny wings twirling in the wind before settling softly onto pathways. It feels as if someone, unseen, has scattered a handful of memories across the breeze. I watch from under the eaves as each chò wing tilts and dances. The sight takes me back to a courtyard echoing with the laughter of children, caught up in the games we knew by heart — nhảy dây, bịt mắt bắt dê, ô ăn quan, bắn bi. Summer, in those days, wasn’t only about the blazing sun. It lived in the whirl of chò seeds overhead, the humming cicadas at noon, and the tender chaos of our childhood.
Ngõ Nooks: In One of Hanoi's Tiniest Shopfronts, a Phở Chay With Big Flavors
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- Published on 04 June 2025
- Written by Govi Snell. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Tree-lined Lò Đúc street is home to Phở Chay: a restaurant so small it could fit in the palm of your hand.
Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam
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- Published on 03 June 2025
- Written by Brian Letwin and Thi Nguyễn. Top graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.
Forum Theater Brings Real-Life Situations to the Stage, and You Are the Actors
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- Published on 02 June 2025
- Written by Ý Mai.
In Vietnam, a novel form of theater is quietly making an impact, not just on stage, but in classrooms, communities, and people's lives. Known as Forum Theater, this interactive art form transforms audience members from passive viewers into active participants. Developed by Brazilian threater practitioner Augusto Boal, Forum Theater was created as a space to “rehearse for real life,” allowing theatergoers to step into the shoes of others, explore difficult situations, and test out new possibilities.
Nay Mai Tạp Hóa Is a Love Letter From Its Founders to Vietnam and the Creative Spirit
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- Published on 01 June 2025
- Written by Rhianna Morris. Photos by Zoé Renard.
When you step inside the jewel-box-sized Nay Mai Tạp Hóa, you have no choice but to confront the immediacy of the products on display around you: clothing, artwork, zines, jewellery, stickers, you name it, from local and international designers. The shop, which opened last year, fulfills the “anything-you-might-need” role of its distinction as a tạp hóa, the Vietnamese equivalent to a corner store.
Bánh Ú Tro Wraps the Childhood Joy of Tết Đoan Ngọ Within Its Green Leaves
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- Published on 31 May 2025
- Written by Thu Hà. Graphics by Ngàn Mai.
Since the beginning of our festive history, Vietnam’s special occasions have always been closely associated with traditional dishes. Lunar New Year is the time to enjoy bánh chưng and bánh tét, while the arrival of Trung Thu is foretold by the appearance of moon cakes and bánh pía. In the case of Tết Đoan Ngọ, revelers eat bánh bá trạng and bánh ú tro to get a taste of festivity.
In Chợ Lớn, Leaf-Wrapped Rice Dumplings Abound Every Tết Đoan Ngọ
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- Published on 30 May 2025
- Written by Mervin Lee. Photos by Mervin Lee.
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is a day of great importance in Chinese communities all over Asia.
10 Rare Illustrations Offer Glimpses Into Life in Tonkin in 1923
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- Published on 29 May 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
What’s your typical Sunday routine? If your answer includes grabbing some noodles on the street, getting your earwax removed and mustache shaved, and maybe smoking some opium to take the edge off, congratulations, you might be living in 1923 Tonkin.
Bạch Nam Hải’s Documentary Photo Series Captures Sapa's 7 Years of Transformation
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- Published on 28 May 2025
- Written by An Trần. Photos by Bạch Nam Hải.
From the town to the depths of the misty mountains of Sapa, Bạch Nam Hải embarked on a documentary photographic journey, capturing the essence of local life, the intimate connections between people and nature, and the contrast between the natural landscape and rapid urban development fueled by tourism expansion.
