Inside Chôl Chnăm Thmây, the Festive New Year of Saigon's Khmer Community
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- Published on 29 April 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
As April's fickle weather shifts between sunlight and breeze, Candaransi Pagoda sheds its usual solemnity, becoming animated with a festive spirit. The air hums with the resonant sounds of temple bells and the rhythmic beat of the wooden fish drum, a vibrant counterpoint to the warm laughter shared by monks and lay Buddhists. Anticipation builds as everyone awaits the midnight chime, signaling the arrival of the Khmer New Year.
How Music Transcended Political Divides: The Stories of 5 Timeless Wartime Songs
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- Published on 28 April 2025
- Written by Vũ Hoàng Long. Graphic by Ngàn Mai.
Vietnamese musicians created a musical bridge across political divides, transforming the pain of a fractured nation into melodies that still resonate with both homeland and diasporic Vietnamese 50 years after the war's end.
Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments
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- Published on 27 April 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân and Alberto Prieto.
“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to welcome or bid farewell to these moments. They also use music to pray for good weather, good business, and happiness for future generations,” Đức Dậu, a seasoned collector of Vietnamese traditional instruments, shares how these antique musical devices are more than just merely tools used for entertainment.
As Saltwater Intrudes More of Mekong Delta, Durian Farmers Struggle to Stay Afloat
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- Published on 25 April 2025
- Written by Minh Ha and Lue Palmer. Photos by Minh Ha. Top graphic by Ngàn Mai.
Nguyễn Văn Quại, 63, walked slowly on the muddy dirt path in his yard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped beside a tree split in half, its branches dipping into the stagnant water of a narrow moat, and gestured towards the rest of his leafless crop — their trunks yellow, their bark cracked and brittle.
On Vietnam's Internet, You're a Mom, I'm a Mom, Everyone Is a Mom
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- Published on 25 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
I am a mom. Well, not in the most conventional meaning of the word — I am childless, and it’s still biologically impossible for men to give birth the last time I checked, but for most of my existence on the Vietnamese cybersphere, I have been using the designation “mẹ” amongst my closest friends.
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 2
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- Published on 24 April 2025
- Written by Tim Doling. Top image by Mai Khanh.
By the 1920s, the old Bình Tây Market and much of the surrounding land had belonged to Quách Đàm, so he proposed to the colonial authorities the demolition of the existing building and the construction, “on an area of not less than 9,000 square metres,” of a new and much larger Bình Tây Market, to serve as the new central market of Chợ Lớn.
This is Part 2 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 1 here.
If Every Province in Vietnam Has a Mascot, What Would Your Hometown's Be?
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- Published on 23 April 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Ngàn Mai .
Do you know Bé Sen?
Hẻm Gems: At Mão A Chai, Masala Chai and Thái Nguyên Tea for the Soul
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- Published on 22 April 2025
- Written by Ý Mai. Photos by Ben Nguyễn.
I used to be an international student living in Minnesota, where winter comes early and overstays its welcome. In those long months of snow and silence, I relied heavily on coffee, my go-to companion during late-night study sessions and early morning lectures. This changed one day when my host mom introduced me to something unexpected: Indian chai.
On Phú Quý Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
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- Published on 21 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement like Saigon, Cần Thơ or Mỹ Tho, how has this unique form of vernacular architectural expression been transformed?
Hẻm Gems: A Humble Bún Riêu That Reminds a Child of the Mekong of Home
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- Published on 20 April 2025
- Written by Minh Phát. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
As a little boy, there were nights when I would burst into tears upon waking up suddenly and not seeing mom around, because I missed her and needed her. One night, I even crawled under the bed and threw a tantrum, demanding her to be by my side immediately. My dad and brother told me that she was off selling bún riêu and would be back later. In the mind of a four-year-old, it didn’t matter what kind of noodles and where she was selling them, he only cared about when she would return. At the time, I don’t recall ever trying her bún riêu.
Reframing War Memories via the Western-Vietnamese Photographic Perspectives
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- Published on 18 April 2025
- Written by An Trần.
War photographs, often viewed as windows into the past tragedies, are believed to offer an immediate representation of reality. But what lies beyond the frame? What purpose did these images serve, and who were they meant for?
For the Love of Boney M: How a West German Disco Quartet Charmed Vietnam
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- Published on 17 April 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm.
“You’re gonna make me cry. That’s awesome,” Liz Mitchell exclaimed. Overwhelmed with disbelief, she covered her face and then clutched her black satin dress tightly. It was a rare moment of uplifting musical goodness when the past and the present of Vietnam’s music scene collided.
An Homage to Courtyards, the Heart of Traditional Vietnamese Homes
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- Published on 16 April 2025
- Written by Văn Tân. Illustration by Mai Khanh.
This time of the year, the giáng hương tree in my grandma’s courtyard is probably blooming with clusters of golden blossoms, enticing the kids in the neighborhood to gather around it and carefully pick off the prettiest petals to create makeshift jewelry.
The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1
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- Published on 15 April 2025
- Written by Tim Doling. Top image by Mai Khanh.
Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once the modest headquarters of Cantonese millionaire and philanthropist Quách Đàm.
This is Part 1 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 2 here.
Final Merging Plan Brings Vietnam's Locality Number From 63 to 34
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- Published on 14 April 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
After extended working sessions to gather insights from experts and locals, Vietnam’s state government has announced the final version of the country’s administrative map.
Hẻm Gems: From Music to Mise en Place, A Thăng Is an Eatery That Friendship Built
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- Published on 13 April 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
“We want to be artists; we want to be free. Now we are free,” says Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, co-founder of A Thăng Eatery.
No Family Trip Is Complete Without Banter, Bolero and Bánh Mì Chả Lụa
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- Published on 12 April 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Graphic by Dương Trương.
Every time my extended family took a trip, it looked more like a mass exodus than a holiday — bags teetering, arms overstuffed, and enough supplies to survive a small apocalypse.
In the Latest Issue of 'No One Magazine,' 15 Stories From Vietnam's Queer Communities
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- Published on 11 April 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos courtesy of No One Magazine.
No One Magazine, a print publication about underground queer nightlife around the world, is focusing on Vietnam for its second issue with corresponding launch events in Hanoi and Saigon.
Tranh Kiếng, Southern Vietnam's Glass Painting, Is at Risk of Disappearing
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- Published on 10 April 2025
- Written by Thu Hà. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
I’ve always loved marveling at the colorful tranh kiếng hung in our altar room whenever I get a chance to visit my mother’s hometown. Since I was little, the paintings have been an indispensable part of my grandparents’ homestead. Tranh kiếng is present everywhere in people’s houses in the town, but I’ve never thought to ask who created unique art pieces that perfectly encapsulate the soul of the southern community.
The Young Vietnamese Artisans Breathing New Life Into Animals Carcasses
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- Published on 09 April 2025
- Written by Mầm. Graphic by Jessie Trần.
Skeletons and carcasses are often reminiscent of eerie, spine-chilling scenes in horror movies. But in the taxidermy community, animal corpses are of great value for artisans to create unique works that blur the line between life and death.
