More Than Just Prosperity, Ông Địa Is My Personal Patron Saint of Misplaced Things
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- Published on 28 June 2025
- Written by Ý Mai. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
I was maybe seven when I first clasped my hands and whispered a plea to Ông Địa.
The Charming 1990s Nostalgia in the Phim Mì Ăn Liền Cinematic Universe
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- Published on 27 June 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Graphic by Mai Phạm.
If you lurk around online discussions of Vietnamese cinema, you probably have stumbled upon the term phim mì ăn liền, or “instant noodles films.” This popular Vietnamese expression describes local motion pictures with low-effort production value. But the term is not merely a common moniker. It dates back to the 1990s, when a specific type of commercial flick got audiences flocking to the cinema.
Thống Nhất Stadium Offers Unexpected Opportunities to Reflect Upon the Soul
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- Published on 25 June 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Where do you find revelation?
Buôn Ma Thuột's Thriving Elephant Culture in 1957
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- Published on 23 June 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
In the not-too-distant past, elephants were an important part of highland lifestyles, including use in cultural activities, agriculture.
Xu Xoa, the Sweet, Gingery Dessert Soothing the Heat of Central Vietnam Summers
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- Published on 20 June 2025
- Written by Thu Hà. Illustrations by Dương Trương.
If Saigoneers often turn to sương sâm (leaf jelly) or sương sáo (grass jelly) as refreshments on hot days, the choice of residents of provinces along the central coast is xu xoa. Chunks of translucent, lightly umami jelly swim in the sweetness of a ginger-flavored sugar syrup — a perfect snack that cools the body.
A Collection of Scenes in 1964 Saigon, Bến Tre, Biên Hòa on Film
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- Published on 19 June 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
In 1964, Saigon’s Phù Đổng Roundabout didn’t feature the towering bronze statue of folk hero Thánh Gióng. Instead of the congestion hot spot the intersection is known as today, it was actually spacious and airy, with nary a shop or bubble tea parlor in sight.
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.
