Euphoria, Ruin, Nostalgia: Tracing Hanoi's Changing Skyline by Its Soundtrack
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- Published on 16 November 2025
- Written by Vũ Hoàng Long. Graphic by Mai Khanh.
From loudspeakers broadcasting construction anthems during wartime to melancholic ballads mourning vanished street corners, Hanoi's soundtrack reveals a city that has never quite learned to live in its present tense.
As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding
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- Published on 13 November 2025
- Written by Nhung Nguyễn. Top photo by Cương Trần.
In April 2023, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high water.
After Years in Limbo, Saigon's Metro Line 2 Is Officially Breaking Ground in Jan 2026
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- Published on 13 November 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
After years under development limbo, Saigon’s Metro Line 2 has finally gotten an official date for breaking ground, but will this timeline stick?
On the Sidewalks of 1979 Saigon: Books, Knick-Knacks and a Multitude of Bicycles
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- Published on 10 November 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Before the motorbikes invaded all aspects of modern Vietnam, Saigon streets were all bicycles, vintage cars and xích lô.
Huế's Bánh Pháp Lam Turns Backyard Fruits Into a Celebration of Ngũ Hành
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- Published on 10 November 2025
- Written by Văn Tân. Illustration by Ngọc Tạ.
“Everything must be really fresh, made-to-order, colorful, and fragrant. Everything has its place, and is arranged exquisitely!” The food in the 2008 feature film Trăng nơi đáy giếng, adapted from a short story by the same name of Trần Thùy Mai, is a vivid depiction of Huế’s culinary creations — rustic, delicate, and ever-enticing. It’s evident in the tuber that Hạnh meticulously carves and then scents using pandan; in the bowl of lotus soup that she makes by wrapping in flowers the night before.
Why Girls Who Play Sport Go Further — How AIS Nurtures the Next Generation of Confident, Ambitious Students
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- Published on 10 November 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by AIS.
Some of the world’s most successful women have one thing in common: participation in youth sports.
In 'Cú Và Chim Se Sẻ,' a Director's Radical Empathy for Saigon's Less Fortunate
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- Published on 09 November 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Ngọc Tạ.
“They can do what they want. The city owns the zoo. They could sell all the animals here. They could turn it into a golf course. We’re just little people — you and me.”
Outlaw Ostrich Arrested in Bình Dương for Disrupting Public Order
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- Published on 07 November 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
In case you need a pick-me-up on this dreary rainy Friday, here’s a dose of “độc lạ Bình Dương” quackery.
Ngõ Nooks: In the Same Hanoi Building, a Music Fan's Essentials — Vinyls and Cocktails
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- Published on 06 November 2025
- Written by Oliver Newman. Photos by Oliver Newman.
Sharing a building, Montauk and LP Club might initially appear to be just another cafe and another record store, but their goals are far loftier than selling drinks and vinyl.
In 'No Man River,' Dương Hướng Highlights the Raw Pain of Postwar Survival
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- Published on 05 November 2025
- Written by Josie Miller.
Dương Hướng’s No Man River (Bến không chồng) was first published in 1991 and won the Vietnam Writers' Association Prize for Fiction. Translated into English by Quan Manh Ha and Charles Waugh, it captures the brutal reality of conflict in Vietnam from 1945 to 1979.
ASEAN Welcomes East Timor, Asia's Youngest Nation, as 11th Member
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- Published on 04 November 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Time for infographic artists and geography teachers in the region to update their work on ASEAN.
Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges
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- Published on 03 November 2025
- Written by Như Quỳnh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.
What I Talk About When I Talk About Vietnam's Penguin Trashcans
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Top image by Mai Khanh.
Compared to the average Vietnamese, I might be thinking about trashcans a smidgen too much — not just any trashcan, but the infamous penguin-shaped trashcans that are ubiquitous at every corner of our public spaces.
Built on Immigrant History, France's Vietnamese Food Scene Is Onto Something Special
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Tâm Lê. Top image by Mai Khanh.
France’s Vietnamese population is one of the largest outside Vietnam. From colonial assignments to refugee migrations, the community has grown, shifted, and evolved since its beginnings in the 1860s. Meet the new generation of French-Vietnamese creatives — chefs, authors, cultural consultants — who are reimagining and representing Vietnamese culture in Paris in fresh and deeply personal ways.
House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Linh Phạm. Top graphic by Phan Nhi. Photos by Nou.
I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — three dance studios.
Nguyễn Đức Tín Weaves Spirituality, Faith, Everyday Life Altogether in His Paintings
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- Published on 29 October 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Can a painting reflect who we are, even if we can’t see ourselves thoroughly? And how does faith guide us forward in life?
Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants
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- Published on 28 October 2025
- Written by Jim Selkin. Photos by Jim Selkin.
With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.
Liên Bỉnh Phát Makes History as 1st Vietnamese to Win Best Male Lead in Taiwan
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- Published on 27 October 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnamese actor Liên Bỉnh Phát recently made history at one of Taiwan’s most prestigious national award ceremonies.
How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media
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- Published on 24 October 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Graphic by Lê Minh Phương.
Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial online space to connect local netizens.
These Rare Photos From 1997 Are a Time Capsule of Vietnam's Transformations
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- Published on 23 October 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
The 1990s were a time of significant change in Vietnam.
