No Family Trip Is Complete Without Banter, Bolero and Bánh Mì Chả Lụa
- Details
- 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
- Details
- 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
- Details
- 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
- Details
- 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.
Sao La, Self, Hmong Identity: The Many Layers of Poetry Collection 'Primordial'
- Details
- Published on 08 April 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
A book of poetry all about sao la?
Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?
- Details
- Published on 03 April 2025
- Written by Diệu Anh. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.
Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát sắt vụn bán nào…” This familiar scene, no matter how nostalgic, might change soon.
In Huế, ‘Allusive Panorama’ Exhibition Reveals a Tender Side of Hàm Nghi Through His Art
- Details
- Published on 02 April 2025
- Written by An Trần. Images courtesy of Art Republik Vietnam.
An exhibition offering a rare glimpse into the artistic life of Hàm Nghi, Vietnam's exiled emperor who dedicated his life to art, with brushstrokes and landscapes reflecting his deep longing towards a distant homeland that he could never return to.
Bored of Mundance Date Spots? Try Tân Sơn Nhất's Romantic Star Cafe.
- Details
- Published on 01 April 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
I know a little place.
Múa Lân Is Officially Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Details
- Published on 31 March 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Uyên Đỗ.
In Chợ Lớn, every Tết, amid the aroma of burning joss sticks and an onslaught of red-color decorations is the echoing beats of lion dance instruments. For generations of Saigoneer, the presence of múa lân, or lion dance, is a sign of festivity and celebration.
Visit a Serene Đà Nẵng in 1991 During a Time Before the Tourism Boom
- Details
- Published on 30 March 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
As a special municipality of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng is considered by many as one of the most livable cities in the country, with lower costs, delicious local cuisine, and a languid, wholesome pace of life. This, in conjunction with readily available modern services, has turned the coastal metropolis into a magnet luring young professionals away from the chaos of Saigon and Hanoi, and attracting snowbird tourists from Russia, China and South Korea seeking tropical warmth.
Lý Trực Sơn Exhibition Invites Us to Marvel at Lacquer, Dó Paper, Earth's Material Beauty
- Details
- Published on 26 March 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Despite being three distinct elements with their own texture, depth, and presence, lacquer, paper, and earth are all rooted in nature. Rather than searching for hidden meanings, Lý Trực Sơn’s solo exhibition at Vin Gallery invites us to engage with the works instinctively and experience the interplay of pigments, natural elements, and form, shaped by the artist’s innovative process and the passage of time.
A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists
- Details
- Published on 26 March 2025
- Written by Linh Phạm.
My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the importance of Hanoi's largest lake.
In a Hẻm in D8, a Scrumptious Halal Feast Comes Alive Every Ramadan
- Details
- Published on 26 March 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
At noon, we make our way through a narrow alley off Dương Bá Trạc Street (District 8) and stumble into a lively scene of Muslim community life. More than a place of worship, this neighborhood unfolds into a diverse culinary fest, a testament to the cultural crossroads that thrive within the city.
The 50 Shades of Cháo on the Palette of Vietnam's Regional Cuisines
- Details
- Published on 25 March 2025
- Written by Thu Hà. Illustrations by Dương Trương.
Cháo, or congee in English, is a diverse genre of Vietnamese dishes in both executions and flavor profiles — from humble versions like pandan congee, red bean congee to more substantial and complex meals like offal congee, chicken congee and catfish congee. Each dish is a different variation, but they all share a reputation for being nourishing and a richness of regional culinary characteristics.
In Latest Short Story Collection, Andrew Lam Explores Diaspora Drama via Literary Fiction
- Details
- Published on 23 March 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Mai Khanh.
If you opened an American magazine, literary or otherwise, in the early 2000s and found any Vietnamese American byline, there’s a good chance it was Andrew Lam. The long-time journalist’s essays and short stories were amongst the first widely circulated in the US.
How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness
- Details
- Published on 22 March 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Top image by Cao Nhân.
In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.
'Living Hanoi' Series by Joseph Gobin Delves Into the Capital's Eccentricities
- Details
- Published on 21 March 2025
- Written by Chris Humphrey. Photos by Joseph Gobin.
Is there a photographic format more suitable for capturing Hanoi's abundantly complex and alluring culture than the crystalline clarity of medium format film?
A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool
- Details
- Published on 20 March 2025
- Written by Tim Doling. Graphic by Mai Phạm.
Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace (Cung Văn hoá Lao động) at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai is today one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s most popular sports and recreation facilities.
Hẻm Gems: Kura Bar, a Veritable Treasure Trove of Rare Japanese Sakes Amid Saigon
- Details
- Published on 19 March 2025
- Written by Brian Letwin. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Saigoneers are spoilt for choice when it comes to Japanese eateries in the city. Dozens, if not hundreds, of sushi, ramen and izakaya spots dot its districts. And if you're in the mood for something special, more obscure delicacies like tsukemen, Tokyo abura soba and Okinawa taco rice are readily available. Over the years, the epicenter of such eateries, especially those run by Japanese owners, has been slowly shifting from the upper stretches of Lê Thánh Tôn to Bình Thạnh District’s Phạm Viết Chánh neighborhood.
What a Mango Flower Looks Like: On the Unexpected Beauty of Fruit Flowers
- Details
- Published on 18 March 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.
What does a mango flower look like?
