But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad
“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show SubwayTakes. The ...
Adrien Jean in Travel
The Enigmatic Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa
Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Review: Pieces of Me | Nao Yoshioka (feat. Mỹ Anh)
Mỹ Anh has come a long way since becoming the runner-up of The Heroes in 2021. Five years later, now with a full-length album and a spectrum of singles and extended plays under her belt, the Hanoi-based artist has proven to be one of the most dynamic singer-songwriter-producer of her generation.
Art Exhibition ‘Limerence’ Explores Where Romantic Desire Distorts Into Obsession
Thom Nguyen utilizes portraiture and depictions of mushrooms and organic objects to explore the concept of limerence in a solo exhibition at Permanently Closed Gallery in Thảo Điền, beginning Friday, August 28.
How Vinahouse Fosters Sonic Belonging in Modern Saigon's Queer Collectives
If you spend a night wandering along Bùi Viện Walking Street and its dense concentration of bars and clubs, you will almost certainly hear the same sound spilling from multiple directions: fast, pounding basslines layered with Vietnamese pop melodies, punctuated by dramatic buildups and explosive drops. If you fall into the right algorithm on TikTok, you might encounter these same sounds circulating as background audio. This music is Vinahouse. Its ever-presence in both physical and digital spaces makes it one of the most recognizable yet least critically examined musical forms in contemporary Vietnam.
Xuân Phương in Culture
Inside Tế Tiêu, Home to Vietnam's Rare 'Land Puppet' Performances
Bidding goodbye to central Hanoi, I took the National Road 21B to reach Tế Tiêu Neighborhood, a small community in Đại Nghĩa Township of Hanoi’s Mỹ Đức District. This fertile patch of land by the Đáy River is the cradle of a unique form of traditional folk art: Tế Tiêu puppetry.
How Quy Nhơn's Old Cemetery Slowly Expands up Vũng Chua Mountain
You might miss it if you were driving past, but once you walk down a small hẻm off Quy Nhơn’s main Tây Sơn Street, the massive cemetery sprawls in all directions.
All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Photos] Digging Into Hanoi's Emerging Street Art Scene
Street art in the Vietnamese capital remains a nascent scene, yet it is growing swiftly, with both Vietnamese and foreign artists in the mix.
The Pink, Minimalist Aesthetic Enticing Hanoi's Millennials
At the intersection between Hang Bong and Phung Hung streets, there is a bakery whose lavender armchairs look as if they are made from giant ladyfingers. It’s called Baked by Julie and, since ope...
[Illustrations] Your Favorite Saigon Street Snacks as Seen in Pixel Art Form
Saigon’s street snacks always look mouth-watering in any form.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Serious Play with Poet Duy Doan
A lion cub’s tussling, teething and roughhousing represents not simply play for play’s sake, but instead, training for a life of stalking, pouncing and throat-gashing; and so it might be with the poem...
[Illustrations] A Graphic Design Project Inspired by Ancient Champa Seductresses
Apsaras are supernatural female beings who appear in many works of ancient arts in South Asian and Southeast Asian countries.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Krossing Over Arts Festival Returns, This Time With a Series of Shows in Hanoi
Now in its third edition, the Krossing Over Arts Festival is currently taking place in Saigon and will this year be expanding to Hanoi too, with events beginning at the end of next week.
Myra Tran, Vietnamese Contestant of American Idol, Eliminated at Top 40
With a powerful voice and bright stage presence, Myra Tran had potential to realize her American Idol dream and do Vietnam proud. Alas, that dream was cut short even before the finalists were announce...
A 60-Year-Old Trash Chute Is Saigon's Latest Most Checked-In Place on Instagram
Editor's note: Happy April Fools' Day! This article was part of Saigoneer's 2019 April Fools' Day celebration. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, a...
Saigoneer Podcast: Listener Mailbag
Happy April Fools' Day!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Return of Krossing Over Arts Festival: Deeper, Bolder, Wider
Now in its third edition, the Krossing Over Arts Festival begins later this week and is expanding both in scope, with more events planned, and reach, as Hanoi is now on the schedule as well.
'The Song of Kiều' Is the Newest Addition to Penguin Classics Series
Originally written in Nôm script and lục bát (sixth-eighth) verses, Nguyen Du's epic poem Truyện Kiều has always been a quintessential reading for many Vietnamese across generations.
[Video] 2016 Documentary 'Xẩm Đỏ' Is an Ode to Vietnam's Last Xẩm Singer
Ha Thi Cau was born in 1928 and has been singing xẩm, a type of Vietnamese folk art often performed by blind artists and accompanied by đàn nhị or đàn bầu, since she was eight years old.
'Hai Phuong' Becomes Highest-Grossing Vietnamese Movie of All Time
Hai Phuong landed US distribution rights from Well Go USA Entertainment, and has been played in 28 cities in America and Canada since March 1.
Slow Craft: How a Photo Artist Built a Home for Analog Photography in Saigon
The digital age is in full swing, and photography its loyal servant. The last century has seen the art form seamlessly transform several times, allowing itself to be reframed and repurposed time ...
Spike Lee Starts Filming Next Movie 'Da 5 Bloods' in Vietnam, Thailand
Da 5 Bloods follows four African-American Vietnam veterans as they return to Vietnam to find their squad leader's remains and pursue the possibility of a buried treasure.
Khoi Pham in Culture
Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History
Among the best ways to learn of a country’s culture and history is looking at its stamp design through the ages. These paper tokens follow their owners’ letters to all corners of the world, serving as...
[Illustrations] Kaleidoscopic Renditions of Hanoi's Famous Landmarks and Streets
With its striking contrast between historic buildings and contemporary design, Hanoi is home to an impressive medley of architectural styles and is arguably one of the most charismatic and charming ci...
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Favorite Vietnamese Poems; Perceptions of Foreign Cuisine
A new week means a new Saigoneer Podcast episode!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Affordable Art Fair 'Art For You' Returns to Saigon Next Week
Art For You, the art fair organized by Hanoi-based Manzi Art Space and Workroom Four aimed at art enthusiasts who can't afford to shop at high-end galleries, is coming to Saigon next week.
Award-Winning Photo of Hmong Woman Raises Questions Over Photography Ethics
On Match 12, Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) 2019 announced that a photo of a Hmong woman carrying her two children, taken by Malaysian participant Edwin Ong Wee Kee in Vietnam, won its ...
