Pete Walls

in Travel

Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina

Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.

in Film & TV

Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges

As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.

in Quãng 8

Dropping the Disguise: The Evolution of Punk Band Cút Lộn Towards More Radicality

In recent years, CÚT LỘN has cemented themselves as one of the most recognizable hardcore punk bands to emerge from the Vietnamese underground scene.

in Music & Arts

From TikTok to Bars, a Group of Young Artists Brings Đờn Ca Tài Tử to Unexpected Venues

“If you happen to pass by Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt Street in Hồ Chí Minh City There’s a strange bar with a Mekong theme Where cải lươ...

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

Home Is Where the Bum Gun Is

In the 2010s, my journey to study abroad took me to Singapore. Being a tiny person in an enormous city was a huge undertaking for a teenager, as I had to adapt to countless changes, from minute to major, at once: living in a different language, academic pressures, foreign customs and cuisines, and being away from my family. Gradually, things fell into place. The public transport worked well; the accent got more familiar; and I didn’t miss bánh mì and cơm tấm nearly as much as I thought I would; but there was one thing I never managed to entirely overcome — the bum gun-shaped void in my heart.

in Film & TV

Review: From Czechia, ‘Trường Hè, 2001’ Bridges Family Divides, Both Onscreen and in Real Life

Summer School, 2001, directed by Czech-Vietnamese writer and director Dužan Duong, was first released last year and has received critical acclaim within the Czech Republic and Europe. Now, the film has come to Vietnam, where it is available in Galaxy, Cinestar, and Beta theaters across Saigon, Hanoi and Đà Nẵng.

in Music & Arts

This Wedding Is Too Boring to Nhậu, Let's Put on Some Miền Tây Remix

While phasing in and out of sleep on a coach in the Mekong Delta, have you ever been jolted awake by the bouncing beats of a Vinahouse version of ‘Quê em mùa nước lũ’ (Flooding Season in My Hometown)? Or, a mindless TikTok scroll would bring up the catchy tune of ‘Lấy cây kim may đồ’ (Pass Me the Sewing Needle) that’s trending nationwide.

Back Arts & Culture

in Arts & Culture

Meet Myra Tran, the Vietnamese Girl Who's Taking 'American Idol' by Storm

You’ve probably heard it by now, but the latest season of American Idol has a Vietnamese contestant, and she’s kicking ass.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

A New Typeface That Was Built From Designs on Old Book Covers

Finding new values from old relics is a popular way some young creatives today are keeping old Vietnam aesthetics alive.

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Video] Paying Tribute to Quán Cầm, 60 Square With Những Đứa Trẻ

Earlier this month, Hanoians were left heartbroken when waving farewell to much-loved art quarter Sixty Square, which closed for good on February 15. We're releasing this music video of ...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

A Radio Program Puts Vietnamese Poetry in the Limelight With Bilingual Readings

"Lanterns Hanging on the Wind" features 18 poems read in Vietnamese and translated into English that span themes, styles, time periods and locations to give listeners a broad introduction to the natio...

in Music & Arts

Open Call for Hanoi's 'Pure Gold' Upcycling Exhibition Running Until Next Week

Earlier this month, Germany’s IFA (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and Heritage Space, announced an open call for designers, producers, makers, art...

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 7: The 5th Season

Between autumn's cinnamon light and spring’s galvanic skies, a new season gathers. Formed by human hands, it is capricious at best, invasive at worst. It adheres to no calendar, yet lives in all of us...

in Arts & Culture

The New Season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Features a Vietnamese-American Queen

RuPaul's Drag Race, an American drag queen reality TV show hosted by host RuPaul, recently announced their lineup of drag queens for Season 11.

Kit Humphrey

in Culture

Scaling the Dragon: An Urbexer's Guide to Long Bien Bridge

Urban exploration, urbex or UE, is a form of recreational urban trespass. Urbexers find a way into anything from derelict theme parks, sewers and asylums to factories, skyscrapers, missile silos and p...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Many Lunar Calendar Festivals; Familial Pressure During Holidays

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

A Playful Project Uses Pigs to Showcase Vietnam Iconography Through History

Year of the pig is a gift that keeps on giving.

in Arts & Culture

Gucci Is Selling a $450 Hat That Looks Just Like Straw Hats Worn by Farmers in Vietnam

The artificial bamboo hats by Gucci closely resemble those traditionally worn by Vietnamese in the rice fields. The only difference is that the Vietnamese version costs only a few thousand dong.

in Music & Arts

Saigon Music Collective Launches Project to Introduce Classical Music to Youth

"Introduction to Classical Music" is initiated by Saigon Classical, a group of 30 musicians who share a love for classical music.

in Film & TV

[Photos] The Costumes of This New Nguyen Dynasty Historical Web Series Will Make You Swoon

The web series is expected to be released in late 2019 on YouTube.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Redesigning Saigon's Parks; Recreation in the City

We're back from our Tet break!

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] A Wintry Japan Through the Lens of Photographer Yusuke Komatsu

Enveloped by the elements, Japan’s capital is both mystifying and enchanting.

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] A Medley of 'Year of the Pig' Depictions From 35 Young Artists Across Vietnam

May your Year of the Pig turn out as plump and sleek as the swine icons featured in the Beheoce project.

in Arts & Culture

'Napalm Girl' Kim Phuc Awarded International Peace Prize in Germany

Nearly 50 years after the iconic photo of her running from a bombing raid was taken, Phan Thi Kim Phuc has earned Germany's Dresden award for her support of UNESCO and children wounded in war.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Culture

International Photographer Captures Spirit of Đạo Mẫu in Vibrant Photo Book

Tewfic El-Sawy’s introduction to Đạo Mẫu, also known as the Mother Goddess religion, began with music.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] This Cinemagraph Celebrates Hanoi's Endearing Dawn Aerobics

Every single morning, at sunrise, hundreds of Hanoians descend on Hoan Kiem Lake to practice tai chi, aerobics and laughter yoga, or enjoy a morning stroll to ease the aches from their bones.

in Music & Arts

Popular Art Quarter Sixty Square to Close this Month

The Year of the Pig begins with some sad news for Hanoi’s creative youth. This month will see the closure of one the city’s most popular art quarters. 60 Square, which reopened after the Tet holiday y...