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 Music & Arts

One Artist, 500 Volunteers and 168,000 Recycled Straws: A Clarion Call Against Plastic

Viral photographer Benjamin Von Wong is no stranger to making waves with his mind-blowing photography, often dedicated to raising awareness about environmental issues while blurring the lines between ...

in Culture

Experience: How Becoming One of Hanoi's First Drag Queens Transformed My Life

“Oh my god! You look beautiful! You belong on the runway, why aren’t you on the runway?” said Tamah Lake, the organizer of last year’s RuPaul’s Drag Race viewing party events in Hanoi. She came up to ...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Rebranding Tết Candied Fruits Using Elements From Vietnamese Mythology

It’s Tet time next week, and you know what that means: heaps of candied fruits, seeds and even vegetables in various shapes and colors.

in Culture

Burning Paper Bikinis for Deceased Ancestors Is Vietnam's Hottest New Vogue

Some new variations of joss paper in Vietnam are getting too risqué for comfort.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: A Tết-Themed Nhậu Roundtable Special

It's our last episode before the Lunar New Year!

in Film & TV

[Video] The Animation Project That Turns Vietnam's History Into Cinematic Marvels

Viet Su Kieu Hung might be the most ambitious project of its kind to have come out of Vietnam.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Superstitions, Real or Fake? and 'The Future is Asian' Author Parag Khanna

Episode 40 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Music & Arts

Art in the Clouds: Into Thin Air 2 and the Promise of Digital Exhibits

As a metropolis of nearly eight million, Hanoi is like many other Asian cities: blooming with people, culture, and hectic lifestyles. Along with rampant development, the city faces concerns such as ai...

in Culture

Once Invisible, Saigon's Underground Scene Emerges Into Light

In just a few short decades, underground hip-hop and youth culture has gained a massive following, not only within Saigon and Vietnam, but all around the globe.

in Arts & Culture

Vietnamese Photographer Nets 2nd Place in Drone Photo Contest

Vietnamese photographer Pham Trung Thanh captured the exact moment the net of an anchovies fisherman's boat hovered atop the surface in Tuy Hoa, like a petal blooming across the dark water.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Local Designer Created Incredibly Detailed Swallows From Paper for Tet

As Vietnam goes into full-blown Tet season, it’s impossible to talk a stroll around town without bumping into Lunar New Year imagery.

in Arts & Culture

For the First Time, 2 Vietnamese Designers Will Participate in New York Fashion Week

New York Fashion Week Fall/Winter 2019 will run from February 6 to February 13.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Food Delivery Apps and Where We Think Trump and Kim Should Meet

The Saigoneer Podcast is back after taking a few weeks off!

in Music & Arts

Asia's Largest LGBT Contemporary Art Show to Take Place in Bangkok in 2019

The art show will feature two Vietnamese artists.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 13: The Modern Exchange Rate

As the rich get richer...

in Music & Arts

New Art Exchange Project to Connect Sound Artists in Germany, Vietnam

This year will see a new collaborative opportunity for Vietnamese sound artists, which will culminate in performances, sound installations and live acts where the audience takes part in an audiovisual...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer's Weekend Event Picks

Looking for something to do this weekend? Check out our favorite events happening around Saigon.

in Film & TV

[Video] A Longing for Saigon as if Missing a Life Companion in Short Film 'Sài Gòn'

As expressed by the classic Basho haiku, "Even in Kyoto / hearing the cuckoo call / I long for Kyoto," it's possible to miss a place even when there. Saigon is no exception.

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] What If Saigon's Street Vendors Were in an 8-Bit Nintendo Game?

If you enjoyed SNES games back in the day, this set of pixel arts depicting Saigon’s street vendors will definitely tug on your heartstrings.

in Culture

[Photos] Saigon Couple Becomes 'Inmates for Life' in Prison-Themed Wedding Photos

Marriage is sometimes compared to being handcuffed for a lifetime and one Saigon couple has taken the metaphor literal in their wedding photos.