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.
[Video] Saigon, The City of Contrasts, Where Past Meets Present
A new travelogue video featuring Saigon departs from the glossy sheen of its many travel-focused peers.
[Photos] A Photographer's Quest to Capture Every Location in Vintage Posters of Kobe
Comparing images of a geographical location across decades is nothing new, but hunting down real scenes from old paintings takes a significant amount of dedication and attention to details.
Saigoneer Podcast: Year in Review and a Look Ahead to 2019
It's our last episode of the year!
A Vietnamese Web Series Just Made YouTube's Top 10 Trending Videos of 2018
An episode of a Vietnamese web drama made the list alongside YouTube's most trending videos such as those of the Walmart yodeling kid, Kylie Jenner pregnancy announcement and World Cup match highlight...
[Illustrations] An Ode to Sữa Ông Thọ and the Games of Our Saigon Childhood
To assess how important condensed milk is in Vietnamese culture, think of cà phê sữa đá, Vietnam’s national drink that wouldn’t exist without a dollop of Sữa Ông Thọ (Mr. Longevity milk).
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 12: Life in the Capricious City
Who hasn't skilled moods that shift quick as clouds dashing throughout Saigon's skyline?
Thi Nguyen in Film & TV
Examining Vietnam's Modernity Through the Lens of South Asian Independent Documentaries
The idea for Moving Reels: A Social Dialog formed in 2016 as the result of a dialogue between Dr. Shweta Kishore, a scholar, documentary filmmaker, film and media lecturer at RMIT University, and Zoe ...
Kit Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 6: Hoa Sữa by Any Other Name Would Still Smell as Caustic
The fragrance of hoa sữa, or milk flower, is so deeply embedded in the mythology of Hanoi’s autumnal days that singers, poets and authors alike have all sung its praises.
Saigoneer Podcast: English as an Official Language; Vietnam Cliches in Foreign Media; and Food Writer Soleil Ho
We're back in your podcast feed with a packed episode!
[Video] In 'Công,' Suboi Delivers Full-Throated Anthem for Young Vietnamese Women
After the great success of 'N-Sao?' in August, Vietnamese rap queen Suboi has returned and riled up her audience once again with her brand new song, 'Công.'
A Night of Revelations at the Saigon Opera House
A concert of Brahms' Symphony No. 4 held on a Sunday night last month at the Saigon Opera House presented a series of somewhat startling revelations.
Tam Le in Culture
From Entrepreneur to Organic Farmer: A Hmong Woman's Quest to Better Sapa
“You forgot to say ‘Uno’!” Lang Giang cheerfully exclaims before covering her mouth in laughter. It’s the twelfth time she’s caught me this trip and blocked me from winning. By this point in our trek,...
[Photos] Local Photographer Creates Hilarious Tetraptychs of Hanoi's Common Traffic Offenses
Through the lens of photographer Pham Thanh Long, random acts of traffic law violations look almost...artistic, as ironic as that may sound.
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Photos] A Quiet Saturday at Saigon's Greenest Tomb, Lang Ong Ba Chieu
Going from central District 1 into Binh Thanh in northern Saigon, you might have spotted the compound before: a spacious tree-lined temple flanked by four streets just a stone’s throw away from Ba Chi...
Saigoneer Podcast: The Retro/Vintage Aesthetic Trend and a Street Food Update
We're back with a new episode!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
German-Vietnamese Artist Linh TNX Blends Trap and R&B in Latest Single 'S.O.S'
Linh Tran, a German-Vietnamese singer who goes by the artist name Linh TNX, has debuted her first music video produced in Saigon since moving to the city two months ago.
[Photos] An Ancient Scroll Depicts the Wondrous World of Japanese Bakemono
Bakemono refers to preternatural monsters in Japanese folklore that shapeshift.
[Video] The Eerie, Misty Quietude of Hanoi's Lakeside Parks
More often than not, videos about Hanoi focus on the dynamically frenetic city streets, leaving anywhere with a state of stillness overlooked: namely, hidden nooks in the capital's numerous lakes and ...
[Photos] What's Inside Beloved Binh Tay Market's Glorious Comeback?
Binh Tay Market is the central market in the heart of Cho Lon, sitting on the very edge of District 6 along Thap Muoi Street.
[Photos] This Instagram Account Is A Visual Ode to Walls in Japan
A Japanese graphic designer finds beauty in the mundane.
