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

London Symphony Orchestra to Perform in Ly Thai To Park on October 6

The performance is part of the Inspire Me Festival, a two-day event which celebrates 45 years of diplomatic relations between the UK and Vietnam.

in Arts & Culture

The Internet's Hopes for a Queer Romance on 'The Bachelor Vietnam' Dashed by the Bachelor Himself

Premiering in August, The Bachelor Vietnam is the adaptation of its US counterpart in which one titular "bachelor" meets 25 romantic interests who aspire to be his final match. In the Vietnam version,...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 10: In the Arms of Urban Vines

Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...

in Culture

Updated: Annual Walking Parade, Pride Festival Taking Place in Hanoi on October 6

Hanoi Pride 2018 features numerous cultural events and culminates in the annual walking parade. The parade was originally scheduled for September 23, but will now take place on October 6. 

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Revisit Your Childhood Mid-Autumn Memories Through This Hanoi Designer's Artwork

Every season in Vietnam is marked by a festive occasion that gets the entire country into a mood to revel.

in Culture

Artisan Phan Thi Thuan and the Skill of Weaving Silk From Lotus Stems

As gentle as smoke, as strong as fire – lotus silk provides an alternative to silkworms that could revolutionize silk production in Vietnam.

in Film & TV

Vietnamese Director's Debut Feature 'The Third Wife' Wins Award at Toronto Film Festival

The directorial debut from Nguyen Phuong Anh, also known as Ash Mayfair, won the Network for the Promotion of Asian Cinema (NETPAC) award at last week's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF)...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Saigon Traffic Plans, Mid-Autumn Festival and Saigonita Founder Tam Le

Happy (damp) Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Culture

[Photos] An Homage to the Colorful Characters of Hanoi

There you are, waiting on the edge of the sidewalk.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] In Their Downtime, Superheroes Undertake Household Chores for This Malaysian Artist

Deadpool watering plants, Batman mopping the floor, Hulk helping moving a mattress and Superman pulling fresh underpants from the clothesline: rarely do we get to see superheroes in the domestic spher...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fast Fashion, Bubble Tea Madness Returns and Urban Tales Cholon

Happy Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Film & TV

Review: 'Song Lang' Is a Cải Lương Tribute for the Ages

Asia is well-known for its rich history and diverse cultures, with many countries taking pride in distinct styles of traditional art performances.

in Literature

Vietnamese-Canadian Author Kim Thuy Among 4 Finalists for Nobel Prize Substitute

Vietnamese-born Canadian Kim Thuy joins the ranks of Vietnamese diasporic writers like Thi Bui and Ocean Vuong who are getting recognized by international literary awards.

in Culture

[Video] A Very Vietnam Guide to Escaping Ghostly Exes and Your 'Forever Alone' Fate

This quirky Vietnamese short video, titled Secret Fate, explaining that ghosts are the cause for Vietnam's "forever alone" community has gone viral.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

How Dép Tổ Ong Goes From Timeless Family Keepsake to Millennial Icon

Back in 2014, amid the weekly cycle of news, a particular image was more striking than most: Doctor and Professor Ngo Bao Chau stood in the middle of a makeshift classroom in a rural village in Thai N...

in Culture

New Excavation Mission in Da Nang Yields Rare 1,000-Year-Old Cham Artifacts

Elephant, snake and bird statues, as well as pieces of a tower, are amongst the 1,000-year-old relics discovered during the third archaeological endeavor in the area. 

in Culture

In Hanoi, a Home for Vintage One-Piece Swimwear Slows Down Fast Fashion

Ellen Downes is on the hunt for bathing suits. She trawls the narrow alleys of the Old Quarter for vintage and second-hand shops, scours the aisles of the used market on Dong Tac Street, and hops off ...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] The Collection of Isometric Puzzle Pieces That Makes Saigon

These playful, perspective-skewering illustrations focus on everyday Saigon scenes.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Asian Olympics, Saigon's Museums and Travelfish Co-Founder Stuart McDonald

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend - we're back with the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode!

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] The 3D Ribbon Embroideries That Turn Nature Into Wearable Art

For these incredible creations, monochromatic silk garments serve as canvases, upon which the colorful ribbon renderings of Vietnamese animals and plants are sewn.