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

[Photos] The Meticulous Miniature World of Taiwanese Artist Hank Cheng

The amount of detail in these works is remarkable. 

in Fashion

Classic Italian Suits Adapted for Contemporary Businessmen in Vietnam’s Tropical Climate

With each skin Vietnam sheds as it moves towards development and prosperity, it undergoes fundamental shifts, and no more so than in the country’s culture and aesthetics.

Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

These Intimate Rainy Season Moments Are Why We Love Saigon's Summer Rain

Saigon’s pluviophiles, unite!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Queer Representation in Vietnamese Pop Culture, Street Food Update and Marou Chocolate

We're back with episode 18 after taking a week off!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 7: The Penguin Puzzle

Where are all the turtles in Saigon's turtle lake, why does Bitexco have a helipad it never uses, how come so many streets misspell their namesakes (looking at you Hàng Sanh) - Saigon is fil...

in Arts & Culture

[Video] In This Saitama Museum, Rocks With Human Faces Are the Star of the Show

The merit of letting nature be its own artist.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Tale of the Coconut Skull Is a Perfect Balance of Weird, Heart and Family-Friendly Moral Lessons

Vietnamese folklore takes the old adage “beauty is only skin-deep” very seriously.

in Arts & Culture

Weaving a Realm: Documenting Vietnam's Royal Costumes From the 15th Century

In their latest crowdfunding project, Vietnam Centre is combining the fashion design and history in a comprehensive art book detailing the ancient Vietnamese costumes worn during the late Le dynasty.

in Music & Arts

World Press Photo Exhibition in Hanoi this Weekend for First Time in 15 Years

The event will run for 4 weeks, giving Hanoians the chance to peruse works by some of the world’s most celebrated press photographers.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Vietnamese Teens Are Putting High School Textbook Covers on Their Shirts

What can you not put on a T-shirt?

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Local Designer Modernizes Vietnam's Traditional Wines With Classy Branding Project

If you love rice wine, you might enjoy this classy makeover of Vietnam’s most sought-after traditional alcohols.

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 2: Coming up Roses

Hanoi Postcards is our series of love notes to the city we call home. This second offering is of a flower seller cycling along with her florets. With sunlight shining through an audience of trees, her...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Writing in a Second Language, Saigon's Japan Town and Artist Jacqueline Hoang Nguyen

It's Monday and even the absence of our editor-in-chief can't stop the release of another podcast. 

in Music & Arts

[Video] Saigon Electronica Ep. 4: Establishing the Scene With Saigon's Underground Venues

The Observatory, a gritty and modest club located at the Saigon Port in District 4 was synonymous with underground electronic music in Saigon. The bare walls, smoky interior and unnaturally narrow bal...

in Arts & Culture

New Digital Typeface L'Hanoienne Preserves Classic Hanoi Hand-Painted Fonts

Hanoi streets' handprinted signs haven't been replaced with neon like in other Asian metropolises, yet; but when they are, their traditional lettering will not be lost forever.

in Music & Arts

'Despacito' Star Luis Fonsi to Headline Music Festival in Da Nang This July

The international Latin hit will be performed live in Vietnam this July.

in Film & TV

'Star Wars' Actress Kelly Marie Tran Quits Instagram After Months of Online Abuse

After enduring months of vile online racism and bigotry, the Vietnamese-American actress has shut down her Instagram account.

in Culture

In Binh Duong, This Ficus-Motorbike Entanglement Is a Local 'Celebrity'

Who would have thought that neglect and general wear and tear could result in a wonderfully weird local attraction?

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Local Artist Turns Saigon Street Snapshots Into Wholesome Postcards

If you’ve been fond of our Saigon Postcard series, you’ll come to love these wholesome illustrations by a local comic artist.

Kit Humphrey

in Culture

[Photos] In Tho Ha Village, Locals Work From Dawn to Create Rice Paper

A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Tho Ha, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.