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] New York Rapper Pays Tribute to Hanoi, Goes Viral
Hanoi has served as the muse of foreign photographers, writers – and even a few rappers.
Hanoi Gets Inked: Expo Showcases Vietnam’s Tattoo Boom
When Link Do was a child in Hanoi, she learned English from an American woman with a tattoo on her hand. Link, who loved to draw, thought the tattoo was beautiful, and began to imagine a future as an ...
Saigoneer Podcast: Transportation in Saigon, Women in Tech and a Singaporean Foodie
We've hit episode 20!
Outdoor Film Screenings Coming this October as Part of Hanoi International Film Festival
The 5th Hanoi International Film Festival (HANIFF) will take place from October 27-31 and showcase some of Vietnam’s finest filmmaking talent.
Intellectual Debate Bridges Communities at Hanoi Philosophy Forum
The answers to life’s burning questions are often found in unlikely places. A cozy ‘birds’ nest’ café at the end of a crumbling alley fits that stereotype rather well. At 7.30 every Wednesday night, l...
For Vietnam's Busy Buddhists, Spiritual Teaching Is Just a Click Away With Online Temples
Boon or bane: spiritual service delivered to your nearest digital device.
Vietnamese Artist Phan Thao Nguyen Wins Top Singapore Art Prize
Nguyen is the first female artist to win the art prize since its establishment.
[Photos] Skaters Descend on Ly Thai To Park for Annual ‘Go Skateboarding Day’
Go Skateboarding Day is an official annual holiday for skaters around the globe. The occasion is all about celebrating skateboarding communities and, at Ly Thai To Park last Thursday, more than 100 sk...
[Illustrations] Local Artist Transforms Classic Vietnamese Instruments Into Postage Stamps
A new art project depicts a đàn tỳ bà and a đàn nguyệt — two of Vietnam’s most iconic instruments — on fictional stamps.
[Video] Powerful, Atmospheric Short Film Explores the Lives of Hanoi’s Street Kids
Filmmaker Dan Sadgrove is known for making atmospheric short films about travel, culture and wildlife. In his latest, he explores the lives of street kids in Hanoi, and the support they receive from l...
Saigoneer Podcast: Forgotten Traditions, Making Vietnamese Food Even Healthier and Renaissance Woman Mai Nguyen
Another week, another episode of the Saigoneer Podcast! We're almost to our big 2-0!
[Video] A Look Into the Splendidly Detailed Art of Making Hmong Flax Fabrics
Scrunching, beating, straightening, twisting, spinning, drying, washing, softening, spinning, weaving, waxing and coloring: an incredible amount of work goes into handmaking Hmong flax fabrics.
[Photos] The Meticulous Miniature World of Taiwanese Artist Hank Cheng
The amount of detail in these works is remarkable.
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!
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...
[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.
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.
