Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts. After traveling to Châu Đốc in An Giang Province, where the majority are located, I was mesmerized by the unique cultural mix this community represents.
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people feel they can return to, and relive, the traditional values that define them.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
From Dark to Dawn, an Early Morning at Hội An's Duy Hải Fish Market
At 3am, Hội An’s streets resemble dog-gnawed pork bones, licked clean of all scent and viscera. No light, no noise, no movement. But that’s the time you must venture out to witness the Duy Hải Fish Market in action.
Review: 'New Wave' Documentary Is a Surprisingly Personal Dissection of 1980s Nostalgia
Melodic synth-lines and steady electronic drums. Today, the signature sounds of new wave music feel perhaps a bit old and outdated. During its high point during the 1980s, however, new wave was hailed as music of the future.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bạc Liêu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tết could bloom magnificently for all of us.
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultural heritage and shape our art history narratives today?
Saigoneer Podcast: Deadly Fires, Grab Beats Uber and Building 'Green' in Vietnam
It's been a busy news week in Vietnam, and we're here to break down some of the biggest stories.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 2: Traditional Saigon
Saigon Postcards (formerly Saigon Mixtapes) is our series of loving missives to the city we call home. The second postcard imagines what Saigon would be like if we people had never arrived.
Vietnamese Painting Fetches Record Price at Paris Auction
Nguyen Nam Son’s silk painting 'Thon Nu Bac Ky' (Peasants of Tonkin) sold for 205,000 euros (more than VND 5.7 billion VND) which far exceeded its expected price of 35,000-50,000 euros.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Cuisine Abroad, Food Writer Andrea Nguyen and Saving Ancient Art Forms
Saigoneer is back in your earbuds with the latest episode of our podcast.
[Illustrations] A Dreamlike Saigon in Loc Xuan Nguyen's Watercolor Sketches
In this series of urban sketches, illustrator and artist Loc Xuan Nguyen sees Saigon through a melancholic lens.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 1: Bitexco's Lonely Helipad
Saigoneer is proud to announce Saigon Postcards, a new series which pays loving tribute to the city we call home through original illustrations paired with text.
The Beautiful Samurai-Cat Friendship of 'Neko Zamurai' Will Warm Your Heart
Hold on to your seats, cat lovers.
[Video] Lanterns on the River at Saigon's Dieu Phap Pagoda
For Saigon’s Chinese community, the first full moon of the lunar year is an event of paramount importance. They believe that whatever you do to commemorate the occasion will have an overarching impact...
Saigoneer Podcast: Spotify Arrives and the Ties That Bind Vietnam & Japan
We're back in your ears with the latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast.
[Photos] Japanese Artist Transforms Fruits, Vegetables Into Intricate Works of Art
Intricate geometric patterns etched across avocado skin, delicate flowers sliced into apple flesh, and elaborate anime characters alongside traditional designs carved out of a variety of fruits a...
Children's Book Translator Receives Vietnam's First-Ever Andersen Literary Award
Inaugurated in 1996 by the Hans Christian Andersen Award Committee, the Fairy Tale of My Life Award has been presented to 65 organizations and individuals who help to preserve the legacy of Danish aut...
Saigoneer Podcast: Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam
After a one-month break, we're back on the air!
Vietnam's Most Recent Social Media Celebrity Is a Majestic Cat Named 'Dog'
Behold Vietnam’s latest internet heartthrob, a majestic Scottish fold from Hai Phong.
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
[Video] This Music Video Is a Quirky Homage to Go Lim Frontwoman Nga Nhi
For those familiar with Hanoi's independent music scene, the name Go Lim should ring a bell. During their fleeting single-year existence between 2011 and 2012, Go Lim was a breath of fresh air among t...
[Photos] In Tom Blachford's Nightscapes, Tokyo Appears Like a Sci-Fi Dystopia
Australian photographer Tom Blachford has an eye for dystopian, futuristic aesthetics; he’s set it on Tokyo where he’s taken a series of photos depicting some of the city’s most ultramodern structures...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
In Rambutan Literary, a Home for Southeast Asian Voices From Around the Globe
This poem by Jenna Le appears in issue five of Rambutan Literary and serves as a prime example of the graceful, poignant material that spans its first five issues. Founded in 2016, the magazine featur...
[Video] At a Hero's Tomb, Vibrant Vietnamese Opera Mesmerizes Passersby
The first full moon of the lunar year is a big deal for Saigon’s Chinese community.
Mike Tyson Stars in Hong Kong Comedy About Female Friendship Set in Vietnam
Get this: apparently Mike Tyson was in Vietnam to film his part in a Hong Kong action comedy. What?
Paul Christiansen in Literature
A Vietnamese-American Poet's First Return to Vietnam After Half a Century
The barking of a nearby dog forced Hoa Nguyen to pause mid-stanza. It was as if the canine was attempting to collaborate with her poem, a fitting start to the Year of the Dog. This young year saw the ...
Tam Le in Arts & Culture
[Photos] In Saigon's Labyrinth of Alleys, Textures and Typographies Galore
Saigon, like New York or Tokyo, is a city renowned for its crowds—the chaotic jostling of people pressing past other people that occurs whenever millions of lives inhabit the same few square meters. T...
