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.

in Film & TV

Indie Short Film 'Saigon Kiss' Is a Quintessential Saigon Queer Love Story

Is there a meet-cute more characteristically Saigon than a motorbike breakdown and subsequent friendly assist from a stranger?

Back Arts & Culture

in Culture

[Video] The Elaborate 'Holy Tower' of Caodaism in the Outskirts of Tay Ninh

In Tay Ninh Province’s Hoa Thanh District, a sizable community of Cao Dai followers lives thanks to the existence of the religion’s major temple, the Cao Dai Holy See.

in Culture

[Photos] A Trip to District 12's Stunning Japanese-Inspired Monastery

If you’re looking for a peaceful escape not far from the city, District 12’s Khanh An Monastery is just the place for you.

in Culture

Vietnam to Translate Sanskrit Texts at My Son Sanctuary Into Vietnamese, English

Sanskrit texts inscribed on the steles at the My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site near Hoi An, will be translated with help from Indian experts.

Thi Nguyen

in Music & Arts

The Legacy of Kak Channthy, Cambodia's Rock and Roll Heroine

For many Cambodian music fans, March 20 was a heartbreaking day because Kak Channthy – the 38-year-old female vocal of the band The Cambodian Space Project – passed away in an accident in Phnom P...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] A Whimsical Collection of Vietnam's Most Iconic Architecture Styles in Pixel Form

Have you ever wondered what Vietnam would look like as the setting of a vintage RPG game?

in Music & Arts

[Video] District 4's Cheerful Hẻm Painter Breathes Life Into Plaster

Saigon's countless narrow alleys and side streets tend to be rather uniform in appearance, making it difficult for newcomers to navigate the megacity we call home. Thanks to one older gentleman, howev...

in Podcast

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.

in Music & Arts

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.

in Podcast

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.

in Arts & Culture

[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.

in Arts & Culture

The Beautiful Samurai-Cat Friendship of 'Neko Zamurai' Will Warm Your Heart

Hold on to your seats, cat lovers.

in Culture

[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...

in Podcast

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.

in Arts & Culture

[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...

in Literature

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...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam

After a one-month break, we're back on the air!

in Arts & Culture

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...