Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển

“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”

in Music & Arts

Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists

Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.

in Culture

The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs

"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.

in Travel

Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History

Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...

in Loạt Soạt

Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender

Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.

in Travel

Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'

Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.

in Fashion

In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time

My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.

Khôi Phạm

in Quãng 8

Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears

A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’

Back Arts & Culture

in Arts & Culture

[Video] A Day in the Life of Vietnam's New Storytellers With Tilo-Kay

Saigon’s creative industry has flourished in recent years, giving rise to a range of new job positions that were few and far between in past decades.

in Culture

[Photos] Is Saigon's Latest Teen Attraction, Zone 87, the Descendant of 3A Station?

Apart from shopping malls and the odd food court, there are not many dedicated spaces in Saigon for the city’s younger residents to hang out.

in Culture

[Photos] The Hottest Beauty Trend in 1920s Vietnam Was Ridiculously Long Nails

In 2018 Vietnam, excessively long nails are usually considered a sign of evilness, thanks to the influence of foreign horror flicks. However, not many know that decades ago, this body feature was wide...

Thi Nguyen

in Literature

On Reading Thi Bui's Illustrated Memoir 'The Best We Could Do' in Saigon

One of my favorite pastimes during summer holidays was reading through the textbooks for my next school year. History textbooks were the most interesting and fun to read: they were like the Harry Pott...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Teh Dar Brings Central Highlands' Rhythm and Sound to Saigon

From the same team that brought us A O Show and Lang Toi, Teh Dar will take audiences on a trip to the mountain ranges of the Central Highlands.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Tatsuto Hibata: Finding Beauty in the World's Dense Urbanscapes

The oeuvre of Japanese photographer Tatsuto Shibata includes an eclectic mix of subjects: streets tangled in neon signage, claustrophobic alleyways thrumming with commerce, sweeping city panoramas and...

Thi Nguyen

in Music & Arts

Collective Remembrance Project Delves Into Artists' Personal Connection to Saigon

In his comprehensive work The Past is a Foreign Country, American historian and geographer David Lowenthal contends that, even in spite of historical accounts, recollections and relics that contribute...

in Arts & Culture

Watch Ngo Thanh Van Kick Ass in This Latest Netflix Action-Fantasy Flick

2017 has been a good year for actresses of Vietnamese descent on the international stage.

in Podcast

The Saigoneer Podcast Is Here!

Just in time for Christmas, Saigoneer is excited to announce the launch of the Saigoneer Podcast!

in Arts & Culture

Hiep Thi Le, Star of 1993 War Drama 'Heaven & Earth', Passes Away at 46

Vietnamese-American actress Hiep Thi Le, the breakout star of Oliver Stone’s 1993 war drama Heaven & Earth, recently passed away.

in Arts & Culture

Saigon Couple Adds a Pre-Doi Moi Style Twist to Wedding Photos

Ask any Vietnamese person to describe a typical wedding album from memory and the answer is likely to be the same each time. The bride wears a floor-length gown or a full áo dài khăn đóng getup, the g...

in Film & TV

A Vietnamese-American Actress' Journey From Refugee Camp to Golden Globe Nomination

Hong Chau, a Vietnamese-American actress, recently made the leap from relative obscurity to being a Golden Globe nominee.

in Arts & Culture

Acclaimed Novel 'Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass' Was Released in Japanese Last Month

One of Vietnam’s most beloved novels, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass), was released in Japanese not long ago.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Saigon's Quirky Signs Display the City's Character

It’s impossible to talk about the charm of Saigon without mentioning the diverse range of its colorful signage.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

Doraemon and 25 Years of Fostering Friendship in Vietnam

To a generation of young Saigoneers, there are many things that might conjure up fond memories of childhood. Those remnants of past decades could take the form of once-popular TV series about time-tra...

Khoi Pham

in Film & TV

Co Ba Sai Gon: A Reverent Homage to Áo Dài and a Feast for the Eyes, but Not Much Else

When the poster of Co Ba Sai Gon (The Tailor) was unveiled for the first time, you could almost hear the sound of Old Saigon fans’ panties dropping all over town.

in Literature

Bill Gates Includes 2 Vietnamese-American Authors in List of 5 Top Books in 2017

Bill Gates has included two books by authors with deep connections to Vietnam in his recent list of five great titles he read this year.

in Arts & Culture

Leica Opens First-Ever Vietnam Store in Hanoi

Vietnam’s photography enthusiasts might be glad to find out that German high-end camera brand Leica Camera AG has established an official store in the country.

in Arts & Culture

Meet Kelly Marie Tran, the Asian Hero of 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi'

Kelly Marie Tran, a Vietnamese-American, was cast in a major role for the upcoming blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

in Arts & Culture

Vietnamese Comic Series 'Long Than Tuong' to Have Spanish Release Next Year

One of Vietnam’s most decorated comic series is now being translated into a Spanish version, set to be released next year.