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.
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...
Thich Nhat Hanh Documentary to Open in Vietnam Theaters This March
The documentary about the life and work of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh will open in his home country in March.
In Vietnam's Contemporary Horror Flicks Lives a Specter of Past Hauntings
About half-way through The Housemaid (Co Hau Gai) I felt an odd sensation. It wasn’t from the gore and panic on display in this horror film but from the fact that not once had there been an overt ment...
Khoi Pham in Culture
The Legends of Tam Nương: Why You Shouldn't Start a Business on the 7th Day of Tet
There’s little doubt that superstition is still deeply rooted in Vietnamese culture. These silvery threads of mysticism are woven into a plethora of aspects of locals’ daily lives, ranging from rather...
