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.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Music & Arts
With Ariana Grande, International Pop Culture Comes to Vietnam
When Ariana Grande takes the stage at Saigon’s Quan Khu 7 Stadium on August 23, it will be one of the many nights she’s done so during her Dangerous Woman tour. The American pop star will sing her cha...
Vietnamese-French Playwright Uncovers Vietnamese Immigrants' Lives on Stage
Saigon, Caroline Guiale Nguyen's new play, taps into the untold stories of Vietnamese exiles and their struggles to settle themselves abroad.
Ha Giang Artisan Brings Mong Flax Brocade to International Markets
An entrepreneurial artisan from Ha Giang province recently made the list of the top 50 most influential women in Vietnam in 2017 because of her contribution in bridging the gap between her hometown’s ...
Saigon Spaces: Reuse, Recycle and Reinvent
In a slightly tired traditional tenement block in District 1 is Huong Nguyen’s latest renovation project, a studio apartment overlooking Nguyen Du. Shaded by an old tamarind tree, the building was ori...
[Video] Slick Short Film Highlights the Vibrant Life in Modern Hanoi
This beautifully shot and edited short video showcases a diverse range of activities and panoramas, capturing snapshots of life in Vietnam's bustling capital.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
Sketching Saigon: Charming Indie Cafes Through the Eyes of Taiwanese Illustrator
In Shao-Chen Lin’s new sketchbook, On-the-spot Sketching at Cafes in Saigon, Vietnam, the southern metropolis is defined by its most charming aspect: a robust coffee culture that permeates every ...
Cambodia’s Craft Tile Industry Is Going Extinct
Introduced by French colonists over a century ago, tile-making continues throughout Cambodia despite having been abandoned decades ago in France.
[Video] Local Youth Orchestra Wows Audience at Tan Son Nhat With Impromptu Performance
Is there a better way to while away time at the airport than to orchestrate an impromptu music performance?
[Video] Fall in Love With Saigon Again Through This Soothing Aerial Tour
Saigon can be difficult to love at times, what with city residents frequently being subjected to flooding, severe traffic congestion and the demolition of beloved landmarks. However, with just a chang...
Rihanna's Latest Fashion Project Features Designs by Local Designer Cong Tri
Nguyen Cong Tri's latest collection reportedly impressed Barbadian singer Rihanna so much that she commissioned him to produce three outfits tailored to her size.
Teenage Indonesian Girls Shred Muslim Stereotypes With Heavy Metal Band
Not necessarily your typical thrash metal band, and not necessarily your typical teenage girls, this trio expresses their ideas and love of metal from beneath traditional hijabs.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a Mekong Delta bridge to a stormy evening in Phu Quoc, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Black Teeth: How Vietnam's Hottest Beauty Regimen Went From Vogue to Obscurity
Once the hallmark of youthful beauty in Vietnam, nowadays dyeing one’s teeth black is a dying custom that can only be spotted in the country’s oldest generation.
[Photos] Hanoi’s Urban Sketchers Capture the City’s Essence By Drawing
Groups of Hanoi residents and visitors of all ages have banded together to capture the city’s disappearing traditional architecture through drawings.
Michael Tatarski in Arts & Culture
[Photos] Taipei's Ghostly Disused Leprosy Sanitarium
Taipei is known as a highly advanced, efficient city famous for modern marvels such as the Taipei 101 and a fantastic metro system.
[Video] A Hundred-Year History of Vietnamese Beauty
In the most recent episode of their 100 Years of Beauty series, WatchCut shines the limelight on the beauty of Vietnamese women throughout history.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a morning in Tam Giang to Ngu Hanh Son's marble mountain, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Glee's Vietnam Remake to Premiere This August Amid Online Controversy
'Gleeks' in Vietnam have mixed feelings about the remake of the popular American musical show Glee.
Michael Tatarski in Literature
Bringing Literature to Life: Kickstarter Campaign Aims to Translate 2 Vietnamese Novels
For Minh Bui Jones, editor and founder of the Mekong Review, the greatest pleasure of his work is discovering an exciting book or writer that he has never heard of before.
Urban Art Flourishes in Cambodia Despite Challenges
Cambodia’s Urban Arts Festival has had its fair share of controversy in only two years, however that hasn’t stopped the festival’s founders and aspiring artists from inspiring the next generation of K...
