Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmark 81 and the Bitexco Financial Tower that now define the city’s skyline, new urban infrastructure like the Ba Son Bridge and Saigon’s first metro line, as well as the city’s expansion into areas like District 7’s Phú Mỹ Hưng and District 2’s Thủ Thiêm. If the west has long viewed Saigon under the shadow of war, it is clear that such a rigid frame fails to contain the Saigon of today, whose entropic inner life seems to constantly overflow; with motorbikes onto sidewalks, loud honks through windows, and rainpour over Saigon’s riverbeds.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship’s mast shivered and the hull shuddered, threatening to break it into splinters, a great whale rose from the depths. It lifted the emperor's boat and carried him and his men to safety. To thank the animal, Ánh bestowed upon whales the official title of "Nam Hải Cự Tộc Ngọc Lân Thượng Đẳng Thần," which was shortened to Cá Ông, or “Lord Fish.”
A Special 'Doraemon' Episode Taking Place in Vietnam Will Be Released in May
After decades of watching Doraemon and his close friend groups adventure to all sorts of strange lands from the deepest trenches on Earth to fantastical planets, fans of the beloved cat robot in Vietnam will finally see our country in the cartoon series.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Mầm in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Painter Một Quả Tắc Creates an Intimate and Gentle World on Silk
Silk is an inherently finicky, demanding medium. Yet from the very first encounter, Quế Hương had chose to embrace its temperament and has devoted herself to it for nearly a decade.
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing , a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has ...
ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành
The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Culture
The Story of Ông Táo, the Kitchen God Who Rides a Carp to Heaven
This evening, as Saigoneers continue their many Tet preparations and young revellers head out for a night on the town, Ong Tao is packing his bags for his annual trip to heaven.
Michael Tatarski in Literature
How Mekong Review Aims to Connect Southeast Asia Through Literature
First published in late 2015, The Mekong Review has quickly garnered a sterling reputation in a region short on quality print publications. Minh Bui Jones, its founder and editor, talks to Saigoneer a...
[Photos] Saigon's Oldest Street Artist Jazzes up the Hẻms of D4
For the last two years, a few remote hẻms in District 4 have slowly been covered in the city's most adorable graffiti.
[Photos] #WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Saigon's dingy hẻm to the serenity of life in Tam Giang Lagoon, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Vietnamese Comic ‘Dia Nguc Mon’ Earns International MANGA Award
For the second year in a row, a Vietnamese comic has won one of Japan’s prestigious International MANGA Awards.
[Photos] Colors of Saigon: Xanh, Sạch, Đẹp
From its ambitions and its people to the general color palette of daily life, Saigon is a bold city.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sunrise in the city to Mui Ne's magnificent sand dunes, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Vietnam Unveils New Film Rating System
As of January 1, Vietnam’s new film rating system allows the local movie industry to screen adult content.
[Illustrations] Young Illustrator Breathes New Life Into Work of Vietnamese Poet
Poet Tran Dang Khoa’s most beloved collection of children’s poetry is receiving a makeover, thanks to young illustrator and graphic designer Pham Quang Phuc.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sunsets to fishing nets, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] The Godfather of Saigon's Water Puppets
While Saigon’s younger crowd is busy picking up the hottest new foreign trends, like parkour or wearing bean sprouts on your head, artisans from older generations have held fast to their traditional c...
Meet The Girl in Reuters' 2016 Vietnam Photo
For its recent One Photo, One Country, One Year series, Reuters picked a snapshot from Vietnam depicting an áo dài-clad lady posing on an ornamental peach tree plantation in Hanoi.
[Photos] The Weird Fruits of Tet Are Coming
With Tet fast approaching, Vietnam’s array of strange, misshapen fruits is returning in full force.
[Photos] New Children's Book Introduces Southeast Asia's Animals to the World
A New York-based art director and illustrator recently published a children’s book on the fauna and flora of Laos and Vietnam featuring a host of intricate drawings.
[Music] How Indonesia’s Horn-Honking Became a Hit Among EDM DJs
On the streets of many Southeast Asian countries, vehicle honking presents yet another opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From quiet, waterfront cafes to bustling city corners, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Recording] Listen to Saigon’s Hottest Track From 1900
At the turn of the 20th century, with French colonialism well under way in Vietnam and the age of motion pictures just beginning, Saigon – and much of the rest of the country – became a subject of gre...
Wonderfilled Magazine Explores Saigon’s Sustainable Leather Goods
Ahead of their Saigon issue, Saigoneer presents an exclusive excerpt from Wonderfilled Magazine. Now in its sixth volume, the travel magazine tells stories about creativity around the world. Each issu...
An Illustrated Homage to Saigon Traffic
From old buildings and frenetic traffic to bustling sidewalks and endless construction, Saigon provides no shortage of visual inspiration for the city’s illustrators, artists and graphic designers.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From French colonial mansions to the chaotic traffic of urban Vietnam, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
