in Literature

Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê

“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam's Central Highlands Imagined in ‘Angin Cloud’ at National Gallery Singapore

Amidst shifting social currents, industrialized landscapes, and a fast-paced world, how does a community preserve its heritage, rewrite histories, and confront colonial legacies? In this long-term collaboration with the Jrai community, ‘Angin Cloud’ by Art Labor explores these questions through a multi-floor installation at National Gallery Singapore that poetically intertwines Gia Rai (Jrai) beliefs, traditions, and environmental change.

in Quãng 8

Music Is My Release: Behind the Anger That Fuels the Fiercely Indie Group COCC

“I don’t make happy songs,” says Phúc, the lead singer and guitarist of Saigonese rock group COCC. He and I are sitting in the middle of the band’s “cave” — a homemade recording studio they began putting together ten years ago. “I dreamed about it for a long time,” Phúc says of the studio. “In 2015, when I finished this house, the vision came true. We invest in it all the time, buy a little bit here, buy a little bit there. We’re still adding and improving the system and the equipment.”

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations

"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Korean Culture Has Stolen Vietnam's Hearts. What About Korean Literature?

If you were a book publisher and saw a sudden spike in sales for a book published years ago, how would you explain it?

in Literature

'I Wander Alone' and 'Your Shirt Button,' Two Poems by Nguyễn Quang Thân

“You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece.”

in Music & Arts

Đờn Ca Tài Tử Captures the Soul of Southern Vietnam in Every Melody, Every Word

“It’s not something unfamiliar, but it’s been a few years since I last heard it. Stumbling upon this beautiful bucolic scene now has made me fall in love with the Mekong Delta’s đờn ca tài tử melodies again.”

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in Music & Arts

Saigoneer’s Picks: 10 Places to Buy Artsy Gifts in Vietnam

From rich textile traditions to innovative contemporary art, ethnic minority handicrafts and dozens of local and international designers, there's far more to shopping in Vietnam than conical hats and ...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Immune to 'Star Wars' Fever

Last weekend, moviegoers the world over collectively went insane over the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Fans of the franchise purchased tickets weeks in advance, the internet was abuzz with...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Local Videographer Shows Why Sapa Is Awesome in Under 5 Minutes

Any good traveler will tell you that the best way to explore a place is by getting to know the locals.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Take a Look at Giant 17th-Century Drawings of Vietnam

History books tend to make for dry reading. Of course, they're full of important facts and details to be remembered for generations to come, but if you're looking for an interesting read, historical r...

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Cu Chi Teen Creates Model Planes, Ships out of Recycled Materials

Anyone can get a little carried away with a hobby, but Cu Chi teen Nguyen Chi Thanh is taking his love of model military vehicles to a whole new level.

in Culture

Vietnamese Gameshow Contestants Make Terrible Fake DJs

The fastest way to a man's heart is through impeccable fake DJ skills. We all know it's true: you may have intelligence or beauty or an incredible sense of confidence, but a woman is nothing without t...

in Culture

[Video] Hanoi Newlyweds Celebrate Marriage With Military Jeep Parade

Ever wonder what happened to all those American Jeeps left over from the 60s?

in Culture

[Video] Vietnamese YouTubers Show You How to Step Up Your Social Media Game

In the increasingly cutthroat competition for social media attention, modern internet users must be well-versed in the art of sống ảo, or virtual living. Fishing for likes, staying relevant on social ...

in Music & Arts

Soul Archive Captures Vietnam’s Spirit Through Its Photographers

A quick Google search is all it takes to learn that photography about Vietnam is still predominantly linked to the war or, if not, dominated by images of the country’s iconic landscapes. Yet anyone li...

in Film & TV

Agent Orange Documentary Shortlisted for Oscar

An American film about a Vietnamese teen has been shortlisted in the Documentary Short Subject category for the 88th Academy Awards.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] A Sneak Peek at Miss Universe Vietnam's Stunning Áo Dài

On December 16, Pham Huong will grace the 2015 Miss Universe stage in style.

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer’s November Art Picks

With Saigon's first-ever affordable art fair taking place last month as well as three exhibitions from two of the city's major galleries, November left art lovers spoiled for choice. Here are sev...

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Melting Pot 7 Festival @ Saigon Outcast

Last weekend, Saigoneers young and old turned up at District 2's Saigon Outcast for another installment of the Melting Pot Festival, a two-day music and art event which raises money for local children...

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Music & Arts

Inside Award-Winning Vietnamese Children's Book 'The First Journey'

A couple months back, we wrote about Phung Nguyen Quang and Huynh Kim Lien, a pair of Vietnamese children's book authors who took the top prize at this year's Asia-wide Scholastic Picture Book Award&n...

in Culture

[Photos] 4 Vietnamese Mansions That Have Gone a Little Overboard

If you've wandered around Saigon's more upscale neighborhoods, it's possible that you've come across a house or two which fit this description: “nhà cao cửa rộng”. The Vietnamese saying – literally “t...

in Culture

Graphic Designer Recreates Saigon's Colorful Concrete Tiles in New Book

When Giang Nguyen decided to hunt for old typography around Saigon, what began as a personal research project soon grew into an obsession with the city's old-school design.

in Culture

[Photos] 13 Pictures of Vietnamese Locks in the Wild

When parking your bike for five minutes or simmering your broth for five hours, it’s hard to take stranger’s goodwill for granted. These photos show how some Vietnamese take the necessary steps for pr...

in Film & TV

December Movies at Saigon's Alternative Film Venues

The awards season has officially started and for once, we welcome the razzle-dazzle that will come in the next three months, after a very dull summer, which was rescued only by independent cinema. The...

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Saigon Soul Pool Party @ The New World Hotel

As the Saigon rains yield to hot and dry weather, the time is right for the return of the Saigon Soul Pool Party.

Brian Letwin

in Culture

[Photos] The Bike Blanket is Taking Hanoi by Storm

While Vietnamese people are well versed in sun protection gear, a new niche product has become an increasingly common sight on Hanoi’s roads – the bike blanket (think Snuggie for motorbikes).