
Ly Mí Cường Takes the Sounds of Sáo H'Mông From Hà Giang to International Stages
Born in 2005, Ly Mí Cường has brought sáo Mèo to international music competitions twice in his life — and he managed to take home the first prize both times. Cường’s anchor is always H’Mông culture, the wellspring that has nurtured his soul ever since he first took up the flute of his people, sáo H’Mông.

Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.

'The Colors of April' Invites Numerous Generations of Vietnamese to Reflect on War
“If the rain could wash away everything, maybe we could all find peace. For the third generation after the war, what was left behind wasn’t anger or bitterness, but an enduring sorrow that echoed from the heart.”

In Vietnam, Joss Papers Link Life and Death, Modernity and Tradition
Joss papers and effigies consumed my experiences before I began to even question their meaning. On the anniversary of my grandfather’s death (giỗ), my grandmother routinely set up a large pot in our tiny front yard and burned a stack of replica paper money. It is quite a scene to watch — the fire turned the paper to smoke and ash, and within minutes it was as if the paper never existed.

Every Mùng Một, My Family Organizes Our Own Temple Run to Visit 10 Temples
According to Vietnamese traditions, the first, second, and third days of Tết are reserved for one’s paternal family, maternal family, and teacher’s family, respectively.

On Hội Xuân, the Harbinger of Tết for High School Students
When I was a high school student, Lunar New Year brought with it a lot of excitement. Not only did we get a week-long break, we also got plenty of fun school activities leading up to the holidays. For me, one of my most anticipated events during this period of time was the high school Tết concerts.

The Tết Board Games That Help Foster (and Destroy) Family Relations
There’s nothing quite as satisfying as beating all your siblings and cousins in a heated game of cờ cá ngựa.

Bored of the Traditional Zodiac? A Case for the Shipworm as a New Con Giáp.
From games to sweet treats to flowers to traditional attire, the nostalgic elements of Tết often tug people to the past. Saig...

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

Film Screening: March: Art Walk Presents “Ánh” and “Mùi”
Part of Sao La and Freeland’s community art project, March: Art Walk, aims to bridge the gap between Saigon’s contemporary art scene and the general public. To that end, on March 11, the project scree...

This Film Beautifully Captures The Daily Life Of Vietnamese
Wander in Vietnam is not your typical Vietnam travel video as this short film’s beauty lies in its simplicity.

Saigoneer’s March Art Picks
Last month was, without a doubt, the most extravagant (artistically speaking) in the past four years; Saigon was a theatre unto itself with a variety of art shows and exhibitions. Here are some of our...

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

Forgotten Vietnamese Communities Come To Life At Sao La
Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai’s latest thought provoking and socially conscious exhibition, Day by Day, is currently on view at Sao La.

[Video] Chinese-Vietnamese Gang War Erupts in Australia
Chinese-Vietnamese relations are still a bit frosty from the oilrig that caused a geopolitical fracas last year, and by the looks of it, this animosity has manifested in the diasporas of these countri...

Zelda Goes To The Gallery: World in My Mind
For his first exhibition, The World in My Mind, now on view at deciBel Lounge, Saigon-based concept designer and illustrator Hoang Trung has assembled nine medium-scale digital paintings inspired by h...

Vietnamese Photographer Takes Home Grand Prize at International Photo Contest
A photo by Vietnamese photographer, Pham Ty, has beaten out 26,500 other submissions to take the top spot at the recently concluded Smithsonian Photo Contest.

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 2
Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out.Vietnam Coraclehas made a handy guide to some ...

Incredibly Detailed Map Shows SE Asia's Amazing Diversity
This detailed map created by the Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples Network shows the incredible diversity of ethnicities in SE Asia.

Vietnam’s First IMAX Theatre To Launch In Saigon With “Furious 7”
IMAX is finally coming to Vietnam next month with screenings of the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.

[Video] Saigon Mad Men: “The Guitar-Maker's Labor of Love”
This short film is the fourth episode in a series called "Saigon Mad Men" that profiles some of the city’s most passionate business people.

April Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
As we slowly move away from the awards season, our local film venues go back to what they do best: indie and cult cinema.

Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest [Results]
Over Tet, many of us got out of Saigon either to our hometowns, or for some much needed holiday time to surrounding countries. Either way, some beautiful images were submitted, and we had a rough time...

21 Outrageous Photos Of Vietnamese Motorbikers – Part 2
For many living in Vietnam, motorbikes act as an appendage, taken everywhere and used for everything. They are monuments to function that are at once a personal vehicle, a delivery truck, a school bus...

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

Three Saigon-based Artists Bring Their Diverse Urban Art To Vin Gallery
This evening, American illustrator and street artist Kristopher Kotcher AKA Frenemy is bringing his work back to Vin Gallery with a new exhibition, Trialogue. It has been almost a year since his first...

This Is What A Mongolian Hip-Hop Video Looks Like
Tracing its roots back to the cities of the United States, Hip-Hop has since spread across the globe, penetrating even the farthest corners of human civilization.