Uyên Đỗ

in Arts & Culture

Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers

What are our memories made of?

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry

Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the book jolted me from expectations and why the experience provides a unique and valuable addition to the array of Vietnamese novels translated into English.

in Music & Arts

‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia

Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audiences, the piece has now been presented on an international platform at George Town Festival 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone for Vietnamese contemporary hip-hop performance on the international stage.

in Trích or Triết

Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist

In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I learnt back in high school: there is something so different, refreshing and oddly contemporary about it. As I consider every page of his bulky posthumously published anthology Thơ (Poetry), I find his legacy remains inspirational even for contemporary readers — especially other young Vietnamese — on what it means to “be an artist.” This does not only entail one’s appreciation and production of Vietnamese art, but also their adoption of an artist’s mindset into daily life.

in Travel

A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc

Signs are like voices.

Linh Phạm

in Travel

On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River

We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.

in Music & Arts

In 1920s–1940s Paris, Vietnamese Artists Painted Through the Interwar Period as the 'Others'

How did Vietnamese artists navigate the complex tides of social and political changes, and mark their own position in the art world as the “Others” during interwar Paris — which was celebrated as the “City of Lights,” yet also a stage for both colonial propaganda and a ground for anti-colonial resistance?

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

New Video Shows Why "Da Nang Is Awesome"

Da Nang is Vietnam's posterboy for urban development, sporting everything from free public WIFI to a dragon bridge. Surrounded by rolling hills and pristine beaches, the city attracts plenty of local ...

in Culture

[Photos] Vietnamese Transform Ordinary Cars Into 'Rolls-Royces'

In Vietnam, the land of product copycats, imitation iPhones and Louis Vuitton handbags are par for the course. But now, a new and impressive trend seems to be taking off – modding ordinary cars into "...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Photo Tips: Lighting Subjects Wearing Nón Lá

One issue photographers often face in Vietnam is taking pictures of people wearing the traditional nón lá, Vietnam’s signature conical hat. It covers so much of the face that your subject may look und...

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer’s February Art Picks

Saigoneer's arts & culture guru, Zelda, highlights some of the best art being displayed and exhibited around town this month.

in Music & Arts

Local Handbag Company Seeks To Empower Minority Women And Preserve Ancient Weaving Techniques

When sustainable fashion designer, Danica Ratte, traveled to the far-flung corners of Vietnam, she was immediately taken with the weaving culture of the country’s ethnic minorities.

in Music & Arts

Exhibition Spotlight: Leonid Keller

Leonid Keller is the first and only exhibition in Saigon by Berlin-based artists Julia Ossko and Eugen Schulz.

in Culture

[Photos] The Mekong’s Grandest Flower Village In Full Bloom

Last week, the oldest and largest flower village in the Mekong Delta, Tân Quy Đông, was in full bloom.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

[Updated] Release Of “50 Shades Of Grey” Canceled In Vietnam

[Update Below] While CGV will soon introduce IMAX in Vietnam, it won’t be bringing local audiences one of the year’s most anticipated films as 50 Shades Of Grey has been pulled from Vietnamese th...

in Culture

[Videos] 20 Tết Dos And Don’ts

Unlike the Western New Year, Tet is a particularly superstitious occasion with plenty of dos and don’ts.

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Art Talk And Drawing Workshop With Rodney Dickson

Many local artists in Vietnam share a common ground for artistic inspiration – war – as it characterized a significant part of the country’s 20th century history. The global impacts of these conflicts...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Set To Get Its First 2 IMAX Theaters

IMAX and a Korean company have agreed on a deal to open Vietnam’s first two super-sized screens.

in Music & Arts

Galerie Quynh and San Art Announce Relocation Plans

On January 31, Galerie Quynh permanently closed its original location in 65 De Tham, leaving the new downtown gallery on Dong Khoi as its sole exhibition space.

in Culture

[Photos] Vintage Vietnamese Matchboxes

The images on Vietnamese matchbox covers before 1975 varied from the traditional - drawings of zodiac animals - to the modern – brand advertising and popular singers of the day.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Art Talk: Drawing Workshop With Rodney Dickson

Irish-American painter, Rodney Dickson, developed his work based on the atmosphere of abandonment that characterized the post-war era in Cambodia and Vietnam.

in Film & TV

February Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

Classic and witty comedy, the one of the greatest sci-fi epics in recent history, the biggest Oscar contender of the year and a special screening from Saigon-based film festival, Impressions are some ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

[Video] European Graffiti Artist Tags His Way Across Saigon

We recently caught up with Munich-based graffiti artist, Nasca Uno, who spend five weeks in Vietnam last year, painting beautiful pieces of art in Saigon and Phan Thiet.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Hanoi Hip Hop Group Mixes Beat Boxing, Rapping And Popping With Traditional Vietnamese Music

Hip hop’s roots delve deep into the crates of soul, funk, gospel and jazz. All of these stem from African forms of music and have created a rich fabric for the enduring art form.