Khôi Phạm

in Culture

What Can Vietnamese License Plates Tell You About the Vehicles and Who Drives Them?

There was a game I used to play with my dad whenever we would stop at a traffic light. He would point to a random license plate in front of us and quiz me on where it came from.

in Travel

Mũi Né Among Top 10 Trending Travel Destinations Globally in 2026, Booking Says

Travel site Booking.com dubbed Mũi Né “one of 2026’s trending travel spots,” reflective of the international attention and domestic emphasis the beach city is currently receiving.

in Music & Arts

Euphoria, Ruin, Nostalgia: Tracing Hanoi's Changing Skyline by Its Soundtrack

From loudspeakers broadcasting construction anthems during wartime to melancholic ballads mourning vanished street corners, Hanoi's soundtrack reveals a city that has never quite learned to live in its present tense.

Paul Christiansen

in Rewind

In 'Cú Và Chim Se Sẻ,' a Director's Radical Empathy for Saigon's Less Fortunate

“They can do what they want. The city owns the zoo. They could sell all the animals here. They could turn it into a golf course. We’re just little people — you and me.”

in Loạt Soạt

In 'No Man River,' Dương Hướng Highlights the Raw Pain of Postwar Survival

Dương Hướng’s No Man River (Bến không chồng) was first published in 1991 and won the Vietnam Writers' Association Prize for Fiction. Translated into English by Quan Manh Ha and Charles Waugh, it captures the brutal reality of conflict in Vietnam from 1945 to 1979.

in Music & Arts

Nguyễn Đức Tín Weaves Spirituality, Faith, Everyday Life Altogether in His Paintings

Can a painting reflect who we are, even if we can’t see ourselves thoroughly? And how does faith guide us forward in life?

in Film & TV

Liên Bỉnh Phát Makes History as 1st Vietnamese to Win Best Male Lead in Taiwan

Vietnamese actor Liên Bỉnh Phát recently made history at one of Taiwan’s most prestigious national award ceremonies.

in Travel

An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush

I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

Saigon’s Own Suboi Making Headlines in America

Suboi, Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop”, has been making international headlines this week in anticipation of her performance at one of America's largest music festivals.

in Music & Arts

[Video] This Vietnamese Coke Commercial Might The Best We’ve Ever Seen

Say what you will about Coca-Cola’s poor human rights record and shady promotional practices, but the soda giant sure seems to have its marketing executions figured out.

in Culture

Infographic Shows The Most Popular Beers In The World By Country: Vietnam Confused

Vinepair, a website dedicated to all things alcohol, recently released a great infographic showing the most popular beers in the world by country. However, while the king of beers in most nations was ...

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Photo Tips: Aperture Is Your Best Friend

Vietnam, and more generally Southeast Asia, are full of visual pollution. We are surrounded by plastic bags, motorbikes, flashy karaoke signs and electric wires. As a result, there is often a need for...

in Culture

[Photos] Remnants Of Old Saigon

Often coming across as bustling and chaotic, Saigon’s entangled streets make for one hell of a first impression. Saigon’s charm, however, lies underneath the surface and only unveils itself when time ...

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest

Alright Saigoneers, we hope you’ve had a chance to deal with your holiday withdrawal depression and get back into the groove of life. You should have had ample time to get all your holiday photos edit...

in Culture

Saigon's Instant Street Furniture

Public space in Saigon can be easily understood as an endless source of spontaneous, if not random, design solutions.

in Culture

18 Country's Flags Reimagined Using Traditional Foods

To help promote the Sydney International Food Festival, advertising agency, WHYBIN\TBWA, designed 18 national flags made from traditional foods.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

[Video] Bandit 9: Motorcycles From "Another Dimension"

Some of Saigon’s homegrown brands are starting to embrace high-quality short films to promote their products.

in Music & Arts

5 Vietnamese Photographers Among Finalists For International Photo Contest

The annual Smithsonian Photo Contest is wrapping up, and, of the 60 finalists, five are Vietnamese photographers.

in Culture

An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 2

We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang. Part 1 of this series can be found here.

in Culture

5 Of Saigon’s Oldest Temples

Before the arrival of the French and their colonial architecture, Buddhist temples served as the most ornate structures in Saigon. Here is some background on and the locations of five of the city’s ol...

in Music & Arts

[Updated] The Prodigy To Play Surprise Performance In Saigon This Friday

[Update] According to the organizers, the show has been canceled due to logistical issues. 

in Culture

Color Me Run Returns To Saigon

After a successful Saigon debut in 2014 with more than 6,800 participants, the next installment of the Color Me Run will take place in the city this April.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Culture

An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 1

We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Marou Chocolate's Nifty Stop Motion Commercial

Director Tom Jobbins and a team of animators, 3D model designers and colorists worked painstakingly on this playful 30-second spot to show the abridged story of how Vincient Marou and Samuel Maruta be...

in Film & TV

March Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

This month’s film programme is packed with films that address socio-political issues including gay rights, civil rights and freedom of speech. If that’s not your cup of tea, you have the opportunity t...

in Music & Arts

The Best Cultural Happenings In The Year Of The Horse

As we say goodbye to the year of the Horse, our editorial team looks back at the increasingly expanding cultural scene in Saigon and beyond. From theatre to art exhibitions, these are, in no particula...