in Music & Arts

Between Victory and Sorrow: The Complex Realities Behind Văn Cao's 'Mùa Xuân Đầu Tiên'

Composer Trịnh Công Sơn once wrote: “In music, Văn Cao is as noble as a king. In the field of song composition, I am like a child dreaming that the sun is a paper kite to play with. Brother Văn's music is the music of soaring fairies. I wander among the human realm. He keeps flying and I keep sinking. Flying and sinking in our private destinies...”

in Music & Arts

‘Fight or Flight or Float or Fall‘ Takes Viewers on Trip Across Memory, Trauma and Healing

In Tuan Andrew Nguyen’s new solo exhibition, materials and forms associated with destruction, violence and death are reimagined and transformed into sculptures that evoke healing and resilience. Through sensory elements such as touch, sound and movement, the exhibition guides viewers through layers of memory, and a journey from trauma towards reflection and healing.

in Music & Arts

Heritage Encounters Contemporary Art in Exhibition ‘Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng’

Just before the upcoming Lunar New Year, “Thẩm / Thấu, Thưởng” exhibition takes viewers on a journey to explore the beauty of traditional and folk materials re-imagined in contemporary forms. It enhances the essence of contemporary art through a fresh perspective on how heritage can be reinterpreted within modern creative practices.

in Trích or Triết

Vũ Bằng's Nostalgic Longings for Hanoi Teach Us How to Love a Place Deeply

From Thương Nhớ Mười Hai to Miếng Ngon Hà Nội, Vũ Bằng’s way of lacing Hanoian features with melancholic reminiscence always brings me straight back to the embrace of my hometown, even more so after I moved to Saigon at age 19. Since then, my writing and social media posts about Hanoi have often been accompanied by quotes “stolen” from his books: “My spring — the spring of northern Vietnam, Hanoi's spring — is a season of gentle misty rain, cool tender winds, the sound of swallows calling all jade-dark night, distant chèo drum beats from distant hamlets with maidens lovely as poems singing timeless love songs.” This was how Vũ Bằng’s oeuvre made its way to my heart.

in Quãng 8

The Phenomenal Phonk of Budding Rapper Ci Pi's Fever Dream

Everybody in my university program seems to know Bùi Ngọc Cẩm Phương, though in the music world, she's more popularly known as Ci Pi, a stage name that combines her name’s 2 initials. Be it because of her music or her noticeable Japanese fashion styles, even on campus, Ci Pi’s presence is “vivid” and easy to spot. However, it wasn’t until I knew her personally through a group project that I caught a glimpse of her true self. Despite the edgy appearance with quirky hairstyles and aesthetics, Ci Pi is quiet and calm, and always seems to be immersed in her own world.

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

5 Classic Christmas Songs in Vietnamese for Those Craving Nô-en Wistfulness

Christmas celebration in Vietnam is something else altogether.

in Trích or Triết

Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border

In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.

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Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

[Photos] HCMC: City of Contrasts

One of the things that makes life in Saigon interesting is the blurred line between the city and the countryside. This lack of distinction is most obvious when it comes to the city’s urban animals, bu...

in Culture

Expat Survey: Vietnam A Great Place To Live, With A Few Exceptions

HSBC Expat recently hired research company YouGov to conduct their annual Expat Explorer Survey in which almost 9,300 expats based in over 100 countries were questioned between April and May 2014.

in Culture

The Peaceful Corners Of Bustling Hanoi

Although modernization has forever altered the skyline of Vietnam’s ancient capital with gleaming skyscrapers, one can still find moments of tranquility and escape from the city’s traffic-clogged stre...

in Culture

21 Outrageous Photos Of Vietnamese Motorbikers

If you enjoyed our original illustrations of Saigon motorbikers, you’ll get a kick out of these real-life daredevils.

in Culture

[Photos] Floods Bring Seasonal Specialties To The Mekong Delta

While few Saigonese smile at the sight of flooded streets, their Mekong Delta brethren welcome high waters with open arms.

in Culture

[Video] BMX: Saigon Style

The age of the fixie may have dawned on Saigon but another bicycle fad is becoming increasingly popular in the city – BMX.

in Culture

[Video] A Vietnamese Critique Of Social Networking

The Phở Team, which brought us "What does the Phở Say?" and "Differences Between Hanoi vs Sai Gon" is back with a new video critiquing the social network experience.

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Photographer Wins Award At International Competition

Vietnamese photographer, Ly Hoang Long, was selected as the top photographer from the Asia-Pacific region at the recent CBRE Urban Photographer of the Year competition.

in Music & Arts

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam To Resume Horse Racing On New Track

Vietnam to resume horse racing on new track [Thanh Nien] Company builds road without permission in Ha Long Bay’s peripheral areas [Tuoi Tre] Young man creates street library in Danang [DTI]

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Event Rewind: Saigoneer Photo Walk With Adam Robert Young

Last Sunday, Adam Robert Young led the October Saigoneer photo walk, taking a group of participants around a bustling local market in District 2.

in Music & Arts

Saigon Artbook 1 Year Anniversary Fundraiser

After 4 successful releases of the Saigon Artbook, the team is launching a special 1 year anniversary edition at an open fundraising event at 3A Station on Thursday, October 23 from 5pm – 11pm.

in Music & Arts

Wednesday Jameson Jam: Acoustic Open Mic @ Saigon Outcast

From the organizer: Candlelight, cool breeze, and acoustic music, the perfect way to ease into the weekend!

in Music & Arts

Epic Drone Video Shows Vietnam’s Beauty From Great Heights

If you ever needed proof that Vietnam and drones are a natural fit, look no further than this video made by Duong Dang Dop.

in Culture

85-Year-Old Saigon Man Bootstraps His Way Across Vietnam

Nguyễn Văn Ngọc, an 91-year-old man from Ward 26 in Bình Thạnh District is known among his neighbors as a shoe repairman and part-time fortuneteller. Little do they know that at the ripe old age of 85...

in Music & Arts

American DJ Lil Jon To Headline The HCMC Prisma Run In November

Kelly Clarkson isn’t the only American star on their way to Vietnam later this year. American DJ, Lil Jon, will be headlining the November 22 Prisma Run in District 2, greeting runners at the finish l...

in Arts & Culture

2 Year Anniversary Of Last Call Bar @ Last Call

From the organizer: Ladies and gentelmen's, early birds and sun chasers, cocktails lovers and just lovers, LAST CALL bar is going to be happy to see on this special day, day of 2 years since the ...

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Saigon Artbook Anniversary Party Teaser

It’s been a year since the first edition of the Saigon Artbook was launched at La Brasserie. 12 artists and 4 editions later, the team has planned a special anniversary party at 3A Station on October ...

in Music & Arts

Kelly Clarkson To Play Miss Vietnam 2014 Finale

Kelly Clarkson, winner of American Idol 2002 and performer of formulaic pop ballads, will make her way to Vietnam in December to entertain crowds at this year’s Miss Vietnam pageant finale in Phu Quoc...

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer Presents: Photo Walk With Adam Robert Young

The Saigoneer Photo Walk is back!

in Film & TV

[Video] Short Film “16:30” - A Day In The Life Of A Saigon’s Child Lottery Ticket Sellers

16:30 is a 17-minute short film by Vietnamese director Tran Dung Thanh Huy which made an appearence at the Cannes film festival in 2013. The film tells the story of a group of young Saigon boys who se...