in In Plain Sight

I Grew up With Print Newspapers and Magazines. Now, They're Disappearing.

Print media was a crucial part of my childhood and a friend opening up a window into a vivid world of knowledge that was fascinatingly strange in the eyes of young me. But right at this moment when I hit the streets as an adult, the newspaper vendors of those days seem to have vanished, their colorful spread of magazines gone amid the busyness of today. A quiet transformation and farewell has begun.

Xuân Phương

in Culture

In Tây Hồ, an Artisan Community Holds Fast to Their Lotus Tea Traditions

Every sip of lotus tea encapsulates all the essences of the natural landscapes of Tây Hồ.

in Music & Arts

New Tarot Deck Uses Traditional Motifs, Legends and Folk Wisdom to 'Speak Vietnamese'

Tarot decks can feel written in a foreign language.

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

Pages of Passion: Saigon's New Bookstore Epitomizes What It Means to Run a Passion Project

Saigon finally has a fantastic English-language bookstore!

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

'Đây Ngồi Ráp Việt' Pixel Art Project Turns Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities Into Model Kits

How many of us can identify all 63 localities in the current administrative map of Vietnam? Who has been to all of them? Who can name all the 54 ethnicities of Vietnamese across the country? These are all surprisingly hard things to do considering the average citizen doesn’t travel to other provinces often, and if they do, few actually stray from popular tourist destinations.

in Music & Arts

Between Motion and Stillness, Huỳnh Công Nhớ Explores Memory and Belief in ‘Mắt Nhớ'

Drawing on themes of childhood memories, human beliefs and spirituality, filmmaker and painter Huỳnh Công Nhớ moves between the worlds of cinema and painting, inviting viewers on a journey in search for the quiet beauty in life’s simplest moments.

in Culture

An Ode to Our Childhood Games and the Days of Being Wild

This season,  chò seeds drift through the air, their tiny wings twirling in the wind before settling softly onto...

Back Arts & Culture

Brian Letwin

in Culture

[Video] This Japanese Kid Has Insane Yo-Yo Skills

Since I have trouble mastering even the simple things in life, watching this Japanese kid destroy gravity with his yo-yo makes me feel slightly depressed.

in Culture

Trend: Vietnam’s Rich Show Off Their Wealth With Castles

Finding themselves with overflowing bank accounts, some of Vietnam’s wealthy are putting their money into real estate. But not only are they buying land, but building castles.

in Music & Arts

Local Graffiti Artists Want To Paint Saigon’s Old And Empty Walls

While in the West graffiti art is a form of anti-establishment expression, some artists in Vietnam are focusing on its visual elements, using it as a tool for beautification of city streets.

in Culture

Saigon Urban Legends: Haunted 727 Tran Hung Dao

Located at 727 Tran Hung Dao, this District 5 dwelling was once called the President Building and housed hundreds of American soldiers. Commissioned by millionaire Nguyen Tan Doi, this building, which...

in Music & Arts

New Art Initiative In Saigon: Sao La

Here is a new addition in town that art lovers will welcome with open arms. Sao La is a non-profit initiative by the well-established Gallery Quynh, located on the ground floor of the HCMC Fine Art Mu...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Tuồng: Vietnam’s Disappearing Traditional Face Painting

Tuồng is a type of traditional folk performance which is characterized in part by the use of abstract face-painting. Performers hide their real faces under a piece of art, which symbolize their charac...

in Culture

Da Nang’s Dragon Bridge Gets International Praise For Lighting Design

Da Nang's world famous bridge is back in the proverbial spotlight. After winning an international engineering award back in May, the central city’s Dragon Bridge was recently honored at the Internatio...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Local Artist Creates Beautiful Aluminum And Wood Bird Sculptures

Interweaving the arts of sculpture and installation, Thai Nhat minh’s solo exhibition last year, “The Birds” captured feelings of captivity and yearning for freedom through his wooden and aluminum bir...

in Culture

A Guide To Honking In Vietnam

Saigoneer contributor, Eric van der Vorst, created this playful list to help us decipher the meaning behind the symphony of honks and beeps that echo through Vietnam's roads and cities. 

in Culture

22 Head-Spinning Vietnamese Tongue Twisters

Due to its six tones, Vietnamese is far from the easiest language to learn. In case you wanted to further confound yourself, here's a list of 22 Vietnamese tongue twisters that will have even some Vie...

in Culture

10 Incredible Photos Of Life On Hanoi's Train Tracks

Traffic in Vietnam is crazy but the train tracks that skirt through Hanoi’s residential areas reach levels of insanity.

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Vietnam’s Most Entertaining Facebook Group Hits Milestone

Part of the joy of living in Vietnam is finding humor and beauty in everyday life. Our favorite Facebook group, Another Side of Vietnam (ASOV), does just this. Its members post tongue-in-cheek ph...

in Culture

Flea Market @ Khoi Thom

 It's time for BIG SALES at Khoi Thom, come around to enjoy the best prices ever on amazing brands like: Harmony,La Fiancée du facteur, Nua, TuliMuli, La Petite épicerie,Nadège Simard and get ama...

in Music & Arts

Chitra Ganesh: Architectures Of Myth @ Hoa Sen University

This lecture will explore the power of key visual and storytelling devices central to mythological narrative and their particular ongoing legacy in contemporary visual and popular culture.I will begin...

in Culture

Many of Vietnam's Historical Sites Are Becoming Ruins

Vietnam may be rich in history, but many of the country’s historical sites are disintegrating as local governments lack the funds to restore them.

in Culture

TEDxYouth: The Transparency @ Âu Cơ Palace

 Until now we have only perceived this world through our naked eyes...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Dull Saigon Alley Gets A Graffiti Facelift

In bustling downtown Saigon, where it seems like development dictates aesthetics, alleyway 15B on Le Thanh Ton Street is among the few public places in the city where art is accessible to residents of...

in Music & Arts

Artist Paul Frank Wagner To Exhibit In Con Dao

Less than two weeks ago, I attended the opening of Sao La. While in the midst of the hustle and bustle typical of the opening of an art space, I found myself chatting away with artist Paul Frank Wagne...

in Culture

4 of Vietnam’s Most Beautiful Schools

Well-known for both their elegant, classic architecture and the quality of education they provide, these 4 Vietnamese schools have stood the test of time.

in Film & TV

Yersin Documentary To Premier In Hanoi, HCMC

To commemorate the 120-year anniversary of Alexandre Yersin’s discovery of the deadly Bacillus virus and a lifetime of devotion to science and humanity, the Swiss Embassy joined forces with filmmaker,...