in Travel

In Gò Vấp, a 'Floating Temple' Stands the Test of Time and River Currents

On an isle amid the Vàm Thuật river in Gò Vấp District, Phù Châu Temple, colloquially known among locals as the “floating temple,” has welcomed religious practitioners looking for a serene quarter in fast-paced Hồ Chí Minh City for over three centuries.

in Culture

On the Hunt for One-of-a-Kind Treasures in Saigon's Thriving Thrift Shops

In the summer of 2021, Hương Nguyễn decided to pivot away from her office job and launch an online thrift store called Vintage Hearts. She was motivated by how difficult it was to find clothing in Saigon that reflected her personal style — what she used to describe as “inspired by foreign pop singers on Pinterest,” she tells me, but what is now known as “Y2K,” or “year two thousand.” 

in Arts & Culture

Ocean Vuong Brings Vietnamese Text, Original Photos to Helmut Lang Collection

Peter Do, the recently named Creative Director of the storied fashion brand Helmut Lang, enlisted writer Ocean Vuong to provide text and photos for his debut collection.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

In Huế, an Interdisciplinary Exhibition Opens Literal and Metaphorical Doors

“I cannot stop opening doors,” Phan Lê Hà said in regard to the physical objects that reappear throughout her creative works.

in Culture

The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs

"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.

Khôi Phạm

in Travel

Train to Biên Hòa: A Day Trip Into Suburbia From Saigon

When Saigoneer first announced a few weeks ago that Vietnam’s railway network would be the centerpiece of our next themed article series, a number of readers joked in the comment section that who in their right mind would love Vietnamese trains.

in Film & TV

Review: ‘Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist

On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its mark as a notable entry for its distinctly Vietnamese vistas, tones and essence.

in Music & Arts

A Mosaic of Vietnam's Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train

Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.

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Brian Letwin

in Culture

Profits and Contradictions: Inside SE Asia’s Dog Meat Trade

Though eating dog has long been part of Vietnamese culture, the illicit dog meat trade in SE Asia has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Recently, cross-border smuggling of the animals has ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Video: Perhaps the Best Saigon Time Lapse Yet

We've seen a number of great Saigon time lapse videos recently. With the city's streams of constant movement, it's a natural location for this cinematic technique. A new time lapse by Pierre Ogeron g...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Video: The Differences Between Saigon and Hanoi

Earlier this year, Graphic designer, Nhat Le created a book depicting the many cultural differences between Hanoi and Saigon. Now, the Pho Team has taken the regional battle a step further with the h...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Can Vinyl Make a Comeback in Vietnam?

According to online retailer, Amazon.com, vinyl is its “fastest growing music medium.” With a 745% increase in sales since 2008, many are proclaiming the comeback of our favorite analog audio (sorry 8...

Brian Letwin

in Film & TV

Short Film: My Journey to Work

As many of us struggle with motivation on Mondays (or any weekday for that matter), it’s not always easy to get yourself going. Sometimes, it takes a dose of external inspiration, like the video below...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Vietnamese Airlines Struggle with Cigarette Smoking, Mobile Phone Using Passengers

So, apparently smoking on flights is a thing in Vietnam. Vietnamese airlines are struggling with flagrant abuses of standard, in-flight safety regulations as customers have been found smoking in bath...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Video: A Taste of Vietnam

Daniel Klein and Mirra Fine took a trip to Vietnam last year and brought along with some pretty sweet filming equipment. After editing what was presumably hours of footage, the duo condensed their 2 ...

in Music & Arts

Short Film Screening - Vietnamese Family Life

From the organisers: Mê phim - passionate about films and Sàn Art Laboratory are pleased to present a film event this time at Déjà Vu Cafe Two short films by two film makers one in Vietnam, one from ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Heart Beat Saigon Presents "Breaking Blanchy’s"

Heart Beat Saigon is taking over all three floors of Blanchy's Tash on Monday, October 14. From the organizer: "Breaking Blanchy’s" This time presenting UK Techno legend Oliver Ho aka Raudive. ...

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer @ Saigon Flea Market

Hey Saigoneers! Just a head’s up that we’ll be at the Saigon Flea Market this Sunday at the Crescent in Phu My Hung. If you’d like to pick up one of our super cool t-shirts, you can find us outside, ...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Awesome 24 Hour Time Lapse of Saigon

We've seen some cool time lapse videos of Saigon in the past, many of which focus on the city's chaotic traffic. This video, produced by Jan Niederhumer, takes the high road, setting up his camera to...

in Culture

Beware of the Dog...Napper

Hien Pham, a 29 year-old Vietnamese woman still wants to cry whenever she remembers Gina, a pomerian dog kidnapped one year ago.

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Nhabeo House: Bringing Green to the Concrete Jungle

The Nhabeo House, located in Saigon was designed by Trinhvieta Architects with interior design by Quach The Vinh. The house was designed to connect with the outside environment and utilizing the space...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Pecha Kucha Global Night @ Saigon Hub

From the organizer: Join Pecha Kucha Nights HCMC for Vol. 5 and also Pecha Kucha Global Night! Not only will you hear awesome presentations as usual, but we will also be joining a GoogleHangout roo...

in Music & Arts

San Art Laboratory - Open Studio2 Session 3

On September 21, artists Nguyen Hong Ngoc (Hanoi) and Phan Thao Nguyen (Saigon) will open their studio to the public one more time before their final exhibition in November. Thao and Ngoc are two youn...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Images of Destruction and Restoration: Hue Citadel

The Hue Monument Conservation Centre has just launched a poster exhibition that captures the long history of the imperial citadel at Hue. Due to its importance, the monument has been witness to many o...

in Film & TV

German Film Festival Coming to Saigon

This year the Goethe Institut brings some of the most interesting German films of the year to silver screen enthusiasts in Vietnam; both by famous directors and young, new filmmakers. And it's free!

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

Slideshow: Henry Saiz, Live From Saigon

Henry Saiz brought his rolling drums and electronic soundscapes to Cargo Bar last night and did not disappoint. Here are some of our favorite shots from the night:

Brian Letwin

in Culture

H&P Concept, ‘Pavilion of Dream Terraces’ for Milan Expo 2015

H&P Architects is proving to be one of Vietnam’s leading sustainable architecture firms. From airy, bamboo huts in the country’s rural heartland, to the recently completed, Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavi...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Video: Vietnam's 'Miss World' Pick Has Some Work to Do...

Meet, Lại Hương Thảo, Vietnam's representative to the 2013 Miss World competition. Thảo recently took to Youtube where she posted a video to showcase her "underestimated beauty, shape, fashion sense a...