in Music & Arts

In 'Đêm Giao Thừa' EP, a Đàn Tranh Artist Offers Novel Twists on Nostalgic Tết Sounds

Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi has just released Đêm Giao Thừa, an EP containing energetic covers of three classic Tết songs and an original track that pays homage to styles from the 1960s and 1970s.

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

Unraveling the Mystery Behind the 'Mùi Việt Kiều' of My Childhood

My favorite candy used to be Hershey’s Kisses. Wrapped in colorful, sparkling foil, these little nubs of decadence made me feel special as a child, not just because of their sugary sweetness, but also because, for much of Vietnam’s contemporary history, you could only enjoy them if you have relatives abroad.

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When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?

I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a present for others.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Vibrancy of Vietnam's Mundane Depicted by Illustrator Chan-Nhu Le

“I miss that. When I was young, on the motorbike with my friends, it was like ’hey, you have 15 minutes?’ and we just met up [...], had some street food and did literally nothing; just street watching. It was fun,” Chan-Nhu Le shared with Saigoneer about the inspiration for her illustrations.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển

“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”

in Music & Arts

Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists

Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.

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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.

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Brian Letwin

in Culture

Made in Vietnam: Electric Chopper Bicycles

Looking to step up your bicycle game? Two mechanics in Nam Dinh Province have made their own electric chopper bicycle and the final product could only be described as baller.

in Culture

Fashion Show: A Midsummer Night's Dream @ OMG

This Thursday, Studio co will host a new fashion show - A Midsummer Night's Dream- featuring garments, jewellery and accessorise from its multi-cultural group of creative minds including La ...

in Culture

deciBel 2 Year Anniversary Party

It's finally time to celebrate our 2 years anniversary. 2 years of Music, Art, Cinema, drunk dance moves, yummy food and freaky meetings. deciBel wants to thank you guys for making this bar so awesom...

in Culture

Saigon Urban Legends: The Ghost of the Fine Arts Museum

The Ho Chi Minh Fine Arts Museum, an ornate, colonial-era building at 97 Pho Duc Chinh, District 1 stands elegantly and quietly in the less-traveled area of District 1. Beyond housing some of the...

Brian Letwin

in Culture

Teaser: Meet the Nguyễn's - Part 2

After moving to Vietnam, Richie Humphrey, in an attempt to improve his Vietnamese, started a video blog where he posted short, comedic videos. Last year, the Los Angeles, California native released a ...

in Literature

Book Box Vietnam: Encouraging People to Spread and Share the Written Word

Inspired by the Little Free Library project, a group of young Saigon residents has launched a book exchange project called Book Box – placing little boxes of free books in public places.

in Culture

Vietnamese Traffic Patterns Explained in One 'Simple' Image

This image explains Vietnamese traffic patterns better than words ever could. 

in Culture

Rock Paper Scissors Tournament @ Saigon Outcast

From the orgnaizer: There’s nothing that rivals a rock paper scissors tournament for excitement and tension. And fans of such contests are in for a treat at the SGOC's Rock Paper Scissors Tournament. ...

in Arts & Culture

Event Rewind: Saigon Artbook Edition 3

After two extremely successful (and packed) releases of the Saigon Artbook, the team decided to launch the third edition over 2 days at the new exhibition space, Lê Công Kiều Station.

in Culture

[Slideshow] 13 Beautiful Fields in Vietnam

Vietnam offers a wide array of natural beauty, leaving photographers with their fingers glued to their camera’s shutter release. While there are plenty of mountains and coastal scenes to photograph bu...

in Culture

[Video] Vietnamese Grannies Get Down to Techno

“Women may be the one group that grows more radical with age.”― Gloria Steinem

in Music & Arts

3A Station: Saigon’s Answer to Zone 9?

There is a new area in Saigon, closed off to motorbikes, where artists and creative minds from different disciplines as well as businesses come together. This is the idea sketched out so far behind th...

in Culture

[Slideshow] The Giant Rubber Duck has Arrived in HCMC

Yesterday, we waddled down to District 7’s Crescent Lake to check out the newly installed giant duck and found quite a scene.

in Culture

Camping: Into the Wild @ Saigon Outcast

Ready to do a little camping? Then make your way over to Saigon Outcast next weekend and enjoy: a bon fire, a BBQ, s'mores, acoustic guitar, a pyjamas party, ghost stories, camp fire songs, games...

in Culture

Camping: Into the Wild @ Saigon Outcast (2)

Ready to do a little camping? Then make your way over to Saigon Outcast next weekend and enjoy: a bon fire, a BBQ, s'mores, acoustic guitar, a pyjamas party, ghost stories, camp fire songs, games...

in Music & Arts

Hong Kong Record Exec Lists his Top Underground Asian Tracks. Cambodia Wins.

Over at & of Other Things, an excellent Vietnam-centric arts website, CAMA’s Eliza Lomas talked with Sean Hocking, owner of Hong Kong’s Saffron Records, who gave her a list of his current favorite...

in Music & Arts

Saigon Artbook Presents: Laurent Judge

Due to high demand, the release party for Saigon Artbook’s 3rd edition will be held over two days at Lê Công Kiều Station starting this evening. For those unfamiliar with the project, it is a quarterl...

in Culture

19 Pictures of Wacky Japanese Vending Machines

Vietnam might not have many vending machines but Japan more than makes up for the deficit. Not only are they seemingly everywhere, from Mt. Fuji to train cars, but they serve up basically anything you...

in Culture

Wealthy Vietnamese Spending Habits Include $40 Bowls of Kobe Phở and Castles

Vietnam’s rich sure know how to flaunt their wealth. While we know all about their fancy villas and luxury cars, VietNamNet recently took a closer look at some of the lesser known, extravagant items t...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Incredible Timelapse: Saigon to Sapa

While there have been numerous timelapse videos made in Saigon, we’ve never seen one that captures Vietnam from north to south. Until now.