Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê
“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.
Vietnam's Central Highlands Imagined in ‘Angin Cloud’ at National Gallery Singapore
Amidst shifting social currents, industrialized landscapes, and a fast-paced world, how does a community preserve its heritage, rewrite histories, and confront colonial legacies? In this long-term collaboration with the Jrai community, ‘Angin Cloud’ by Art Labor explores these questions through a multi-floor installation at National Gallery Singapore that poetically intertwines Gia Rai (Jrai) beliefs, traditions, and environmental change.
Music Is My Release: Behind the Anger That Fuels the Fiercely Indie Group COCC
“I don’t make happy songs,” says Phúc, the lead singer and guitarist of Saigonese rock group COCC. He and I are sitting in the middle of the band’s “cave” — a homemade recording studio they began putting together ten years ago. “I dreamed about it for a long time,” Phúc says of the studio. “In 2015, when I finished this house, the vision came true. We invest in it all the time, buy a little bit here, buy a little bit there. We’re still adding and improving the system and the equipment.”
Paul Christiansen in Culture
The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."
How Thoughtful Design Boosts Educational Outcomes: Australian International School Undergoes Multi-Million-Dollar Renovations
According to a 2018 study by the University of Salford in Manchester, carefully considered classroom environments can impr...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Korean Culture Has Stolen Vietnam's Hearts. What About Korean Literature?
If you were a book publisher and saw a sudden spike in sales for a book published years ago, how would you explain it?
'I Wander Alone' and 'Your Shirt Button,' Two Poems by Nguyễn Quang Thân
“You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece.”
Đờn Ca Tài Tử Captures the Soul of Southern Vietnam in Every Melody, Every Word
“It’s not something unfamiliar, but it’s been a few years since I last heard it. Stumbling upon this beautiful bucolic scene now has made me fall in love with the Mekong Delta’s đờn ca tài tử melodies again.”
Words: Loaned by the French, Borrowed by the Vietnamese
From pho and banh mi to motorbike culture, elements of French influence can still be found throughout Vietnamese society. The Vietnamese language also contains dozens of French 'loan words' that, whil...
Wine for Cats now Available in Japan (Yes, Really)
It’s been a while since we’ve checked in with our Japanese neighbors who always seem to be one-upping the world when it comes to whacky products. We present to you – cat wine.
Slideshow: On the Red Carpet of "Am Muu Giay Got Nhon"
On Monday, Saigoneer attended the premier of the highly anticipated film, "Am Muu Giay Got Nhon" ("How to Fight in Six Inch Heels"). Since the movie was directed and produced by Viet Kieu and focuses...
Manga and Cosplay in Vietnam
Vietnam is a melting pot for Asian culture and loves to imitate the trends of its neighbors. From economics (China/South Korea) to music (South Korea/Japan) Vietnamese are truly masters of emulation, ...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Street Signs: Nguyễn Huệ - Part 1
In this edition of “Street Signs,” we take a closer look at Nguyen Hue, one of Vietnam’s most prominent folk heroes and successful military commanders. While he died before his vision for Vietnam was ...
Escape Party: Enchanting Circus
From the organizer: a dOSe of ESCAPE – Summer Dance Music Festival in June 2013 at Diamond Island was considered a great music Festival with more than 10,000 participants, and it has created a ...
Behind the Cover: Saigon Artbook
Should art be luxurious or cool? Should it be for the masses or limited only to the educated elite? Should it be displayed only by established galleries or be exhibited in various venues around the ci...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
Win up to VND20 million for Your Short Film on Vietnamese Street Food
If you enjoy making short films and have a place in your heart for Vietnamese street food, a new competition, "Vietnamese street cuisine" should be right up your alley. Oh, and the winning films will ...
Interview with Award-Winning Filmmaker Ham Tran
"Am Muu Giay Got Nhon" ("How to Fight in Six Inch Heels") is an upcoming, fashion-focused romantic comedy directed by Viet Kieu filmmaker, Ham Tran, his first in Vietnam. Saigoneer sat down with Ham d...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Mayhem: The Age of the Thrift Shop Begins in Saigon
In Vietnam, the land of cheap clothes, western-style thrift shops have yet to take off. Mayhem, a new shop located just behind Ben Thanh Market is looking to change this, offering up stylish, imported...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Vietnam to Remove Ban on Same Sex Marriage
A new government decree, set to go into effect on November 11, 2013, will remove the current fines associated with same-sex marriages in Vietnam. While an important step for LGBT rights in the country...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Interview: Pierre Ogeron, Creator of the 'Saigon Sail' Time Lapse
Yesterday, we posted Pierre Ogeron’s awesome time lapse film of Saigon which proved to be quite a hit. We got in touch with Pierre who was kind enough to answer some of our questions about his motiva...
Opening Exhibition - "Red Thread" by Bui Tien Tuan @ Craig Thomas Gallery
Women in Vietnam are often depicted in art wearing the traditional Ao Dai and conical hats, or at least this is what misleading collective imagination and popular culture want us to believe. This ste...
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 ...
