in Travel

ACV Proposes Moving 90% of Saigon's Overseas Flights to Long Thành

The Airports Corporation of Vietnam (ACV) has proposed plans to transfer flight operations in Hồ Chí Minh City from Tân Sơ...

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

US Presidents, Russian Mascot, and Tintin: The Surprising History Behind Vietnam's Dog Names

As Vietnamese society progresses, dogs and cats’ role in our families have gradually elevated to worthy life companions instead of mere animal help in previous generations. While the archive of pet names today seems endless and every day you can easily bump into pets bearing hilariously human names, tasty food dishes, or glorious adjectives, the naming conventions of Vietnamese domestic animals in the past had recurring themes that directly correspond to the cultural and historical atmosphere of when they were coined.

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

5 Quixotic Books About Vietnam for When You're Craving a Little Quirky Read

There are too many good Vietnamese books to recommend, let alone read.

in Film & TV

Far From Vietnam: A 1967 French Anti-War Film Grapples With Its Own Contradictions

French cinema experienced a creative renaissance in the 1960s with arguably the most influential movement in its history...

in Loạt Soạt

'Making a Whore' Is Both Less and More Revealing Than Its Reputation Suggests

For the first time, Vũ Trọng Phụng’s novel Làm đĩ is available in English. Originally published in 1936, the novel has been translated by Đinh Ngọc Mai under the title Making a Whore and was released last year by Major Books, an independent publishing house dedicated to making Vietnamese literature more available for the English-speaking world.

Uyên Đỗ

in Culture

The Surprisingly Global History of Monobloc, the Chair Vietnam Loves and the West Despises

In 2024, The New York Times published a list of the 25 most iconic pieces of furniture from the past century, selected by a panel of designers, artists, and curators from the world's leading museums. Unexpectedly, the Monobloc, a plastic chair found in almost every corner of Vietnam and across the globe, had somehow secured a seat.

in Music & Arts

How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change

It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade. 

in Music & Arts

Water as a Metaphor for Trauma, Memories and Unspoken Histories in Quế’s Art

Through installations and animated films, Quế traces the flow of water as they move through personal memories and collective histories, carrying generational trauma amidst urbanization, and even natural disaster.

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in Literature

Literary Journal Áo Trắng Ceases Operations Today After 31 Years

Once a home for aspiring young writers to take their very first steps on their journey towards literary finesse, Áo Trắng will now close its doors for good.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Demise of the Saigon Tax Center; Old v. New Photos of Vietnam

It's time for the second season of the podcast!

in Music & Arts

How a Hanoi Collective Found Audio-Visual Beauty in Bamboo and Red River Soil

Traditional music in Vietnam is a complex fabric woven of many threads. Some strands extend hundreds of kilometers across the country and others reach across borders and oceans to nearby neighbors.

in Music & Arts

The Artist Making a Miniature Saigon Out of Lego Blocks

If a bowl of hủ tiếu were the size of a Lego brick, how many hủ tiếu would you have?

in Music & Arts

The Timeless Beauty of Vietnamese Women in Mai Trung Thứ’s Legacy

Mai Trung Thứ, who lived from 1906 to 1980, was a remarkable Vietnamese artist who graduated from the Indochina Fine Arts College.

in Film & TV

Film Adaptation of Mạc Can's 'Tấm Ván Phóng Dao' Wins Award at Busan Project Market

If Wood Could Cry, It Would Cry Blood was awarded the ArteKino International Award as part of the 2021 Busan International Film Festival. 

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

Nocturnal Animals Music Livestream Series Unites Artists for Pandemic Relief

While bars and nightclubs remain closed, a special monthly livestream series starting tomorrow will give those of us in Vietnam the chance to experience nightlife without leaving the house.

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

Can Street Art Help Restore One of Hanoi's Poorest Communities?

Can street art lead to urban restoration? Or is it wilful gentrification? In February 2020, the Phuc Tan Public Art Project officially opened — the work on display offers engaging art and stirs up int...

Uyên Đỗ

in Music & Arts

The Zoologist Who Makes Animal Origami out of Vietnam's Banknotes

What if you could make art with just VND200?

Linh Pham

in Music & Arts

Hanoi Photographer Marcus Lacey: 'To Photograph a Subject Well, Learn From How It Was Painted'

Marcus Lacey’s first experience in Hanoi was sitting in a bia hơi for seven hours.

in Music & Arts

A Nguyễn Văn Tỵ Artwork Is up for Sale in Hong Kong. His Family Says It's Fake.

Nguyễn Văn Tỵ's family claims he never produced the lacquer screen of a jackfruit tree that was recently put up for bidding.

Paul Christiansen

in Quãng 8

Kim Chi Sun and Charles on the Evolution of Good

"I haven’t lost myself yet, but there are many new angles of me, new realizations; there are some new feelings, new vibes I want to share with you. I want to open up to you," Kim Chi Sun says to her l...

in Music & Arts

Phi Nhung, Bolero and Folk Songstress, Passes Away at 51 Due to Covid-19

Over the years, the resurgence in popularity of bolero music in Vietnam has spawned numerous new stars, but Phi Nhung’s place in the genre as a veteran chanteuse can never be replaced.

in Literature

Vietnamese Novel 'The Mountains Sing' Honored by Prestigious US Peace Prize

The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai was named the runner-up for this year's Dayton Literary Peace Prize in the fiction category. 

Uyên Đỗ

in Arts & Culture

An Illustration Project Brings Life to the Pages of 16th-Century Literature

Find yourself immersed in the world of mythical fiction through these enchanting illustrations from the art project Truyền Kỳ Mạn Lục.

in Music & Arts

'Thần Đồng Đất Việt' Author Lê Linh: 'I Will Never Stop Working With History'

For Vietnamese comic fans of the past two decades, the names Lê Linh and Thần Đồng Đất Việt will most definitely ring a bell.

in Music & Arts

In Artist Tú Na's Alternate Universe, Hanoi Is Home to Steampunk Adventures

Nguyễn Anh Tú, known by his pen name Tú Na, likes to draw characters and make up stories. He graduated from the Hanoi University of Industrial Art, and has been drawing for over a decade. In 2020...

Adrien Jean

in Culture

Basket Boats: A Key Part of Everyday Life in Coastal Vietnam

Vietnam’s narrow tube houses come from the feudal era and the tax policy in effect at the time. The feudal state charged a fee based on the width of the street-facing facade to collect taxes, pushing ...

in Film & TV

These 9 Vintage Vietnamese Films Are Now Available for Viewing on YouTube

The Việt Nam Film Institute (VFI) is providing free screenings of nine movies, available now on YouTube. 

Michael Tatarski

in Loạt Soạt

A Wildly Original Intermingling of Tales From Vietnam, Past and Present

In the Saigoneer office — which I haven't actually seen in person for months — a common concern is the prevalence of the war in literature about Vietnam. Even among younger writers, particul...