Pete Walls

in Travel

Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina

Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.

in Film & TV

Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges

As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.

in Quãng 8

Dropping the Disguise: The Evolution of Punk Band Cút Lộn Towards More Radicality

In recent years, CÚT LỘN has cemented themselves as one of the most recognizable hardcore punk bands to emerge from the Vietnamese underground scene.

in Music & Arts

From TikTok to Bars, a Group of Young Artists Brings Đờn Ca Tài Tử to Unexpected Venues

“If you happen to pass by Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt Street in Hồ Chí Minh City There’s a strange bar with a Mekong theme Where cải lươ...

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

Home Is Where the Bum Gun Is

In the 2010s, my journey to study abroad took me to Singapore. Being a tiny person in an enormous city was a huge undertaking for a teenager, as I had to adapt to countless changes, from minute to major, at once: living in a different language, academic pressures, foreign customs and cuisines, and being away from my family. Gradually, things fell into place. The public transport worked well; the accent got more familiar; and I didn’t miss bánh mì and cơm tấm nearly as much as I thought I would; but there was one thing I never managed to entirely overcome — the bum gun-shaped void in my heart.

in Film & TV

Review: From Czechia, ‘Trường Hè, 2001’ Bridges Family Divides, Both Onscreen and in Real Life

Summer School, 2001, directed by Czech-Vietnamese writer and director Dužan Duong, was first released last year and has received critical acclaim within the Czech Republic and Europe. Now, the film has come to Vietnam, where it is available in Galaxy, Cinestar, and Beta theaters across Saigon, Hanoi and Đà Nẵng.

in Music & Arts

This Wedding Is Too Boring to Nhậu, Let's Put on Some Miền Tây Remix

While phasing in and out of sleep on a coach in the Mekong Delta, have you ever been jolted awake by the bouncing beats of a Vinahouse version of ‘Quê em mùa nước lũ’ (Flooding Season in My Hometown)? Or, a mindless TikTok scroll would bring up the catchy tune of ‘Lấy cây kim may đồ’ (Pass Me the Sewing Needle) that’s trending nationwide.

Back Arts & Culture

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...

in Music & Arts

An Illustrator Gives Vietnamese Music Icons Sleek Cyberpunk Makeovers

Trần Phát, known on social media as Phat HaHa, is a designer from Bien Hoa. He recently released an album of 30 Vietnamese artists drawn in cyberpunk style. 

in Literature

Thơughtful: Chữ(a) Là(nh), a New Poetry Series to Raise Fund for Those in Need

“Chữ_là để chữa_lành,” or “words are for healing," is Bay Library’s motto for their poetry series. Amidst these difficult times, words have never abandoned people; they are here to heal, share, and sy...

in Quãng 8

Built on Rock, Raditori's Music Shines Thanks to Whimsy and Unpredictability

With the release of their ambitious debut album "Những Con Người," Raditori is making a name for themselves in the local rock scene.

in Music & Arts

Benefit Concert Featuring Indie Artists Plays Tomorrow to Raise Fund for Vaccines

Tomorrow at 7:30pm, Vaccine-AID-ED, a virtual benefit concert, will broadcast live on Facebook free for all viewers.

in Film & TV

Disney to Stop Airing Disney Channel, Fox, Channel V in Vietnam From October

Devastating news for children.

in Culture

An Ode to Gối Ôm, Our Time-Honored Sleeping Companion

There’s a scene in The Sound of Music, where Julie Andrews gazes into the future on a stormy night and envisions something holy: play clothes. She wraps herself in her bedroom curtains, a stuffy ...

Linh Pham

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 11: Saddle Chill Time

Who is better at the art of chilling on a motorbike than the xe ôm?

in Quãng 8

Indie Quintet Whee! Brings Their Eclectic Sounds to the Local Music Scene

Making their debut in the midst of the pandemic with a cryptically named album, Whee! offers listeners a down-to-earth and prismatic experience that draws from the musicians' harmonic bond. 

Michael Tatarski

in Film & TV

Meet the Vietnamese Creators of 'Centuries and Still,' a Short Decrying Anti-Asian Racism

How much history are you aware of?

in Music & Arts

What Is Hanoi to You? A New Art Competition Seeks Answers From Young Designers.

What is Hanoi to you? Is it the mesmerizing old architecture, the thousand-year legacy, the usual traffic craze, or a warm bowl of phở in the morning?

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Born Into Traditional Craft, a Young Sculptor Finds Joy in Carving Pop Culture

“Even though they know deeply that it’s beautiful, they cannot feel it because it’s not familiar to them,” Duy Trần says of younger generations that gaze upon the traditional wood sculptures in his fa...

Michael Tatarski

in Ton-sur-Ton

How Local Brand Re.socks Spins Discarded Plastic Bottles Into Comfy Socks

How much thought do you put into socks?

in Culture

Đại Việt Kỳ Nhân: When Vietnam's Prolific History Meets Board Game

After copious exchanges with friends from abroad, Tô Quốc Nghị had a flash of realization: just like his friends’ countries, Vietnam has always had a wicked awesome history, but the dull, uninspiring ...

in Music & Arts

'Lòng Vòng Sài Gòn' Music Video Reminds Us of the Fantastical Magic of the City

There are certain things that we tend to take for granted in life. A standard routine, moments of simple contentment, and that one cơm tấm lady who’s always been at that street corner whenever you rea...

in Film & TV

'Paris by Night' Host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn Announces Retirement Next Year

Come 2022, fans of the variety show Paris by Night will miss the dulcet tones and witty banter from its veteran host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn.

in Film & TV

Vietnamese-American Actress Set to Star in 'How I Met Your Mother' Spinoff

Tien Tran, the Vietnamese-American actress, will join the main cast of How I Met Your Father, the sequel to CBS's long-running TV show How I Met Your Mother.

in Arts & Culture

On the Other Side of the Window: a Peek into Different Worlds

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] 20th Century Vietnam by Thang Trần Phềnh

Time for a bit of history.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Saigon Designer Envisages Classic Vietnamese Transportations With Some Pizzaz

What if your motorbike had rocket propulsion?