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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Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

A Designer From Da Lat Brings His Hometown's Beauty to a Calendar Project

Da Lat is not merely a place, it’s a state of mind.

in Music & Arts

The Wildlife Artist Who Paints the Beauty of Vietnam’s Endangered Nature

Dao Van Hoang, a self-taught painter, welcomed us into his studio at Le Petit Musée in Thao Dien. Surrounded by watercolors of exotic plants and paintings of wild animals, he shared with us his life s...

Mầm

in Quãng 8

Meet Cam, the Idiosyncratic Rapper Telling Stories Through Music

Born from the streets, rap/hip-hop often features confrontational lyrics and intense performances. But to Lê Văn Toàn, who goes by the stage name Cam, rap is like a canvas to bare his heart; chronicle...

in Film & TV

A Sequel to 2007 Vietnam-South Korea Horror Hit 'Mười' Is in Production

One of the handful of horror flicks with a local production team from the 2000s is returning for a second installment.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 100th Episode Roundtable!

We are 100!

in Literature

Short Story: 'Left-Eared' by Trần Thị NgH

'Left-Eared' (Người Thuận Tai Trái) is a short work of fiction originally written in Vietnamese by author Trần Thị NgH and translated with her assistance for Saigoneer.

in Music & Arts

In Debut Album 'Gió Thổi Mạnh,' Bluemato Yanks Us Along Their Escapist Journey

With youthful ennui turned energetic wanderlust, Bluemato’s "Gió Thổi Mạnh" album is a much-needed breeze for the underground indie scene of a suffocating Hanoi.

in Culture

For a Tết Full of Rich Traditions, Head to Saigon's Hoa Community

Up until 2011, I thought that everybody in Saigon had the same Tet every year, with apricot flowers in the living room and bánh chưng or bánh tét on the altar, and family trips to the Nguyen Hue flowe...

in Culture

Wander Around a Holiday-Ready Hanoi Amid the Shadows of the Pandemic

Tết has come and gone, but the memories remain.

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

Noise as Material: Hanoi's Soundscapes Revisited

In a study conducted in Hanoi in 2018 by the Institute of Occupational Health and Environment, the average noise on 12 main roads and junctions ranged from a deafening 77.8–78.1 decibels (dBA) in the ...

in Literature

Her Schedule on Saturday

Imagine that on the weekend a splinter flies into your eye and you have to see the doctor.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] The Alluring Life and Art of Lê Phổ

The art of Lê Phổ, one of Vietnam's most celebrated painters, evolved significantly during his career.

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Tet's Timeless Dishes Turned into a Colorful Cookbook

Tteokbokki, sushi, dim sum, pizza, croissants, burritos: during an average year, many people in Saigon eat dishes from a great variety of global cuisines.

in Film & TV

[Video] Full Trailer for 'Tale of Kiều' Adaptation Arrives

Simply titled Kiều, the adaptation will hit theaters on March 5. 

in Music & Arts

Adorable Stop-Motion Video Shows How to Prepare for Tết With Art and Craft

Rarely does preparing a traditional Tết meal put you at risk of papercuts.

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

How DiaCritics Creates a Platform for Diverse Vietnamese Voices From Abroad

“Vietnamese communities can sometimes/often demand conformity and tradition of people in order to feel a part of things; I have always seen diaCRITICS as an opportunity to trouble the definitions, pus...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 28: Embrace a New Fashion

What if cải lương tuồng cổ costumes became a new trend?

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

Q&A: Gallery Director Suzanne Lecht on the 'Gang of Five' and Building a House of Arts

Tucked in an alley south of Hai Ba Trung stands Suzanne Lecht’s glorious home, a magical abode crowned with an ancient nhà sàn from Mai Chau. After having lived there for more than 25 years,...

in Music & Arts

Lệ Thu, the 'Golden Voice' of Nhạc Vàng, Passes Away Due to Covid-19

Yet another icon of nhạc vàng has left us.

in Culture

[Photos] For a Day, Winter Convention Brings Kick-Ass Cosplay Back to Saigon

In which universe do Captain America and Cardcaptor Sakura rub shoulders with anthropomorphized, anime-fied white blood cells?