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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Linh Phạm

in Culture

[Photos] Hanoi's Perusers of Perfect Pedals

It was a cloudy Saturday morning when Saigoneer arrived at the Thanh Nien Street trà đá spot next to Ho Tay.

in Film & TV

Envisioning the Mekong's Future Through the Eyes of 5 Regional Filmmakers

The future of the Mekong Delta is uncertain. The river and the people that rely on it are facing the impact of climate change, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, hydropow...

in Literature

This New Edition of 'Số Đỏ' Comes With Lively Illustrations by Thành Phong

If your grasp of the ingenious satire of Vũ Trọng Phụng’s Số Đỏ (Dumb Luck) is slipping, this newly published edition might prove helpful for brushing up before the film adaptation comes out.

in Literature

'Con Ăn Cơm Chưa? | Have You Eaten Yet?' by Jessica Nguyen

it took me till my college years when saying “I love you” became a normal thing

Govi Snell

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Portraits of Frontline Workers From Inside Quarantine

In Con Đã Về Nhà - I'm Home, Tăng Quang documents his two-week stint in quarantine at Military School Zone 7 in District 12 of Saigon with a combination of paintings and prose.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Diacritics in English Writing; the Da Nang Covid-19 Outbreak

The podcast is back after taking a few weeks off!

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

On Loving the Saigon Zoo Despite Its Flaws

We’ve all wanted something we can’t have. Something we can see but can’t touch. Something dangled in front of us but just out of reach like an especially succulent apple growing on a branch inches ...

in Music & Arts

Get to Know Vietnam's 54 Ethnic Groups via These Adorable Emojis

If only these adorable emojis existed back when we were toiling over our geography homework years ago.

Elise Luong

in Film & TV

3 Vietnamese Films Selected for Locarno Film Festival

The Locarno Film Festival opens this month for the 72nd year running, this time as a new hybrid edition titled "For the Future of Films." 

Paul Christiansen

in Film & TV

How Famed Filmmaker Việt Linh Built a Family Around Art

“The lonely sound of a lute cannot cure your pain. You need Tơ’s singing to bring you serenity.”

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 25: Child's Play

Who builds Saigon's bridges?

in Music & Arts

[Video] In 'Ba Đình Đời,' a Study of Hanoi's Nocturnal Textures and Shapes

As Vietnam battles a fresh coronavirus outbreak, art from the country's initial battle and social distancing period is still being released.

Adrien Jean

in Culture

[Photos] From Bamboo to Altar: The Life of an Incense Stick in Vietnam

Vietnamese see the process of burning incense as a sacred ritual said to provide a bridge between the visible life of human beings and the spiritual world of gods.

in Literature

Nguyễn Đức Sơn, Eccentric Poet and Pillar of Southern Literature, Passes Away at 83

On the morning of June 11, poet Nguyễn Đức Sơn, pseudonym Sao Trên Rừng (Star Over The Forest), passed away at the age of 83.

in Culture

[Video] The Homeless Saigon Man Who Built a Home for Rescue Dogs

In recent years, uproar over the consumption of dog meat has culminated in demands for a national ban on the controversial dish, which some consider a traditional delicacy while others claim it is une...

in Fashion

From Iconic Street Scene to Hybrid T-Shirt: The Journey of a Ginkgo Design

  A street cart crammed with all the fresh ingredients and utensils needed for a scrumptious meal parked beside hungry guests enjoying their dishes on plastic tables beneath a bright red flag: i...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Effort to Increase Fertility Rates; Visual Arts Curator Bill Nguyen

We're now 90 episodes old!

in Film & TV

Hanoi International Film Festival Delayed Until 2022 Due to Pandemic

The effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to push the event back from its scheduled date of November 4–8.

in Music & Arts

Vũ Nhật Tân, Vietnam's Composer and Artist Extraordinaire, Passes Away at 50

Vũ Nhật Tân, Hanoi’s adept producer, musician, and artist, died recently due to illness.

Elise Luong

in Music & Arts

In 'Xem Đêm, Càng Đêm,' a Night Rendezvous Between Architecture and Visual Art

‘"...In the distance the stars Nearby, fireflies..."—Phùng Cung