An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Books thus hold the unparalleled power to inspire, foster empathy, and expand one’s understanding of the human condition.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
The Multiverse Behind the 1990s Classic 'Người Tình Mùa Đông' by Như Quỳnh
There is a certain timelessness to the song ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ by Như Quỳnh, especially in the visuals of its very first performance. For generations of Vietnamese listeners, ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ is an icon in the hall of fame of Vietnamese music, but as I have come to discover, the melody that Vietnamese know as ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ has lived a life much richer and more transcendent than it might appear.
Vietnamese Creators Teach Kids to Appreciate Rice in 'Con Ăn Hết Rồi' Book Project
If one day, the grains of rice that you frequently put in your mouth suddenly start to move, talk, and give you a rundown on how they were created on the field, would you believe it? This seemingly absurd scenario is exactly what happened to Minh, a little boy who's the main character of Con ăn hết rồi!, a children's book by author Đỗ Nguyệt Hà and illustrator Lê Phương Quỳnh, also known as Buffy.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perfect for making art.
Enlightening Misery Under French Rule Explored in 'Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories'
Light Out and Modern Vietnamese Stories, 1930–1954 offers the contemporary reader an honest glimpse of a period in Vietnam history characterized by corruption, exploitation, dehumanization, poverty, and starvation. The Vietnamese texts, both a novella and accompanying short stories, not only delineate the immediate influence of French colonization on the sociopolitical functions of Vietnam, an enterprise solely designed for its economic potential, but also expose the extending impact on the quotidian lives of proletarians, particularly the peasantry.
What Shipwrecks Can Teach Us About Vietnam's Centuries-Old Maritime History
Deep beneath the ocean surface, colorful ceramic fragments have been scattered and stacked upon one another for centuries. Some remain whole, others broken, many still covered with corals and ocean dust. Once precious commodities, these pieces have become time capsules, carried into the Vietnamese waters by ships that never reached their destinations. What stories might these centuries-old ceramic artifacts hold about Vietnam’s connection with surrounding kingdoms?
Red Balloons
This July brings to Hanoi a unique cine-concert experience combining live music and Vietnamese animation archives. Red Balloons: Music For 20th-century Vietnamese Animation, organised by The Onion Cel...
Khoi Pham in Culture
The Art Book That Delves Into the History of Ancient Vietnamese Fashion
Born at the intersection of fashion and history, a new art book by a team of Vietnamese researchers and creatives will take readers on a journey back to the eras of the country’s past royalty.
Michael Tatarski in Film & TV
'Da 5 Bloods' Review: A Vital Message Lost in a Deeply Flawed Film
This article contains major spoilers for Da 5 Bloods.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Gender, Generational Divides of Saigon's Civic Spaces
Episode 87 is ready for your ears!
[Photos] Scaling the Cliffs of Northern Vietnam
Despite its incredible potential, rock climbing in Vietnam still flies relatively under the radar.
'Canh Dong Hoang' Cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba Passes Away at 93
Most famously known for his part in making the film Canh Dong Hoang (The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone) in 1979, cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba died of old age at 1:50pm on June 1, 2020, at the age o...
[Video] An Effortlessly Cool Hanoi in Biti's Hunter's New Collection Promo
Hanoi's aesthetic can rightly be likened to a patchwork quilt: a chaotic assemblage of colors, styles, influences, eras and atmospheres.
Award-Winning Film 'Rom' to Hit Theaters in Vietnam on July 31
After eight years in development and months of not knowing whether the movie would be allowed to be screened, the filmmakers behind Rom can now heave a sigh of relief.
Field of Dreams: The History and Future of Baseball in Vietnam
Whenever I tell someone that I am on my school’s baseball team, the immediate reaction is surprise that the school has a baseball team, followed by inquiry about my reasons for joining.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Contemporary Vietnamese Cinema
A new episode is available now!
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Hanoi Through the Lens of a VFX Artist
Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
Rooftop Concerts: Electronic Duo Tiny Giant Performs 'Air' (Live in Truc Bach)
Following Limebócx last year, Tiny Giant is now the third act to feature in Rooftop Concerts, Saigoneer's live music video series, and their haunting, dance-driven performance feels like the perfect s...
[Photos] In a Thao Dien Concrete Shell, a Mystery Graffiti Mecca
You never know what you'll find amid the glittering facades of Saigon's new upscale residential developments.
Local Designers Create Typefaces Inspired by a Bygone Era
Local designers are bringing the craftsmanship of Vietnamese typography into the digital world.
Vietnam's London Design Biennale Artwork Now Available for Viewing in Hanoi
On display in Vietnam for the first time, installation work 'Khải' marked Vietnam's first participation in the London Design Biennale.
Spike Lee's New Netflix Film, Featuring Ngo Thanh Van, Premieres in June
The movie was filmed in Vietnam and Thailand last year, and will be released by Netflix on June 12.
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Vietnam Through the Lens of a VFX Artist
Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Snack Chat and Saigon Children Executive Director Damien Roberts
Happy Monday!
Govi Snell in Culture
Already Ubiquitous, Face Masks Become the Symbol of Vietnam's 'New Normal'
What image will come to mind when you look back on 2020?
[Illustrations] Local Designer Turns Vietnam's Endangered Species Into Geometric Stamps
Beautiful illustrations of animals on stamps take on a mournful tone within the context of extinction.
