But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad
“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show SubwayTakes. The ...
Adrien Jean in Travel
The Enigmatic Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa
Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Review: Pieces of Me | Nao Yoshioka (feat. Mỹ Anh)
Mỹ Anh has come a long way since becoming the runner-up of The Heroes in 2021. Five years later, now with a full-length album and a spectrum of singles and extended plays under her belt, the Hanoi-based artist has proven to be one of the most dynamic singer-songwriter-producer of her generation.
Art Exhibition ‘Limerence’ Explores Where Romantic Desire Distorts Into Obsession
Thom Nguyen utilizes portraiture and depictions of mushrooms and organic objects to explore the concept of limerence in a solo exhibition at Permanently Closed Gallery in Thảo Điền, beginning Friday, August 28.
How Vinahouse Fosters Sonic Belonging in Modern Saigon's Queer Collectives
If you spend a night wandering along Bùi Viện Walking Street and its dense concentration of bars and clubs, you will almost certainly hear the same sound spilling from multiple directions: fast, pounding basslines layered with Vietnamese pop melodies, punctuated by dramatic buildups and explosive drops. If you fall into the right algorithm on TikTok, you might encounter these same sounds circulating as background audio. This music is Vinahouse. Its ever-presence in both physical and digital spaces makes it one of the most recognizable yet least critically examined musical forms in contemporary Vietnam.
Xuân Phương in Culture
Inside Tế Tiêu, Home to Vietnam's Rare 'Land Puppet' Performances
Bidding goodbye to central Hanoi, I took the National Road 21B to reach Tế Tiêu Neighborhood, a small community in Đại Nghĩa Township of Hanoi’s Mỹ Đức District. This fertile patch of land by the Đáy River is the cradle of a unique form of traditional folk art: Tế Tiêu puppetry.
How Quy Nhơn's Old Cemetery Slowly Expands up Vũng Chua Mountain
You might miss it if you were driving past, but once you walk down a small hẻm off Quy Nhơn’s main Tây Sơn Street, the massive cemetery sprawls in all directions.
All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
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?
[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.
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.
[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...
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...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Effort to Increase Fertility Rates; Visual Arts Curator Bill Nguyen
We're now 90 episodes old!
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.
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
Japan Releases Adorable Pink Honda Cub Inspired by 'Weathering With You'
For a limited time, Honda is selling scooters based on the popular animated film Weathering With You.
Một Pair of Shoes You Need in Your Closet
What is the modern Vietnamese aesthetic?
For Vietnam's Filmmakers, the Pandemic Brings Business, Impetus to Adapt
Six months have passed since COVID-19 first reared its head, and still its impact reverberates chaotically across the planet.
Govi Snell in Music & Arts
How Music and Art Empower Vietnam's Efforts to Contain Covid-19
"Even if it's small, it is very cruel. Many have died because of it...We definitely got to stay alert."—'Ghen cô Vy' by ERIK and MIN.
Vietnam Is Publishing More Books, but Only a Fraction of Which Are Children's Literature
With a depleting number of children’s literature writers, it is becoming ever more difficult to meet the appetite of Vietnam’s youths hungry for a good Vietnamese book.
[Video] Rappers Hit Hanoi Streets in Fiery 'Thủ Đô Cypher' Collaboration
Four up-and-coming Hanoi rappers spit rapid-fire rhymes across the capital city.
K-Pop Talent Agency SM Entertainment Opens First Vietnam Store in Saigon
Saigon’s K-pop fans, rejoice!
