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.

Back Arts & Culture

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The End of the National Social Distancing Order

The Saigoneer Podcast has returned!

in Music & Arts

An Online Fashion Exhibit Spotlights the Plights of Vietnamese Garment Workers

Part of Fashion Revolution Week, the online exhibition coincides with two presentations this week along with a social media campaign aimed at improving working conditions for women in Vietnam's many g...

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

We Made Some Saigoneer Coloring Templates for You Because Adults Need Whimsy Too

Feeling monochromatic? Well, Saigoneer can help with that.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Tracing Hanoi's Contrast Between Neon and Shadow, Old and New

What is beneath the capital's skin?

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Saigoneer's Guide to What to Read While Social Distancing

“In good times arts are magical, and in tough times they are essential. That’s when you need them the most. Art makes you human.”

in Music & Arts

A Slovak-Vietnamese Photographer Explores Her Own Hybridity Through Food

A feeble limb of cucumber supports a plastic cup filled with mango pulp. Enoki strands grow out of the orange mush, hoisting up a sheet of bánh tráng. The translucent rice paper bends, as if wilting, ...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 23: A Round of Applause

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'"

in Music & Arts

Biti's Hunter Launches National Pride-Themed Shoe Design Competition

The made-in-Vietnam shoes feature inspiring street-art style depictions of the nation's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

A Local Artist's Vision of Vietnam, Rendered in the Dreamlike Nature of Anime

In 2016, Toho released the Japanese romantic fantasy Your Name. worldwide to rapturous reception. The feature, written and directed by Makoto Shinkai, went on to become the most financially successful...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Review Roulette

With no end in sight to working from home — and the coronavirus dominating daily life — we've had to think outside the box for this episode.

Govi Snell

in Culture

To Learn How to Love Your Jeans Sustainably, Talk to Saigon's Denimheads

I never feel better than when I am ensconced in denim. This love for jeans is caught up in my genuine adoration of the cowboy aesthetic, the particular beauty of a denim-clad ass and the snug hug of a...

in Film & TV

Iconic Novel ‘Số Đỏ’ by Vu Trong Phung Is Being Adapted for the Screen

Production on the film adaptation of Vu Trong Phung's satirical masterpiece Số Đỏ, or Dumb Luck, is set to begin this August.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Covid-19 Dispatches From Saigon

We're back after taking a week off!

Michael Tatarski

in Culture

Kite-Flying in Saigon in the Age of Coronavirus

As normal daily life grinds to a halt, last weekend was the final chance for some Saigoneers to take part in a favorite pastime: flying kites at sunset.

Khoi Pham

in Film & TV

Saigoneer's Guide to What to Watch While Staying at Home

As the coronavirus outbreak stretches its treacherous tendrils across all aspects of our society, the lives of Vietnamese are gradually becoming more confined to the four walls of our home.

in Literature

[Video] This New Animated Adaptation of 'Truyen Kieu' Will Brighten up Your Day

What would a millennial take on Truyen Kieu, or The Tale of Kieu in English, look like? The answer is adorable characters, cartoonish effects and facetious narration by veteran comedian Quang Thang.

in Film & TV

Shot in Saigon, 'Monsoon' Stars Henry Golding as a Gay British-Vietnamese

Monsoon centers on a gay Vietnam-born British man named Kit as he returns to his home country.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: The Different Dealings of Trauma in 'Birds of Paradise Lost'

“I just can’t get the voices out my head,” Andrew Lam explains of his writing process.

in Film & TV

Vietnam's Movie Industry Strides Forward as Much Work Remains

After all it’s been through in conjunction with the historical journey of the nation itself, it's safe to say that it has been one hell of a ride for the Vietnamese film industry. 

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Finding Hong in Gangster Noir Thriller ‘Dragonfish’

For those of us who have read countless books by Vietnamese authors and members of the diaspora, the novel Dragonfish is not just one more installment of ethnic literature or postwar fiction.