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?
Saigoneer Podcast: Tet Food Improvements and Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Ken Burns Docuseries Required to Pay $30,000 in Royalties to Vietnamese Composer
Producers of the popular American documentary series didn't pay the composer because his song was produced 50 years ago, and they assumed he had passed away.
1980s German Pop Duo Modern Talking to Perform in Hanoi This March
The once-hugely successful 1980s West Berlin pop band are set to play a gig in Hanoi's National Convention Center.
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Fashion, Contemporary Art Ruminations Intermingle in Designer Cong Tri's 'Cục Im Lặng'
Cuc Im Lang, the latest exhibition from renowned fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri, presented ten collections spanning his 20-year career through the lens of ten contemporary artists across different m...
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Illustrations] The Mythological Race That Created Vietnam's Zodiac, Retold in Watercolor
After 12 years, Vietnam’s zodiac cycle will once again reset to welcome the Year of the Mouse, the first animal in the dozen.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Decade in Review
Our latest podcast episode is out now!
A Night With Kim Lee, the Only Vietnamese Drag Queen in Poland
There are only around 30 drag queens in Poland, and just one of them has Vietnamese roots: Kim Lee.
Amid Contemporary Colonial Nostalgia, New Printmaking Exhibition Deconstructs Indochina's Legacy
Contemporary artist Le Giang’s latest exhibition dissects Indochina’s legacy in the public imagination via a series of prints, a sound installation and a painting.
[Video] Son Doong Cave Stars in DJ Alan Walker's Latest Single 'Alone, Pt. II'
The video for EDM DJ Alan Walker's song 'Alone Pt. II' featuring Ava Max includes footage of northern Vietnam's Trooc and Chay rivers, Tra Ang Bridge, Doong mountain village, and En, Son Doong and Nuo...
The Masterful Urban Symbolism of 'Turn Left, Turn Right' Author Jimmy Liao
Jimmy Liao is a prolific Taiwanese illustrator and author who has expanded readership of picture books beyond children to general audiences. With sensitivity and creativity, he crafts each of his stor...
Saigoneer Podcast: Some of Our Favorite 2019 Segments
Our final episode of 2019 is available now!
From Strip Clubs to Fitness Clubs: How Millenials Made Pole Dancing Great Again
He is floating; Le Anh knows how to twist with grace, as if any of the 650 muscles of his body weren’t absolutely contorted around a cold, long metal tube.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
'The Mountains Sing,' a Quintessential Vietnamese Novel, Written in Memories
As American bombers roared over the horizon preparing to drop fire and misery, air raid sirens screeched and people throughout Hanoi scrambled to find safety.
[Photos] Saigoneer's Best Original Hanoi Photography of 2019
From Chau Doc's Muslin communities' Ramadan celebrations to Korean tourists posing for selfies at Hanoi's now-shuttered train street, here are some of Saigoneer's most memorable photography momen...
[Photos] Saigoneer's Best Original Photography of 2019
It’s been a year of big changes for Vietnam: an impressive year-end economic growth rate of 6.8%, a historic gold medal from the men’s football team at the SEA Games, and the arrival of numerous ...
[Photos] A Photographer's Quest to Document Vietnam's Provinces From 2 Angles
Hanoi-based photographer Justin Mott has taken a unique approach to depicting Vietnam in his ongoing photo series.
'The Sorrow of War' Author Bao Ninh to Release Part of New Novel
The excerpt will be released on December 25.
[Photos] Giant Caves and Animatronic Santa: Saigon Goes All out on Festivities
By this time of year, many expats living in Saigon have made the annual decision: return home to catch up with loved ones, or stay put in Vietnam. Those who stay in Saigon for Christmas may try to cel...
Saigoneer Podcast: Korea's Presence in Saigon; the Darker Side of K-Pop
A special episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is out now!
Cong Tri Collaborates With 10 Artists to Showcase 20-Year Fashion Career
One of Vietnam’s most prominent fashion designers, Nguyen Cong Tri, will celebrate some of his best works from the last 20 years this month.
