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.
A Vietnamese Curator Is the Latest Victim of Discrimination Due to Coronavirus
Discrimination against people of Asian descent has increased with the spread of the coronavirus.
[Video] Tanita Tikaram's Music Video Offers a Peek Into Vietnam in 1995
Tanita Tikaram is a British singer-songwriter who had commercial success in Europe with her debut album Ancient Heart and singles such as 'Twist in My Sobriety' and Good Tradition' in 1988.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 22: Feline Obstruction
If one needs further proof of cats' superiority to humans, one simply needs to consider their response to Saigon's perpetually stalled public transportation plans.
[Video] This V-Pop Song About Coronavirus Is Going Viral
Besides school closures and dragon fruit bánh mì, the Covid-19 epidemic has also inspired a plethora of whimsical coronavirus-themed songs, videos and parodies.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
In 'Tình Tính Tang,' a Progressive Metal Take on Vietnam's Folk Melodies
‘Trong Com’ is unassuming; ‘Trong Com’ is simple and easy to memorize; much like its namesake — a small drum played during traditional ceremonies, the song evokes an idealized image of Vietnam, one th...
Adrien Jean in Culture
[Photos] Life in the Time of the Masks and Coronavirus
These are strange times we're all living in.
Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu's Social Norms and the Impact of Ongoing School Closures
Our latest episode is out now!
Vietnam's Buddhist Temples, Now in Typographical Form
Rendered under the elaborate, rotund graphemes of Den typeface, every sentence becomes a slice of street scenery.
Parasite's Historic Oscars Win and What It Means for Asian Cinema
With a beguiling mix of style and substance, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s class thriller Parasite cuts through societal divides and sends a vital message to “world cinema.”
Trinh Cong Son Biopic 'Em Va Trinh' to Start Filming in 2020
The biopic will be produced by the same producer as Mat Biec, the movie adaptation of the Nguyen Nhat Anh novel of the same name.
In Tình Đầu Exhibition Space, a Home for Hanoi's Bohemian Young Artists
Nestled deep within labyrinthine alleyways in Hanoi’s Ba Đình District, Tình Đầu (first love), a studio-gallery run by a collective of Vietnamese artists, is growing a reputation as a home for the cap...
Saigoneer Podcast: After the Success of 'Parasite,' a Look at Asian, Vietnamese Cinema
Our latest episode is available now!
One Night at Epizode, Vietnam’s Largest Island Music Festival
I arrived shortly before sunset, draped in my best floor-length party vest, and free of expectations on the second and final Saturday of Vietnam’s largest, globally-acclaimed music and art festival, E...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
In Defense of Bảo Tàng Địa Chất, Saigon's Most Underappreciated Museum
By (un)conventional standards, Saigon’s Geological Museum may warrant a score of 1.3/9, but if one considers it as a source of whimsy, it’s a solid 8.2/9.
From Fan to Filmmaker: How Le Lam Vien Found His Confidence as an Independent Director
At the age of 12, Le Lam Vien saw a movie at the cinema for the first time, and it swept him away to another world – one he’s been chasing ever since.
In Warsaw, Homemade Thịt Kho Trứng for the Homeless
The Vietnamese community in Poland started to form in the 1950s, and to this day, most of its residents are very active in Poland.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws
We're back from the Tet holiday!
[Photos] Japan Releases New Sketches of Upcoming Ghibli Theme Park
A cafeteria containing Spirited Away's ghostly food stalls, a full-size version of the house where Mei and Satsuki lived when they first met Totoro, and an interactive version of the Irontown tha...
An Artist's Intimate Portraits of Genderfunk's Collective Energy
The collective of drag artists and performers known as Genderfunk has been creating safe spaces for local queer creatives and blowing the minds of Saigon’s denizens for nearly two years, and they are ...
Netflix Star Comic Iliza Shlesinger to Perform in Saigon, Hanoi This Month
American stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger gained popularity after she became the first woman and the youngest comedian to win NBC’s talent competition Last Comic Standing.
