Pete Walls

in Travel

Watching the Sunset From Lai Châu's Fansipan, the Roof of Indochina

Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.

in Film & TV

Vietnam Arrests 7 Suspects Behind Streaming Site HiAnime on Piracy Charges

As part of the current crackdown on intellectual property infringement, Vietnam’s Ministry of Public Security recently took down a major network of websites providing illegal anime streaming.

in Quãng 8

Dropping the Disguise: The Evolution of Punk Band Cút Lộn Towards More Radicality

In recent years, CÚT LỘN has cemented themselves as one of the most recognizable hardcore punk bands to emerge from the Vietnamese underground scene.

in Music & Arts

From TikTok to Bars, a Group of Young Artists Brings Đờn Ca Tài Tử to Unexpected Venues

“If you happen to pass by Huỳnh Mẫn Đạt Street in Hồ Chí Minh City There’s a strange bar with a Mekong theme Where cải lươ...

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

Home Is Where the Bum Gun Is

In the 2010s, my journey to study abroad took me to Singapore. Being a tiny person in an enormous city was a huge undertaking for a teenager, as I had to adapt to countless changes, from minute to major, at once: living in a different language, academic pressures, foreign customs and cuisines, and being away from my family. Gradually, things fell into place. The public transport worked well; the accent got more familiar; and I didn’t miss bánh mì and cơm tấm nearly as much as I thought I would; but there was one thing I never managed to entirely overcome — the bum gun-shaped void in my heart.

in Film & TV

Review: From Czechia, ‘Trường Hè, 2001’ Bridges Family Divides, Both Onscreen and in Real Life

Summer School, 2001, directed by Czech-Vietnamese writer and director Dužan Duong, was first released last year and has received critical acclaim within the Czech Republic and Europe. Now, the film has come to Vietnam, where it is available in Galaxy, Cinestar, and Beta theaters across Saigon, Hanoi and Đà Nẵng.

in Music & Arts

This Wedding Is Too Boring to Nhậu, Let's Put on Some Miền Tây Remix

While phasing in and out of sleep on a coach in the Mekong Delta, have you ever been jolted awake by the bouncing beats of a Vinahouse version of ‘Quê em mùa nước lũ’ (Flooding Season in My Hometown)? Or, a mindless TikTok scroll would bring up the catchy tune of ‘Lấy cây kim may đồ’ (Pass Me the Sewing Needle) that’s trending nationwide.

Back Arts & Culture

in Arts & Culture

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.

in Film & TV

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 Culture

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.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws

We're back from the Tet holiday!

in Film & TV

[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...

in Culture

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 ...

in Film & TV

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.

in Literature

Two Vietnam Poems by Hoa Nguyen, Inspired by Saigon Ghost Stories

Vietnam Ghost Story: High School Clock Tower and Vietnam Ghost Story: Towers of District 5

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] An Art Book of Watercolor Saigon Sketches 3 Years in the Making

How envious we are of those who can render in great detail paper scenes that otherwise could only be accessed through one’s memory.

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding

They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar. 

in Film & TV

21 Studio Ghibli Films Are Coming to Netflix Vietnam in the Next 3 Months

In the upcoming months, Ghibli aficionados in Vietnam will be able to stream their favorite flicks right at home.

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia

In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Tet Food Improvements and Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Film & TV

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.

in Music & Arts

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.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Decade in Review

Our latest podcast episode is out now!

in Culture

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.