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.
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
[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.
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.
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.
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 ...
