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

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Photos] QUA, a New Exhibition Space and Art Center, Opens Within HRC

Following the opening of Manzi’s new exhibition space, another new cultural space, ‘QUA,’ opened its doors last weekend within Hanoi Rock City.

in Music & Arts

A Look Inside Manzi's New Contemporary Art Exhibition Space

Manzi, one of Hanoi’s most well-known artistic hubs and a draw for creative crowds, is expanding.

in Music & Arts

Photographer Hon Hoang on Returning to His 'Foreign Hometown' After 11 Years

Saigon is changing so quickly that people who were born here can feel as if they are returning to a foreign land after years away.

Khoi Pham

in Film & TV

Review: When Indie Music Meets Indie Cinema on a Grab in Saigon

In today’s aggressive stream of Marvel blockbusters, doll- and shark-themed horror flicks, and gratuitous comedies, Troi Sang Roi, Ta Ngu Di Thoi (Good Morning and Good Night) is like a stubborn wild ...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Victim-Blaming in 2019; the Rising Indie Music Scene

The latest Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

Thi Nguyen

in Music & Arts

Through Vietnam's Stories of Coffee and Rice, a Trio Finds Where Art and History Meet

Without notice, a gust of July rain swept through the museum of animals and plants' foyer, knocking down several paintings, strewing paper coffee cups and shattering the monitor that had been pla...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Vibrant Woodcut Prints Highlight Hoi An's Colorful Aesthetic

Attitudes towards Hoi An differ wildly, yet whether one considers the town a Disneyfied playground or a genuine haven harking back to a bygone era, its aesthetic appeal is undeniable. 

in Music & Arts

This Saturday, 'Citizen Earth' Event Aims to Address Environment Issues

Citizen Earth, a new project run by Six Space, is set to kick off in Hanoi this weekend.

in Fashion

How Real Clothes Expanded from a Small Family Business to a Major Clothing Company

The whir of a sewing machine accompanied Thao’s childhood mornings.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Le Cat Trong Ly's New Music Video, a Career First, Is a Love Letter to Africa

For an artist of Le Cat Trong Ly’s caliber, it’s remarkable that the recently premiered music video for ‘Tám Chữ Có’ (There Were) is the first-ever of her career. But then again, Ly is more special th...

in Music & Arts

Tran Huu Trang Theater Stages Free Shows to Draw Audience to Cải Lương

Like many traditional forms of theatrical arts in Vietnam, cải lương faces dwindling viewership in today’s society, a problem that theater owners are trying to rectify by offering free shows.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] The Vietnamese Origami Master Turning Paper Into Lively Artwork

For the average Joe, a paper crane is perhaps the most advanced foray they could undertake into the intricate art of origami. Artist Nguyen Hung Cuong, however, has managed to transcend the limits of ...

in Music & Arts

London Symphony Orchestra to Play at Ly Thai To Park on October 5

The famed London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) is coming to Hanoi for their third performance in the city.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Convenience Stores Take Over Saigon; Social Media Literacy

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Fashion

“Made in Vietnam” Reinvisioned via Pretty Simple’s Sustainable Vegan Leather Bags

  The term “Made in Vietnam” adorns clothing and accessories enjoyed by millions of people around the world, as Vietnam’s textile industry generates a whopping US$40 billion a year, constituting...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Whimsical Vignettes of Everyday Hanoian Street Scenes

The menacing, irritating presence of a black SUV in a narrow alleyway, rain-soaked commuters, bird-like characters riding motorbikes in the capital; Olivier Blanchin's vision of Hanoi is quotidian and...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Mooncakes and 'Rubber and the Making of Vietnam' Author Michitake Aso

The podcast is back after a two-week break!

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

A Brief Primer of Asia's Mid-Autumn Mythology in 3 Folk Tales

There’s something for everyone during Tet Trung Thu season, as the arrival of mid-autumn comes with a wide variety of customs and traditional fare.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Louis Vuitton Seeks Vietnam's Help to Sell Bags in New Campaign

Each year, Louis Vuitton’s "Spirit of Travel" advertising campaign picks a new location for its crew to travel to and film.

in Culture

Hanoi Pride 2019 to Kick Off Next Week

Hanoi Pride 2019 will take place throughout next week, with numerous events planned as the celebration enters its eighth year.