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 Literature

'Deviate' by Tran Thi NgH

The interplay between lust and creativity, origins of capricious desires and the relationship between art and artist: 'Deviate,' by Vietnamese-writer Tran Thi NgH explores a multitude of themes a...

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Sixty Square, Hanoi's Beloved Art Quarter, Reopens After Closure Earlier This Year

Upon opening at the beginning of 2018, Sixty Square thrilled Hanoi's young creative crowd. When it suddenly closed earlier this year, it left hearts broken. Now, they're back once again. 

in Culture

This Set of Rare 20th-Century Đông Hồ Paintings Depicts a Society in Flux

The well-known woodcut folk paintings have always offered unique insights into the times during which they were produced.

in Music & Arts

Tiny Giant on New EP ‘Flying Mouse’ and Bringing Light Into Hanoi’s Greyness

The Hanoi duo’s debut release is so strong you’ll want to shout their name from the rooftops.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Deciding Where to Study Abroad; a Ride-Hailing App Update

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

LAKES’ Debut EP Is an Ambient Homage to Life in Hanoi

LAKES’ debut album draws inspiration as much from American electronic composer Tycho as it does from instrumental post-rock outfits, yet remains, thematically at least, firmly rooted in the Vietnamese...

Michael Tatarski

in Arts & Culture

'Reinvent Saigon' Asks Visitors to Reimagine the City and Themselves

Through tomorrow, the week-long Reinvent Saigon festival is taking place at five locations across the city.

in Music & Arts

To Bring Nature Into the Spotlight, an Architecture and Urbanism Festival Looks to Binh Quoi

Across Asia, urban landscapes are booming. The space they claim spreads further than ever, avidly consuming new land to cope with the influx of inhabitants and enterprises they must house.

Kit Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 8: The Golden Hooves That Formed Ho Tay

Do you know how Hanoi’s greatest lake was formed?

in Music & Arts

Limebócx: The Hanoi Duo Combining Hip-Hop, Beatboxing and Traditional Đàn Tranh

The music of Hanoi based duo Limebócx can be quite difficult to define. By taking elements of modern musical genres such as drum & bass, hip-hop, beatboxing and dub and combining them with t...

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Retro, Neon Japan of Kyoko Nakamura

These eye-catching illustrations articulate Japan's hyper dualities.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Food Authenticity Debate

The latest podcast episode is available now, and we've got a new recording sound!

in Arts & Culture

Vietnamese Version of Michelle Obama’s Memoir Released in Vietnam

On July 16, First News - Tri Viet officially released the Vietnamese version of Michelle Obama’s memoir, Becoming.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Illusory, Colorful Retro Japan of Kyoko Nakamura

These eye-catching illustrations articulate Japan's hyper dualities.

in Literature

Turn Over a New Page in Hanoi's Hidden Libraries

I focused my attention on an amplifier lying on the shelf behind Hieu, the founder of Go West Library. He left his seat to retrieve a cable, and after returning he plugged his phone into the machine, ...

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Watch the Cheeky Anti-Plastic PSA That's Taking Vietnam's Cybersphere by Storm

A plastic bag’s life is five times that of an average human.

in Music & Arts

New Exhibition Aims to Expose the Environmental Harm of Consumerism

Let’s reduce waste! opened yesterday, is free to enter, and will run until August 31 at L’Espace.

in Culture

[Video] Sidewalk Barbers: The Very Saigon Comfort of Getting a Haircut on the Street

Sidewalk barbershops are a symbol of old Saigon. In the face of globalization and its demands for westernization, the sight of a simple chair placed beneath an awning where one can get an affordable t...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu Roundtable Special & Laiday Refill Station Co-Founder Quyen Nguyen

The new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] The Beauty of Saigon Street Carts Through the Eye of Its Beholder

It’s easy to take Saigon street cart culture for granted, but it only takes the discerning eyes of an artist to remind us once again why these carts are the cornerstone of our urban tapestry.