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 Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Domestic Tourism's Rise & the Son Tung-Snoop Dogg Music Video

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Music & Arts

Inside 'Summer Rolls,' the First British-Vietnamese Play in the UK

Summer Rolls is currently being staged at the Park Theater in London until July 13.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Disney Releases Adorable Short Set in Thailand's Floating Markets

It's fried rice versus pineapple when Micky and Minnie Mouse battle in this Walt Disney short that has spawned a variety of memes.

in Culture

[Illustrations] A Calendar Features Famous Phantoms in Vietnamese Folklore

Demon henchmen, a vampire and even a hero get their own month alongside the year's lunar animal in this colorful calendar.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 17: Our Love and Hate for the Rainy Season

The monsoon season's heavy clouds carry a chaos of conflictions.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Worlds Collide in New Son Tung M-TP Single Featuring Snoop Dogg

You heard that right.

in Culture

[Photos] The 1970s Girl Gangs That Inspired Japanese Pop Culture and Fashion Rebels

With razor blades hidden under modified school uniforms, sukeban represented both terror and solidarity.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] A Glossy Design Project Seeks to Make History an Intriguing Subject

Lasting from 1225 to 1400, the Tran Dynasty was a prosperous era in Vietnamese history filled with heralded art, music and culture, in between three victories over Mongol forces.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

[Photos] The Ghostliness That Inspired the Fine Arts Museum's Haunting Rumors

Do humans invent ghost stories to compensate for our inability to come to terms with the brutal, capricious nature of death, or do we spend significant energy suppressing the truth of the supernatural...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Hoang Thuy Linh's 'Vo Chong A Phu' Video Is a Popping Literature Party

From one of Vietnam’s classic literature works to internet meme to a full-fledged music video: Mi from ‘Vo Chong A Phu’ is truly a cultural icon.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: One Thing We Would Change About Saigon & Preserving Architectural Heritage

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Discomforting Poetry of Vietnamese Cursed Image

The page description of Vietnamese Cursed Image (VCI) has a single line: “how did you get here?” — a question I find myself asking often.

in Arts & Culture

Capturing the Real Saigon

The rooster’s iridescent red feathers caught the morning sunlight, momentarily making them appear to be on fire as his owner held it up for a photo.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Hong Kong Ballet Dancers Take Over the City in This Surreal Short

Who said ballet has to be stuffy?

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The War on Plastic and Our Vietnam Superpowers

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

in Arts & Culture

Local Filmmaker Thang Soi Launches Vietnam-Centric Stock Footage Service

Thang Soi is well-known for majestic flycam projects such as Vietnam - Dream of Unity (Non Song Mot Dai) and Vietnam From Above. Thang also does commercial work for flag carrier Vietnam Airlines ...

in Culture

From Obscurity to Mainstream: 15 Years of Dance Music at Lush Saigon

You might love it, hate or have never actually been, but if you live in Saigon, you’ve probably at least heard of Lush Saigon.

in Music & Arts

Art Experts Call for 'Rescue' of Colonial Era Murals Blocked by Buildings

The murals are the brainchild of the first and second class of students and teachers of the École des Beaux-Arts de l'Indochine (Indochina College of Fine Arts), a French-established school that is no...

in Culture

[Illustrations] A Calendar Created Specifically for Saigon's Wet and Dry Seasons

Saigon is in the midst of a full-on rainy season whose watery mood swings almost make us miss the heat of the dry season.

in Culture

A Historic Venue Allows for an Exploration of Saigon’s Sizzling Music, Art and Fashion Scenes

“Just experiment with your eyes and your ears,” Headless clothing brand founder Quang Minh answered when asked to describe Saigon’s art scenes while standing in front of the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of...