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.
[Photos] After Bánh Mì, Altar Might Be Vietnam's Next Miss Universe National Costume
Remember the bánh mì dress? She’s dead, and this horrible design murdered her.
[Illustrations] 10 Endangered Species of the World as Illustrated by a Chinese Designer
In the decade of millennials, putting endangered species on hip T-shirts might be one of the best ways to raise awareness of biodiversity.
Le Pho Painting Sets Record for Most Expensive Vietnamese Art Sold at Auction
'Nude,' or 'Nue' in French, is an oil painting by famed 20th-century Vietnamese artist Le Pho. It was recently sold for US$1.4 million, more than 2.5 times its expected value at an auction at Christie...
Vietnamese Short Awarded Illy Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2019
Director's Fortnight is an independent event running parallel to the main Cannes Film Festival, organized by the French Directors Guild starting in 1969.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Laughing Gas Debate and Our Favorite Sauces
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
[Photos] How a Taiwanese Grandpa Used Art to Save His Village From Demolition
An abandoned 1,200-household village in Taichung, Taiwan was about to be torn down, but its last resident ended up transforming it into a huge, well-known masterpiece.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 16: Rainstorm Inspiration
While the rainy season's flooded streets, soaked satchels and delayed appointments can make one curse its arrival, sometimes when the torrent hits the neon storefronts just so, it becomes a source of ...
[Photos] Saigon Boulevard: The 9 Buildings You Miss in Saigon
Lys Bui is a Saigon-born illustrator who is currently living in New York.
The Punk Badassery of Antiantiart, Hanoi's Underground Fashion Rebels
In 2014, a group of restless young Vietnamese set up Nirvana, Hanoi’s first-ever punk streetwear store. In a city known for politics, and where the thickness of history constantly reminds us of t...
Hôtel Des Arts Brings Augmented Reality to Saigon
It’s incredible to witness a familiar piece of wood be slowly shaven down to one of the world’s most admired instruments.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Direct Routes to Whimsy in 'Ticket to Childhood'
Children can “hear the music and see the colors of letters on a page — magic portals to a wilderness without fixed meanings… all adults see are the neat rows of black lines, the building blocks of def...
Amid Online Backlash, Production Company Pulls 'The Third Wife' From Theaters
After just four days in theaters, the award-winning movie The Third Wife (Nguoi Vo Ba) has stopped being screened in Vietnam due to an online controversy that’s gaining traction.
Altars, Lucky Packets and Votive Dollars: Suboi's New Video Goes Back to Basics
Sleek? Inspiring? Sexy? Slick syllable-massaging? The newest video from Vietnam's rap queen delivers on all fronts.
[Video] In 'Sông Trăng,' a Celebration of Dance and the Vietnamese Physique
Shimmering pig brains, karst-adjacent acrobatics, Hanoi flame-twirlers, "Why don't you embrace me like when we first met?"
[Video] Hanoi Circus Acrobats Show Mesmerizing Moves in Short Film 'Sông Trăng'
Shimmering pig brains, karst-adjacent acrobatics, Hanoi flame-twirlers, "Why don't you embrace me like when we first met?"
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Reading Culture and Another Viewpoint on Folk Wisdom
It's our 50th episode!
Action Blockbuster 'Hai Phuong' Will Be Released on Netflix on May 22
Hai Phuong (Furie) follows a former gangster, played by Ngo Thanh Van, trying to save her kidnapped daughter.
[Video] Saigon's Sneakerheads Kick It up a Notch in New Documentary
While relatively unknown in Vietnam, Nike's iconic Air Max sneakers are some of the most popular shoes in the world.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 15: Birthright Balance
Navigating traffic with absurdly overburdened motorbikes comes as second nature to Saigoneers.
Vietnam's Lacquer Masterpiece Damaged by Dish Soap During Cleaning
Nguyen Gia Tri's lacquer painting 'Vuon Xuan Trung Nam Bac' was named a national treasure by the Department of Cultural Heritage in 2013.
