Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển
“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”
Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists
Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.
The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs
"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.
Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History
Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...
Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender
Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.
Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'
Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.
In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time
My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.
Khôi Phạm in Quãng 8
Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears
A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’
Myra Tran, Vietnamese Contestant of American Idol, Eliminated at Top 40
With a powerful voice and bright stage presence, Myra Tran had potential to realize her American Idol dream and do Vietnam proud. Alas, that dream was cut short even before the finalists were announce...
A 60-Year-Old Trash Chute Is Saigon's Latest Most Checked-In Place on Instagram
Editor's note: Happy April Fools' Day! This article was part of Saigoneer's 2019 April Fools' Day celebration. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, a...
Saigoneer Podcast: Listener Mailbag
Happy April Fools' Day!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Return of Krossing Over Arts Festival: Deeper, Bolder, Wider
Now in its third edition, the Krossing Over Arts Festival begins later this week and is expanding both in scope, with more events planned, and reach, as Hanoi is now on the schedule as well.
'The Song of Kiều' Is the Newest Addition to Penguin Classics Series
Originally written in Nôm script and lục bát (sixth-eighth) verses, Nguyen Du's epic poem Truyện Kiều has always been a quintessential reading for many Vietnamese across generations.
[Video] 2016 Documentary 'Xẩm Đỏ' Is an Ode to Vietnam's Last Xẩm Singer
Ha Thi Cau was born in 1928 and has been singing xẩm, a type of Vietnamese folk art often performed by blind artists and accompanied by đàn nhị or đàn bầu, since she was eight years old.
'Hai Phuong' Becomes Highest-Grossing Vietnamese Movie of All Time
Hai Phuong landed US distribution rights from Well Go USA Entertainment, and has been played in 28 cities in America and Canada since March 1.
Slow Craft: How a Photo Artist Built a Home for Analog Photography in Saigon
The digital age is in full swing, and photography its loyal servant. The last century has seen the art form seamlessly transform several times, allowing itself to be reframed and repurposed time ...
Spike Lee Starts Filming Next Movie 'Da 5 Bloods' in Vietnam, Thailand
Da 5 Bloods follows four African-American Vietnam veterans as they return to Vietnam to find their squad leader's remains and pursue the possibility of a buried treasure.
Khoi Pham in Culture
Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History
Among the best ways to learn of a country’s culture and history is looking at its stamp design through the ages. These paper tokens follow their owners’ letters to all corners of the world, serving as...
[Illustrations] Kaleidoscopic Renditions of Hanoi's Famous Landmarks and Streets
With its striking contrast between historic buildings and contemporary design, Hanoi is home to an impressive medley of architectural styles and is arguably one of the most charismatic and charming ci...
Saigoneer Podcast: Our Favorite Vietnamese Poems; Perceptions of Foreign Cuisine
A new week means a new Saigoneer Podcast episode!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Affordable Art Fair 'Art For You' Returns to Saigon Next Week
Art For You, the art fair organized by Hanoi-based Manzi Art Space and Workroom Four aimed at art enthusiasts who can't afford to shop at high-end galleries, is coming to Saigon next week.
Award-Winning Photo of Hmong Woman Raises Questions Over Photography Ethics
On Match 12, Hamdan International Photography Award (HIPA) 2019 announced that a photo of a Hmong woman carrying her two children, taken by Malaysian participant Edwin Ong Wee Kee in Vietnam, won its ...
[Video] A Quan Họ Classic Meets a String Quintet in a Psychedelic Video
'Muoi Nho' is a famous song written in the Vietnamese quan họ folk performance art.
Grammy Award-Winning Conductor to Lead Hanoi Concert This Friday
This week, a unique concert comes to Hanoi.
Saigoneer Podcast: The 5 National Senses of Vietnam, Local Street Cred
The newest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Iconic Comedian Tom Green to Perform in Saigon
Tom Green’s antics are legendary.
[Illustrations] An Idyllic Southeast Asian Childhood Through a Thai Artist's Illustrations
Thanks to the region’s similarities in biodiversity, climate and society, a childhood in rural Thailand isn’t that far off from that in the countryside of Vietnam.
Vietnamese Short Wins Best Director at 48 Hour Film Festival, to Be Screened at Cannes
The movie unfolds the story of a little girl kidnapped by two criminals, which is later discovered to be a personal conspiracy.
