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.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Video] Ha Giang Rap Video is an Earnest Call for Mental Health Awareness
In 2012, Ian Paynton’s catchy rap track ‘Oi Gioi Oi’ went viral. Now he’s back with a cinematic video, shot in Ha Giang, that calls out for mindfulness in the age of digital addiction.
[Video] Adorable Animated Short Captures the Life of a Tet Flower Farmer
For some, the true joys of Tết disappear before the actual holiday arrives.
[Illustrations] Japanese Artist Reimagines Marvel Heroes as Ukiyo-e Artworks
By now, many Saigoneers may have already seen Avengers: Endgame, the ultimate puzzle piece of a 22-film narrative. Undoubtedly a global cultural phenomenon, Endgame and the Marvel Cinematic Universe h...
Saigoneer Podcast: Overseas Vietnamese Laborers & What If a Zombie Apocalypse Hit Saigon?
Happy short work week!
[Video] New Music Video 'Boy' Depicts Contemporary Hanoian Love, With a Twist
In the music video for indietronica artist Hien’s ‘Boy,’ a classical romantic narrative unfolds. Within a modern Hanoian setting, two lovers battle against themselves, their peers and society as a who...
[Video] Stop-Motion Animation Project Retells Vietnam's Starfruit Tale With a Hint of Horror
As a common saying goes: "tham thì thâm" (grasp all lose all).
Thai Indie Sensation Phum Viphurit to Perform at Music Festival in Saigon This May
Right on the heels of his new single release, Thai-New Zealander indie sensation Phum Viphurit will play his first-ever music festival in Vietnam this May.
Saigoneer Podcast: A Reckoning on Child Harassment; That Burger King Ad; & 'Startup Vietnam' Author Andrew Rowan
We're back from a two-week break!
German, Vietnamese Sound Artists to Hold Workshops, Perform in Hanoi
Starting this weekend and continuing through next week, Hanoians will have the opportunity to attend a combination of workshops and live performances from both German and Vietnamese sound artists.
Matca Opens New Photography Space With 'A Little Bit of This and That' Exhibition
Photography and visual arts magazine Matca expanded their horizons last week with the opening of a new exhibition space in Hanoi.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
[Video] Introducing Rooftop Concerts, Saigoneer's New Live Music Series
It is with unrelenting pride and excitement that we can finally introduce Rooftop Concerts, our new live music video series inspired by the likes of Tiny Desk Concerts and La Blogotheque.
New Hoi An Music Residency Opens Call for Applicants
Following a pilot initiative at Hanoi’s Phu Sa Lab this January, British Council is now looking for up to 10 Vietnam-based contemporary musicians to take part in a new FAMLAB music residency program i...
Hanoi Designer Turns Áo Dài Into Elegant Modern Typeface
Has the AODAI typeface captured the elegant essence of its namesake?
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
[Photos] Krossing Over Arts Festival Wraps up a Striking Week of Performances
The third edition of the Krossing Over Arts Festival ended in Saigon on Thursday, capping a week of exciting workshops, artist talks and contemporary dance performances.
On Reconciling With One's Vietnamese Half as an American
My mother is Vietnamese and my father is American, yet I’ve always felt as though I was a tea bag submerged solely in American water. I was born and raised in Minnesota, I speak only English, and I kn...
Award-Winning Film 'The Third Wife' to Screen in Vietnam in May
Set in the 19th century, The Third Wife follows 14-year-old May who was selected to be the third wife of a wealthy landowner.
[Video] Rapper Datmaniac Features Cat Shelter in 'May Con Meo' Music Video
If Japan’s “cat island” or Taiwan’s “cat village” are public venues maintained by collective efforts, Saigon’s cat shelters are run by Samaritans who take care of local felines using their own limited...
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Here's a Thiên Long Ballpoint Pen, Now Make Art With It
Nomer Adona has lived in Vietnam since 1994, a 25-year journey (so far) that has taken him from working as an architect with the Malaysian government to the halls of international schools.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Serious Play: A Conversation With Award-Winning Poet Duy Doan
A lion cub’s tussling, teething and roughhousing represent not simply play for play’s sake, but instead, training for a life of stalking, pouncing and throat-gashing; and so it might be with the poems...
Affordable Art Fair 'Art For You' Returns to Hanoi Next Week
Art For You, the art fair organized by Manzi Art Space and Workroom Four aimed at art enthusiasts who can't afford to shop at high-end galleries, is returning to Hanoi next week.
