Linh Phạm in Trích or Triết
In Xuân Diệu's Tender Poetry, a Reminder to Love Honestly and Courageously
“Tenderly, fondly, Xuân Diệu held on to my wrist, caressing it up and down. Our eyes locked in affection…Xuân Diệu loved me.”
Modern Diagnostic Imaging Helps Foreigners in Vietnam Stay Healthy and Enjoy Greater Peace of Mind
Warm weather, delicious food, friendly locals, and a safe community: Saigon is a splendid place for expats to call home. Beyond simply comforts, the city also contains most of the entertainment, servi...
From the Mind of 'Mekong Review' Comes ‘Yellow,’ a New Lit Mag Focused on SEA
“Cooped up in my apartment-cage in Tân Định, I created, with scissors and glue, dummy after dummy of a cosmopolitan rag positively pumping with scandals and half-truths. I was having a lot of fun drea...
When Vietnamese Education Begins with Vietnamese Identity
Viet Nam Tinh Hoa – The Futures School offers an approach to education where Vietnamese students can step into the wider world with an international academic foundation, flexible language capabilities...
In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
On Reading Ocean Vuong and Thinking About the Sniff Kisses of My Family
Having always been a little brother, I had to learn to be a big one when I was 10 years old. In the midst of the confusion of this new role, I found myself pressing my nose to this newborn’s head and ...
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by archite...
A Visit to Lê Minh Xuân, a Rare Craft Village Making Incense Sticks Amid Saigon
From inside the workshop, artisans carry bundle after bundle of freshly made incense sticks into the courtyard amid the morning mist. A gentle scent of spices linger in the air.
Exploring Overlooked Opportunities for International Students at Saigon's Exceptional STEM University
Lush tropical canopies drape shade across exacting balconies and geometric Brise-soleil. Next to these stellar examples of Vietnamese Modernism stand modern structures where students engage with advan...
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Bách Tùng Diệp Became a Saigon Park From Earmarked Consulate Land
In 1927, after being abandoned for more than 60 years by its Spanish owners, the “Jardin d’Espagne” — known today as Bách Tùng Diệp or Lý Tự Trọng Park — seemed set to become the new home of the Briti...
What the Increase in Chinese-Speaking Tourists Means for Local Brands and Businesses
Mentioning Chinese and Chinese-speaking tourists to businesses in Vietnam elicits a number of assumptions and misconceptions. Large tour groups consisting of matching shirts following a leader-raised ...
Dispatch From Udine: Vietnam's Cinema Reaches the World Stage While Rooted in Local Culture
Vietnamese cinema experienced a watershed moment at the 28th Far East Film Festival in Udine, Italy.
Short Story Collection 'Gills' Pieces Together a Raw and Complex Portrait of Saigon
Saigon’s landscape looks dramatically different from how it did three or even two decades ago. As the country’s economic powerhouse, Saigon has seen rapid urban development: new highrises like Landmar...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Whale Worship: Exploring the Role of Whales in Vietnam's Coastal Lore
In 1799, the ferocious Tây Sơn army forced the first Nguyễn Emperor, Nguyễn Ánh, and his troops to flee to the sea. While making their escape, a great storm engulfed the retreating army. As their ship...
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Grab a Cold One: The Thirsty Colonial History of Ice Production in Vietnam
Walking through Saigon nowadays, you will notice that ice is so omnipresent, it’s part of the scenery. From trà đá, cà phê sữa đá to sinh tố, every drink is consumed with ice in order to combat the in...
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson...
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Flash and Flimflam Won’t Earn Your Restaurant a 10 Year Legacy
It happened when a young chef explained where he learned discipline, and when a kitchen manager recalled his first serious mentor. It happened again and again. Over the years, reporting on Saigon’s re...
Paul Christiansen in Arts & Culture
Exploring Vietnam’s Dynamic, Diverse Artist Residencies [Part Three: Hanoi]
When you mention puppets to someone in Vietnam, they will immediately think of water puppets. And if not this traditional art form, frequently relegated to tourism activities, then they will think of ...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Paul Christiansen in Arts & Culture
Exploring Vietnam’s Dynamic, Diverse Artist Residencies [Part Two: Huế, Hội An and Đà Nẵng]
A subtle shimmer inherent to the seashells encrusted around its eyes makes Lân Sư Hồ shiver with life and appear as if it will leap out of the warehouse and prance into the ocean where its coral skin ...
Saigon Commences Metro Line, Major Administrative Hub Project in Thủ Thiêm
Municipal authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City are moving forward with a number of infrastructure projects that will majorly transform the peninsula in the future.
Music, Mixology and Fashion Combine at Saigon "Áo Dài" Cocktail Festival
Featuring live music and DJ sets, fashion runway showcases, free mixology masterclasses, and games, Saigon Áo Dài Cocktail Festival 2026 presented by Saigon Outcast on May 10, aims to bring together d...
The Making of a Living Cuisine: The History of Nikkei Cuisine and its Arrival in Saigon at Nikura
Separated by a vast ocean and home to an unrelated language, culture, and history, Japan would seemingly have minimal interaction with Peru. But a close relationship between the two nations goes back ...
La Petite Ecole’s New Early Years Campus Empowers Multilingual Learners
“Like adding new branches to the same tree,” Mary Malifarges, the Pedagogical Advisor at La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh City, describes the opening of a new campus at 22/1 Lê Văn Miến Street, An Khánh Wa...
Tim Doling in Saigon
The History of Saigon General Hospital, the Clinic Funded by a Doctor's Generosity
The Saigon Hospital at 125 Lê Lợi was originally built in the late 1930s as the Polyclinique Dejean de la Bâtie. The French named it after French doctor Théodose Déjean de la Bâtie, who devoted his li...
From the Ground up Into the Air: The Evolution of Bitexco in 25 Photos
Between Thủ Thiêm's ambitious new skyscrapers, the planned transformation of Thanh Đa Peninsula and a LEED-standard apartment complex that looks like Marina Bay Sands, Saigon's skyline seems to change...
Mầm in Ton-sur-Ton
Into the Earthy, Quirky World of Kramahan's Accessories and Clothing
We paid Nhật, the founder of Kramahan.Clothing, a visit on a windy day in Saigon. This room in the heart of the city has many functions: a living space, a working studio, and also a showroom displayin...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: At Sara Ethiopian Restaurant, a Chicken Stew for the Soul
Before the existence of Sara Ethiopian Restaurant in Saigon, my knowledge about the African country could fit squarely in a child’s palm: its capital, Addis Ababa; the tragic Ethiopian Airlines crash ...
Tim Doling in Saigon
From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple
The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese s...
Pedaling for a Purpose: The Coastal Cycling Challenge Bringing Homes to Quảng Ngãi
During February and March, a group of volunteers from Saigon spent five days cycling up the coast, starting in Thảo Điền and ending up in the mountainous district of Trà Bông, nestled deep in Quảng Ng...
Saigon Pizza Festival Delivers for Pizza Enthusiasts and Party Lovers
Last weekend, more than 2,500 people attended the two-day Saigon Pizza Festival hosted by Saigon Outcast at The Global City. Diverse, delicious pizza was expected, but the event delivered even mo...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
5 Quixotic Books About Vietnam for When You're Craving a Little Quirky Read
There are too many good Vietnamese books to recommend, let alone read.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Exploring Vietnam’s Dynamic, Diverse Artist Residencies [Part One: Saigon and Đà Lạt]
What is an artists-in-residence program? This simple question arose repeatedly when Saigoneer explained to friends and peers that we would spend three weeks traveling throughout Vietnam, visiting the ...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon
How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness
In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.
'Making a Whore' Is Both Less and More Revealing Than Its Reputation Suggests
For the first time, Vũ Trọng Phụng’s novel Làm đĩ is available in English. Originally published in 1936, the novel has been translated by Đinh Ngọc Mai under the title Making a Whore and was released ...
From Classic Neopolitan to Inventive Curry Versions, Saigon Celebrates its Love of Pizza
Saigon loves pizza, a truth attested to by the variety of slices available here. From familiar global chains to small shops offering authentic varieties from cities all around the world to innovators ...
Uyên Đỗ in Culture
The Surprisingly Global History of Monobloc, the Chair Vietnam Loves and the West Despises
In 2024, The New York Times published a list of the 25 most iconic pieces of furniture from the past century, selected by a panel of designers, artists, and curators from the world's leading museums. ...
From Pain and Misery to Confidence and Community: How AnaWorkout Can Transform One’s Life
Having gotten a wee lumpy around the middle, In 2020, I decided to start hitting the gym, but I needed a bit of extra motivation to make it there regularly. Luckily, I had a friend, Tu Anh (who also g...
How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
60 Days Collection Features Chocolate Made With Garlic, Jackfruit, Salted Lemon, and More
From harvest to finished product, how long does it take to make a bar of chocolate? Typically, the process lasts one and a half to two years, but Saigon-based The Cocoa Project's chocolate ...
The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Modernist Architecture
Since the mid-20th century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, etc. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global mode...
Water as a Metaphor for Trauma, Memories and Unspoken Histories in Quế’s Art
Through installations and animated films, Quế traces the flow of water as they move through personal memories and collective histories, carrying generational trauma amidst urbanization, and even natur...
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I ...
When Rush Hour Hits, The Straits Offers a Singaporean Alternative
Saigon’s streets snarl with hot, sticky knots of traffic every evening. As people finish their workdays and look ahead to quality time with families at home, precious hours pursuing hobbies and meetin...
Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a ...
From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'
In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-l...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home in Hà Giang Into a Tourist Attraction
The photos don’t do it justice. That’s what you’ll often hear from people who visit Hà Giang to cruise its famed highway loop.
Văn Tân in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: Inside a Modernist Abode, O Phương’s Bún Bò Harks Back to Huế Flavors
“O” is the affectionate way central Vietnamese call their sisters and aunties. For children of Central Vietnam like me, it has taken root in me like the most natural anchor of home. Sometimes when I’m...
How Vietnam's Muslims Celebrate Ramadan, Eid Al-Fitr in Mekong Delta's Châu Đốc
Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world, yet Vietnamese Muslims represent as little as 0.1% of the country’s population. Most are ethnic Chăm, while a few are foreigners and a few converts....
Quán Bụi Group Offers Lessons on Perseverance and Success
The restaurant business is fickle to the point of a well-known unattributed business truism: "How do you make a small fortune in the restaurant business? Start with a large one." So when a restaurant ...
How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?
In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the w...
Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White
In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer....
How the French Curriculum is Deeper than the French Language at La Petite Ecole
When people hear that La Petite Ecole Ho Chi Minh is a French school, they assume this means it teaches the French language. While this is true, there is much more to it. Educating students in French ...
Văn Tân in Culture
A Brief History of Ông Đồ, Vietnam’s Scholars Whose Calligraphy Is Highly Sought After
To say that Tết gathers together everything most beautiful in Vietnamese culture would not be an exaggeration. More than a threshold between the old year and the new, it is also a time when people fee...
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my chi...
A Damaged Masterpiece Reveals How Much We Take Our Cultural Heritage for Granted
A once-damaged national treasure remains on view as if nothing had happened, while other works are displayed with little context — what does this tell us about how art museums preserve Vietnam's cultu...
In 'Đêm Giao Thừa' EP, a Đàn Tranh Artist Offers Novel Twists on Nostalgic Tết Sounds
Indie đàn tranh artist Brian Bùi has just released Đêm Giao Thừa, an EP containing energetic covers of three classic Tết songs and an original track that pays homage to styles from the 1960s...
Linh Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, Learn to Wrap Bánh Chưng in One of Hanoi's Oldest Villages
Much like the peach blossom or the lucky money envelope, bánh chưng is a staple part of Tết.
When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?
I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a pr...
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
The Vibrancy of Vietnam's Mundane Depicted by Illustrator Chan-Nhu Le
“I miss that. When I was young, on the motorbike with my friends, it was like ’hey, you have 15 minutes?’ and we just met up [...], had some street food and did literally nothing; just street watching...
In Đồng Nai, a Rustic Abode Emerges Under the Canopies of Cashew Trees
A clear directive was issued before construction of the home: all 26 cashew trees occupying the 100-square-meter plot must be preserved.
Saigon Residents Swap Screens for Ceramics as a Means to Relax and Connect
Can ceramics be a form of self-care? Sitting in a cozy space, slowly covering blank clay with color can have a profoundly calming effect. Rotating a textured mug in your hand to spread paint across a ...
Meet Tâm, a Crossing ‘Guardian’ Protecting Saigon Traffic and Trains From Each Other
In a small kiosk overlooking the crowded Nguyễn Trọng Tuyển Street in Phú Nhuận, Nguyễn Thị Tâm routinely checks the clock and reviews the day’s train schedule meticulously. She’s repeated these tasks...
My Great-Great-Grandfathers Were in Indochina in the 1880s to Build the Railway
We often see archival images of old Hanoi, but these photos are different — they are personal. The following shots, which come from a collection of five photo albums, are the only surviving record of ...
IB Recognition Will Complement Emphasis on Vietnamese Language and Culture at VNTH
After several years of preparation, Viet Nam Tinh Hoa by North London Collegiate School (VNTH) has achieved recognition as an IB World School, joining a global network of over 5,700 sch...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
5 Cozy Saigon Coffee Shops With Outstanding Cat Residents to Befriend
I almost never remember the faces of the employees at cafes that I’ve been to, but I am strangely attuned to the existence of their cats. I remember the textures of their fur when I gave them pets, th...
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 visited the country in 2025, a 20.4% increase compared to 2024. This far exceeded th...
Memories and Heritage Considered Across Mediums at Dogma Prize Exhibition
How can personal and collective memories – alongside questions of community and heritage – be explored through artistic practices that span different mediums and respond to changing times?
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
An Indie Archival Project Dreams of Time Travel. How? Lots and Lots of Vietnam Maps.
Its entrances flanked by ATMs and adverts for international airlines, the Sun Wah Tower on Nguyễn Huệ today appears to be another nondescript testament to the global economy and Vietnam’s enthusiast...
Cooking Without Cover: What VỊ Battle Reveals About Saigon’s Next Chefs
A kitchen usually protects its cooks. Walls soften mistakes. Noise hides hesitation. If something goes wrong, the rhythm of service absorbs it.
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...
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 ...
Marc Dinh in Vietnam
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadli...
In His Research-Driven Artistic Practice, Quang deLam Maps History, Knowledge Together
What if art functions as a visual form for transmitting knowledge and entangled histories, and the artist is a messenger between them and the audience?
