Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
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- Published on 28 August 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Hotel Indigo Saigon The City.
Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells the stories of the iconic Ba Son area via its details, decor, atmosphere, and experiences, so checking in feels like taking part in a celebration of the city.
Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers
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- Published on 28 August 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
What are our memories made of?
How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art
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- Published on 28 August 2025
- Written by Tuệ Đinh. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.
Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry
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- Published on 25 August 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Ngàn Mai.
Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the book jolted me from expectations and why the experience provides a unique and valuable addition to the array of Vietnamese novels translated into English.
‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia
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- Published on 24 August 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audiences, the piece has now been presented on an international platform at George Town Festival 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone for Vietnamese contemporary hip-hop performance on the international stage.
I Saw the World's Most Handsome Bird Right in Vietnam's Hidden Backyard
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- Published on 21 August 2025
- Written by Alexander Yates. Photos by Alexander Yates.
Everywhere I go in Vietnam, I keep my eyes peeled for the incredible birds that call this country home. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I scan the horizon above low hills for migratory hawks. I stare into breaks in the foliage for passing buttonquail. I peer into rice paddies, fingers crossed for a cryptic snipe. And, of course, there’s Facebook. I refresh Facebook over and over again, waiting for the arrival of the mandarin duck. Its scientific name is Aix galericulata, which one assumes means “prettiest goddamn duck in the world.”
Hẻm Gems: In Huế, Cơm Hến Bé Liêm Is Breakfast With a Side of Warm Hospitality
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- Published on 20 August 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
One of the small joys in life is having a favorite dish readily available whenever you crave it. Ever since I discovered the little hẻm in Saigon where Cơm Hến O Thu lies, my life has been ever so uplifted by the comfort that, every fortnight or so, I can hop on my motorbike, sit for 15 minutes, and have cơm hến on the table in a blink of an eye for gulping pleasures. Cơm hến is one of my favorite things, so naturally, when I got a chance to visit Huế, the dish’s hometown, there was no way I could miss out on this small joy that packs big flavors.
As Saigon Moves Forward, Xích Lô Lag Behind as Nostalgic Remnants of a Past Era
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- Published on 19 August 2025
- Written by Zukhra Tatybayeva and Dana Filek-Gibson. Photos by Lee Starnes.
Among Bùi Viện's assortment of xe ôm drivers and street food vendors, Bible-toting religious enthusiasts and other colorful personalities, 66-year-old Nghĩa stands out for his kind eyes and walrus-like mustache.
A Slice of Life in Coupon-Era Hanoi via Colorful Vintage Lottery Tickets
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- Published on 18 August 2025
- Written by Uyên Đỗ.
What can tiny sheets of paper reveal about a whole time period?
Hẻm Gems: In a D3 Hẻm, 40 Years of Bún Ốc and Other Northern Treats
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- Published on 17 August 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân.
As a resident of Saigon, I’m well-acquainted with the city's vibrant food scene, which features cuisines from various regions of Vietnam, and how these dishes blend local recipes with flavors that resonate with Saigon locals. But Bún Ốc Thanh Hải is quite the opposite. Its dishes, snacks, drinks, and even atmosphere carry a distinct northern identity, so much so that upon visiting the place, I felt as if I was on a culinary adventure within my own city.
Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist
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- Published on 14 August 2025
- Written by Tuệ Đinh. Graphic by Dương Trương.
In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I learnt back in high school: there is something so different, refreshing and oddly contemporary about it. As I consider every page of his bulky posthumously published anthology Thơ (Poetry), I find his legacy remains inspirational even for contemporary readers — especially other young Vietnamese — on what it means to “be an artist.” This does not only entail one’s appreciation and production of Vietnamese art, but also their adoption of an artist’s mindset into daily life.
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
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- Published on 13 August 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Mai Phạm and Mai Khanh.
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush and that one tree in the front yard of our school.
Huế's Palm-Sized Bánh Mì Chuột Is the Perfect Snack for Nibbling While Walking
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- Published on 12 August 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Huế's culinary landscape is designed for snacking. From bánh khoái to bánh bèo to chè bột lọc heo quay, many of the most popular and delicious dishes are served in small portions that work together collectively to fill one’s belly, but don’t get the job done on their own.
A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc
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- Published on 11 August 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto. Top graphic by Ngàn Mai.
Signs are like voices.
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
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- Published on 07 August 2025
- Written by Brian Letwin. Top image by Dennis Jarvis.
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate
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- Published on 06 August 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Illustrations by Ngọc Tạ.
A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes in the distant darkness, your trip is doomed and should be abandoned immediately. And if someone brings one back to the village, make all efforts to return it to the jungle, lest you invite sorrow and ruin into your home. Don’t let its meagre stature, a mere 500 grams, and slow, cuddly demeanor confuse you; the cu li guards the gates to hell.
On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River
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- Published on 05 August 2025
- Written by Linh Phạm. Graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.
Hẻm Gems: 3 Hào, a Retro Industrial Cafe in D7 for Night Owls on Deadlines
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- Published on 04 August 2025
- Written by Vĩnh An. Photos by Hạo Lê.
What do you think of when imagining a cafe? For me, it's plants in every corner, small and cute paintings that adorn the walls, or a light- and neutral-colored space that brings a sense of peace to customers. What would happen if a coffee shop attempted to subvert most of these elements? This is the case of 3 Hào Cafe, a combination of vintage industrial ambiance and, of course, good drinks.
In 1920s–1940s Paris, Vietnamese Artists Painted Through the Interwar Period as the 'Others'
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- Published on 01 August 2025
- Written by An Trần.
How did Vietnamese artists navigate the complex tides of social and political changes, and mark their own position in the art world as the “Others” during interwar Paris — which was celebrated as the “City of Lights,” yet also a stage for both colonial propaganda and a ground for anti-colonial resistance?
The Surprisingly Recent History Behind Bình Thạnh's Lonely 'Gia-Đinh' Gate
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- Published on 01 August 2025
- Written by Tim Doling. Photo by Lee Starnes.
It’s claimed by several tourism websites that a gateway from one of the ancient Gia Định citadels has survived and may be viewed on the Lê Văn Duyệt-Phan Đăng Lưu intersection in Bình Thạnh District, close to the Lê Văn Duyệt Mausoleum. However, a little research into the history of that area reveals that the gateway in question has more recent origins.
