What I Talk About When I Talk About Vietnam's Penguin Trashcans
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Top image by Mai Khanh.
Compared to the average Vietnamese, I might be thinking about trashcans a smidgen too much — not just any trashcan, but the infamous penguin-shaped trashcans that are ubiquitous at every corner of our public spaces.
Built on Immigrant History, France's Vietnamese Food Scene Is Onto Something Special
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Tâm Lê. Top image by Mai Khanh.
France’s Vietnamese population is one of the largest outside Vietnam. From colonial assignments to refugee migrations, the community has grown, shifted, and evolved since its beginnings in the 1860s. Meet the new generation of French-Vietnamese creatives — chefs, authors, cultural consultants — who are reimagining and representing Vietnamese culture in Paris in fresh and deeply personal ways.
House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body
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- Published on 31 October 2025
- Written by Linh Phạm. Top graphic by Phan Nhi. Photos by Nou.
I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — three dance studios.
Nguyễn Đức Tín Weaves Spirituality, Faith, Everyday Life Altogether in His Paintings
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- Published on 29 October 2025
- Written by An Trần.
Can a painting reflect who we are, even if we can’t see ourselves thoroughly? And how does faith guide us forward in life?
Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants
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- Published on 28 October 2025
- Written by Jim Selkin. Photos by Jim Selkin.
With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.
Liên Bỉnh Phát Makes History as 1st Vietnamese to Win Best Male Lead in Taiwan
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- Published on 27 October 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnamese actor Liên Bỉnh Phát recently made history at one of Taiwan’s most prestigious national award ceremonies.
How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media
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- Published on 24 October 2025
- Written by Khang Nguyễn. Graphic by Lê Minh Phương.
Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial online space to connect local netizens.
These Rare Photos From 1997 Are a Time Capsule of Vietnam's Transformations
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- Published on 23 October 2025
- Written by Saigoneer.
The 1990s were a time of significant change in Vietnam.
An Ode to Vũng Tàu, Saigon's Unwavering Summer Crush
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- Published on 22 October 2025
- Written by Vinh Phu Pham. Top photo by Khôi Phạm.
I recently took a trip to Vũng Tàu after a long summer of cultural research, which had me traveling up and down Vietnam. It had been seven years since I’d been back to the homeland, and 19 since I’d last seen the beaches of Vũng Tàu, when I was only 16. It felt like returning to a high school crush, and it made me think of the words of Trần Thiện Thanh, who once wrote, “Nhớ lúc xa xưa mười sáu trăng tròn…” I won’t say I wasn’t looking for something familiar, poetic, and possibly even as sappy.
5 Books by Vietnamese Authors Centered on Strong Female Protagonists
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- Published on 20 October 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
Literature, more than any other art form, allows people an intimate vantage point from which to witness the experiences, emotions, and thoughts of individuals drastically different from themselves. Books thus hold the unparalleled power to inspire, foster empathy, and expand one’s understanding of the human condition.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
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- Published on 19 October 2025
- Written by Thư Trịnh. Top image by Tiên Nguyễn.
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
The Multiverse Behind the 1990s Classic 'Người Tình Mùa Đông' by Như Quỳnh
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- Published on 17 October 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Dương Trương.
There is a certain timelessness to the song ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ by Như Quỳnh, especially in the visuals of its very first performance. For generations of Vietnamese listeners, ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ is an icon in the hall of fame of Vietnamese music, but as I have come to discover, the melody that Vietnamese know as ‘Người Tình Mùa Đông’ has lived a life much richer and more transcendent than it might appear.
Street Cred: Phan Đình Phùng, My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
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- Published on 17 October 2025
- Written by Tâm Lê. Illustration by Hannah Hoàng.
An unassuming street named Phan Đình Phùng runs through Saigon’s Phú Nhuận District. It is named after a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in the 1880s and 1890s. He is also my great-great-great-great-great-grandfather.
Vietnamese Creators Teach Kids to Appreciate Rice in 'Con Ăn Hết Rồi' Book Project
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- Published on 14 October 2025
- Written by Vĩnh An. Top image by Ngọc Tạ.
If one day, the grains of rice that you frequently put in your mouth suddenly start to move, talk, and give you a rundown on how they were created on the field, would you believe it? This seemingly absurd scenario is exactly what happened to Minh, a little boy who's the main character of Con ăn hết rồi!, a children's book by author Đỗ Nguyệt Hà and illustrator Lê Phương Quỳnh, also known as Buffy.
The Origin of the Strange Lights You See Before Landing in Saigon
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- Published on 14 October 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
What are those astonishingly bright lights seen from an airplane window when approaching Saigon at night? I’ve had visitors ask me this on the drive home from the airport, and the question appears on Reddit every few months. I remember being befuddled myself the first time I witnessed the patchwork radiance.
In Hội An, Artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân Breathes New Life Into Scrap Materials
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- Published on 12 October 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
The several dozen family altars that formed a hodgepodge pile had each been abandoned in graveyards. For many, this would make them extremely inauspicious. But to artist Nguyễn Quốc Dân, they are perfect for making art.
Integrating Spanish Culinary Traditions into Local Lifestyles
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- Published on 12 October 2025
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Economic and Commercial Office from the Embassy of Spain.
Paella’s elevation of humble countryside ingredients into an extravaganza of flavors united by fluffy rice; soft and creamy Torta del Casar sheep’s milk cheese; intense Pimentón de la Vera paprika made with smoked peppers, and nutty, earthy iberico ham sliced whisper thin: Spanish culinary treasures are becoming increasingly common in Vietnam. As more Spanish restaurants open and Spanish products occupy more space on grocery store shelves, people here are also discovering how Spaniards like to eat.
My Mom’s Care Packages Remind Me That Home Can Fit Inside a Box of Food
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- Published on 10 October 2025
- Written by Hạ Vy. Illustrations by Dương Trương.
“What do you guys crave? I’ll send some.”
As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta
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- Published on 09 October 2025
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under construction during our August visit. Gargantuan machines for laying pulverized gravel inched aside to let our 7-seater pass so we could reach the home of Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy to check in on her small fish drying home business.
10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity
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- Published on 08 October 2025
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Top graphic by Trường Dĩ.
In the Vietnamese language, the word “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will. Chó cỏ is the general term for the adorable mutts, usually mixes between Vietnam’s native dog species, born without the prestige of named breeds, while gym cỏ and net cỏ denote the casual gyms and internet cafes in one’s neighborhood. In the same vein of logic, may I put forth a new name for a special genre of Vietnamese fruits: trái cỏ?
