Vignette: How Bình Định's Nón Ngựa Gave Me Hope for the Tourism Industry
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- Published on 30 June 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
In 1964, when Đỗ Văn Lan was only 14 years old, a group of American soldiers spent six months at his family’s Bình Định home learning how to make nón ngựa. Once he learned that I am American, he told me this story. More than once.
Vietnam Officially Extends E-Visa to 90 Days, Allowing Multiple Entries
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- Published on 26 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
Beginning August 15, tourist visas will be extended from 30 days to 90 days.
In Xuân Diệu's Tender Poetry, a Reminder to Love Honestly and Courageously
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- Published on 22 June 2023
- Written by Linh Phạm. Graphic by Phan Nhi.
“Tenderly, fondly, Xuân Diệu held on to my wrist, caressing it up and down. Our eyes locked in affection…Xuân Diệu loved me.”
Hẻm Gems: The Chuối Nếp Nướng That You Can't Find on Google Maps
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- Published on 22 June 2023
- Written by Hương Lê. Photos by Cao Nhân.
Before the birth of TikTok and food review channels, many Saigoneers already grew up with their own set of staple food gems. As a youngster, I would visit the city's familiar, delicious food stalls with my mom and little brother after a long day at school, snacking on all the desserts and food. Even though many stalls do not exist on Google Maps, thanks to word of mouth, they are always lively and crowded from opening to closing.
Trần Trung Lĩnh's Latest Art Collection Is an Homage to Saigon and Van Gogh
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- Published on 21 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
Van Gogh’s distinctive palette is perhaps one of the most recognizable personal styles in the art world, and viewers of Vietnamese artist Trần Trung Lĩnh’s artworks are sure to be amused to see these classic techniques applied to very familiar Saigon moments.
For Trans Vietnamese, Healthcare Providers Are Respectful, but Red Tape Still Hurts
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- Published on 21 June 2023
- Written by Nhi Ngọc Nguyễn. Top graphic by Hannah Hoàng.
Vietnam has been increasingly progressive in protecting and promoting LGBT rights. In November 2015, Vietnam made a big milestone when it granted individuals who have changed their gender the right to apply for a change of civil status affairs, and at the same time set forth the right to legal gender recognition for transgender people. Not only that, Vietnam has removed the ban on same-sex marriage since 2013, and legalized gay people serving in the military since 1992.
Landmark 81’s Oriental Pearl Prepares Dishes with its Head in the Clouds
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- Published on 20 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Saigoneer.
What Saigon venue offers the best mountain view? This may seem like an absurdist question given the city’s notoriously flat landscape, but if you go up high enough, you are actually able to see them rise on the distant horizon. But before recognizing these peaks, you are liable to get lost marveling at the city as it unfurls below in all its neon glory below.
Opinion: With New Vietnam Guide, Michelin Has Failed Asian Street Food Again
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- Published on 19 June 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Graphic by Lê Minh Phương.
Nothing gets Saigon foodies up in arms faster than the ratio of 10 phở restaurants to zero bánh mì place, but this disproportionate phở favoritism is just one of many ways the Michelin Guide has fumbled in its recently published guide to Vietnam.
'The Shard, the Tissue, an Affair': A Short Story by Andrew Lam
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- Published on 19 June 2023
- Written by Andrew Lam. Art by Trà Nhữ. Top image by Phan Nhi.
This short story is featured in Volume 2 of In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn, a three-part, bilingual collection of works by more than 20 Vietnamese artists and writers, curated by Saigoneer in collaboration with Miami Book Fair.
Hẻm Gems: The 40-Year-Old Phở Gà in Kỳ Đồng, Now Michelin-Approved
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- Published on 16 June 2023
- Written by Khôi Phạm. Photos by Brandon Coleman and Cao Nhân.
If you’re ever lost in District 3, Kỳ Đồng’s famous phở gà place will be the oasis you need in those trying times.
'The Chosen and the Beautiful,' a Queer, Magical, Asian American Gatsby Remix
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- Published on 15 June 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen.
“The Great Gatsby, but with an Asian American narrator and some of the characters are queer and there’s magic.” This is a fine elevator explanation for The Chosen and the Beautiful.
Ngõ Nooks: A Ngõ Cafe Houses Big Dreams for Buôn Ma Thuột Beans
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- Published on 11 June 2023
- Written by Oliver Newman. Photos by Léo Paul-Guyot.
A well-known singer from the Central Highlands city of Buôn Ma Thuột, Mai Trang is taking an extended break from show business to focus on her other passion: coffee.
Vietnam Reports First-Ever Test-Taker Attaining 9.0 for All 4 IELTS Skills
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- Published on 09 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
As more institutions and enterprises in Vietnam adopt IELTS results as an official assessment of students' and employees’ grasp of the English language, high IELTS scores have gradually become a sought-after mark of prestige.
Street Photos in 1973 Capture a Rebuilding Hanoi After Linebacker II
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- Published on 08 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
In this collection of black-and-white photos taken by German photographer Horst Faas, Hanoi's streets seem bursting with life, but lurking behind innocent smiling children and packed tram rides are the undeniable remnants of an ongoing war.
Cá Hồi Hoang to Disband After National Tour Marking 10 Years of Making Music
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- Published on 06 June 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
On the cusp of their current nationwide tour, indie band Cá Hồi Hoang abruptly announced that they would disband after touring finishes.
The Hanoi Village Where Making Folding Fans Involves Every Family
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- Published on 05 June 2023
- Written by Xuân Phương. Photos by Xuân Phương.
One summer day, I made a trek into suburban Hanoi to Thạch Thất District. Walking along the dirt road surrounded by green maturing rice fields, I reached Chàng Sơn Village.
Art Exhibition 'Ngẫu Biến' Invites Viewers to Find Their Own Meaning
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- Published on 01 June 2023
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Top image by Mai Phạm. Photos courtesy of ng. anhanh.
“When you write, you go inside yourself, when you paint, you go outside,” said poet and painter ng. anhan.
Filmmakers Trần Anh Hùng, Phạm Thiên Ân Win Awards at Cannes Film Festival
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- Published on 31 May 2023
- Written by Saigoneer.
At the 76th Cannes International Film Festival, Phạm Thiên Ân's Bên trong vỏ kén vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) was awarded the Camera D'or while Vietnamese-born French filmmaker Trần Anh Hùng won the best director prize for The Pot-au-Feu.
Hẻm Gems: In Bàn Cờ Market, Cô Vân's Cút Lộn Sốt Me Offers Fortune and Flavor
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- Published on 30 May 2023
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photo by Cao Nhân.
It would be a grave sin to discuss Saigon’s street food scene without a proper mention of vịt lột.
Cà Rem Cây, Kem Chuối and the Frozen Tickets to Our Childhood
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- Published on 26 May 2023
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Graphic by Mai Phạm.
Sometimes, when I hear the distant sound of a tinkling bell, fond memories of summer days from my wonder years come flooding back to me.
