A Brief History of the Saigon-Mỹ Tho Line, Indochina’s First Railway
- Details
- Published on 13 April 2026
- Written by Tim Doling.
Inaugurated on July 20, 1885, the Saigon–Mỹ Tho line was the first railway line in French Indochina.
Hẻm Gems: At Bún Thang 50, Unexpected Hanoi Flavors in a Phú Nhuận Corner
- Details
- Published on 12 April 2026
- Written by Elyse Phạm. Photos by Cao Nhân.
When I was growing up in California, every couple of months, plastic containers of sliced fried egg, chicken, and chả lụa would line the kitchen counter. This medley of ingredients would usually mean bún thang for dinner — which, in turn, signaled that the dinner was a special occasion.
'Making a Whore' Is Both Less and More Revealing Than Its Reputation Suggests
- Details
- Published on 12 April 2026
- Written by San Kwon. Graphic by Ngàn Mai.
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 last year by Major Books, an independent publishing house dedicated to making Vietnamese literature more available for the English-speaking world.
The Surprisingly Global History of Monobloc, the Chair Vietnam Loves and the West Despises
- Details
- Published on 09 April 2026
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Graphics by Dương Trương
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. Unexpectedly, the Monobloc, a plastic chair found in almost every corner of Vietnam and across the globe, had somehow secured a seat.
Inside the Covid Memorial Park at 1 Lý Thái Tổ, Saigon's Brand-New Green Space
- Details
- Published on 08 April 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
As part of Saigon’s latest initiative to increase green space coverage in the city, a number of abandoned land plots were converted into public parks, including a Covid Memorial Park that’s become a beloved destination for Saigoneers seeking a space to jog, reflect, or just simply touch grass.
From Pain and Misery to Confidence and Community: How AnaWorkout Can Transform One’s Life
- Details
- Published on 08 April 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos via AnaWorkout.
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 goes by Ana), who was reinventing herself. She became my first personal trainer, and I became her first client. More than half a decade later, she has gone from a fitness hobbyist to a professional, a journey that saw her completely reroute her career path and remake her own body in the process.
Vietnamese Indie Studio Skrollcat Announces 'Hoa 2,' Sequel of 2021 Award-Winning Game
- Details
- Published on 07 April 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
In 2021, the first Hoa title came out just in time to soothe our pandemic anxiety. Five years later, will Hoa 2 be up for the job in this new era of fuel crisis and global instability?
How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
- Details
- Published on 06 April 2026
- Written by Garrett MacLean. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
Ngõ Nooks: At Vietnam's Only Palestinian Eatery, Eating Maqluba and Dreaming of Peace
- Details
- Published on 05 April 2026
- Written by Paul Christiansen. Photos by Jimmy Art Devier.
“If you have a heart and you have a mind, you must support Palestine,” Saleem Hammad emphasized as we sipped sweet tea overlooking Hanoi’s Old Quarter from the balcony of his restaurant, Oliva. The dinner we had just finished was delicious, but the visit to Vietnam’s only Palestinian restaurant felt more significant than a simple meal. Learning about Saleem’s journey, his personal relationship with Vietnam, and his efforts to deepen ties between Palestine and Vietnam underscored how cuisine can foster cultural exchange and understanding towards peace.
All Aboard Bus 146, Home of Plushies, Rubber Chickens and a Side of Humanity
- Details
- Published on 03 April 2026
- Written by Uyên Đỗ. Photo by Alberto Prieto.
“Cute” doesn’t seem like a fitting descriptor for any mode of public transport, but a bus in Saigon is driving straight into the heart of Saigoneers for being the quintessence of “smotheringly adorable.”
The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Modernist Architecture
- Details
- Published on 03 April 2026
- Written by Phạm Vinh. Sketches by Phạm Vinh. Top image by Hannah Hoàng and Uyên Ngô.
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 modernism.
Saigon Set to Make Bus Service Free for All to Cut Congestion, Air Pollution
- Details
- Published on 02 April 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photo by Jimmy Art Devier.
Saigoneers without private vehicles might be happy to hear that the city is planning to make the municipal bus system free to ride in the near future.
Bạc Liêu-94, Cà Mau-69: In Saigon, a Surprising Reminder of Home Lives on License Plates
- Details
- Published on 01 April 2026
- Written by Đình Phúc. Graphic by Dương Trương.
Once in a while, I bump into a little sliver of my hometown on a random license plate on the street.
Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor
- Details
- Published on 31 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.
Water as a Metaphor for Trauma, Memories and Unspoken Histories in Quế’s Art
- Details
- Published on 30 March 2026
- Written by An Trần.
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 natural disaster.
Hẻm Gems: Atop a Beef Bowl Eatery, the Hidden Cozy World of Shochu Bar Mitsuboshi
- Details
- Published on 29 March 2026
- Written by Tom Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
Looking back at my days in Japan, I cherish most the moments I decided to get lost in yokochos — small and narrow alleys filled with shops, often bars — and push on a random door, not knowing what could await me behind it. It could be a wooden stall illuminated by blinding lights, its noisy customers showered with beer; or a 19th-century-style Manhattan bar, where the only movements come from trails of smoke off the customers’ cigarettes and streams of light going through bottles of whisky behind the counter.
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
- Details
- Published on 27 March 2026
- Written by David McCaskey. Photos by David McCaskey. Top graphic by Dương Trương.
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 am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.
When Rush Hour Hits, The Straits Offers a Singaporean Alternative
- Details
- Published on 26 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto.
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 meeting with friends around the city, they must first contend with horrific congestion. This rush hour period, when movement is slow and frustrating, coincides with peak skyline beauty.
Vietnam's Woolly Bat Is Being Hunted to Extinction to Be Halloween Decorations
- Details
- Published on 25 March 2026
- Written by Spoorthy Raman.
With hues of orange and black on its wings and a furry, fluffy face, the painted woolly bat is a stunner. But its beauty has become a deadly liability. People want to hang the bats — dead and stuffed — on their walls, display them as collectibles and even set them in jewelry.
From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam
- Details
- Published on 24 March 2026
- Written by Saigoneer.
How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress.
