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Hannah Hoàng

in Environment

How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities

The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.

Thi Nguyễn

in Snack Attack

Via Curry Packets, Curry Powder Made Its Way From India Into Vietnamese Homes

Step inside the kitchen of any household in Saigon and chances are that you will find one or two ready-made curry powder packets in a cupboard waiting for the family's next weekend treat of cà ri gà (...

Thi Nguyễn

in Snack Attack

In Bánh Củ Cải, a Curious Slice of Bạc Liêu's Teochew Heritage

You know a dish is special when it can spark conversation with a stranger on a bus. Halfway through the scrumptious bánh củ cải (radish cake) from our last-minute trip to the market, I shared the othe...

in Saigon

Hidden in the Heart of D5, an Architectural Vestige of 1970s Vietnam-Korea History

For years now, the verdant pine green pavilion in the heart of Hòa Bình Park in District 5 has been a familiar landmark for denizens of Chợ Lớn.

in Culture

In Remembrance of Saigon Street Calls Past

Drowned out by the noises of modernization, sounds that once served as the background to a simpler time have begun to shrink, and eventually become lost in the wheel of progress. Tiếng rao, or street ...

Khôi Phạm

in Rewind

1735 Km, the 2005 Road Trip Romcom That Could Have Been

In 2005, I was in middle school. I had never had a cellphone nor known what the internet was — our home didn’t have ADSL until ninth grade. Life as a fledgling pupil in Saigon revolved around homework...

in Health

For Trans Vietnamese, Healthcare Providers Are Respectful, but Red Tape Still Hurts

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...

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.

Linh Phạm

in Travel

On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River

We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.

Paul Christiansen

in Travel

How a Film Turned a Historic H'Mông Homestead 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.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep

Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into acco...

in Environment

The Nocturnal Thrill of Capturing Vietnam's Elegant Fauna in Wildlife Photography

For most people, walking in the jungle at night would sound like a bad idea. A lack of knowledge and many misbeliefs, unfortunately, create bad assumptions about the wilderness after dark. And snakes,...

in Ănthology

A Singaporean-Vietnamese Couple Refreshes Hakka Offal Soup With Trứng Cuộn

When my mother, a native of Singapore’s oft-visited Chinatown, described a pork offal soup stall with meatballs that “tasted suspiciously like that vermicelli dish we had in Huế back in 2013,” I knew ...

Khôi Phạm

in Quãng 8

Hồ Trâm Anh Writes Music for Those Who Walk City Streets Yearning for the Open Sky

When I begin my interview with Hồ Trâm Anh, a light shower starts sprinkling over Saigon’s overcast maudlin sky. I apologize if any errant pitter-patter might distract our call, but Trâm Anh brushes i...

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Khỉ Vàng: The Shit-Stirrer, Snack Thief, and Petty Criminal of Vietnam's Forests

I’m not a fucking idiot — That’s what I thought while looking at the sign hung from the door of my hotel room in Đà Nẵng.

in Music & Arts

A Brief History of Paris by Night, the Anchor of Vietnamese Culture Abroad

If home cuisine could satiate exilic tongues that resist strange flavors, art might condole with nostalgic hearts. Paris by Night is one such therapeutic art, or the hallmark of performing arts for Vi...

in Parks & Rec

Losing Myself (and My Work Stress) in the Wacky World of Jazz Dance

Since I started my foray into jazz dance, the most common question I’ve gotten has been “What, you can dance to jazz?”

in Tech

What Creating a Sign Language App Taught Me About the Hardships of Vietnam's Deaf Community

In neighborhood communities, deaf children are often bullied by their hearing friends, according to my classmate Nguyễn Tài Minh.

in Culture

Vietnam's Cultural Diversity via 3 Versions of Sọ Dừa in Kinh, Chăm, Raglai Folklore

On Sọ Dừa’s birth certificate, how should one fill in the “ethnic group” field?

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Secret Realm of Good Vibes Behind the Doors of Passengers Cafe

Like any person born after the year 1990, I am chronically affected by the condition of dawdling at a coffee shop for a supposed boost in productivity and “the vibes” when the clock strikes close to a...

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

The Curious Subculture of Vietnamese New Wave

You never know where a story idea is going to come from.

in Literature

Guilt, Mortality, and Hope in 'Khát Vọng Cho Con' by Poet Du Tử Lê

“We are like fruits forcefully ripened, a generation of premature adults, a generation of misery.”— Du Tử Lê.

Michael Tatarski

in Loạt Soạt

A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River

Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.

in Culture

Ghosts and Other Myths: How Vietnam Celebrates the 7th Lunar Month

In Vietnamese customs, the lunar month of July contains many special days of worship and celebration, with various traditions.

in Parks & Rec

How Exotic Pole Dance Challenges Both Personal Limits and Gender Stereotypes

Flashing flares of neon lights hug the body of a dancer who’s spinning around a pole in the raucous thrum of music and sensuous gasps. In the mind of the average Vietnamese, pole dancing is often asso...

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Hide From the Monsoon Rain at Đặng Thị Nhu's Lost & Found Cafe

Lost & Found Café is a newly opened sister establishment to the popular Lost & Found Bar. Both adopt a pre-1975 Saigon vibe that I, as a Gen-Z Saigoneer who is nostalgic for old Saigon, immediate...

in Ton-sur-Ton

In Seattle, a Vietnamese Jewelry Maker Finds Comfort in the Quirky and Queer

The big, bold, and fun accessories with an air of mystique that Đinh Nguyễn Song Khanh and their spouse, Meiyin, create under their brand XYZ reflect their definition of queer fashion in the US, where...

in Natural Selection

Đom Đóm: Why the Light Is Going Out for Fireflies in Vietnam

Much like their brief existence on Earth, once-common fireflies are quickly disappearing from Vietnam’s natural and oral histories.

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: 60 Years of Guangdong-Style Chinese Food at Chợ Cũ's Chuyên Ký

Besides being the “it” place to obtain imported goods, Saigon’s chợ cũ, or Old Market, is also a treasure trove of hidden eateries.

in Literature

'My Father’s Bàng Tree': A Poem by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai

This poem is featured in Volume 1 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...

in Quãng 8

The Trio of 7UPPERCUTS Exist for the Love of Punk and One Another

Founded in 2017, 7UPPPERCUTS signifies a new generation of musicians who are teeming with youthful and creative energy. 7UP’s music, filled with the rebellious spirit of punk rock, not only delivers h...

in Vietnam

[Video] Vintage VHS Travelogue Takes You to Đà Lạt in 1992

Get ready for a road trip with nostalgia riding shotgun.

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: Just a Short Walk From Bến Thành, a Hearty Bún Chả for Lunch

In his essay collection Hà Nội 36 Phố Phường (The 36 Streets of Hanoi), Thạch Lam famously writes "Ngàn năm bửu vật đất Thăng Long / Bún chả là đây có phải không?" The couplet compares ...

in Environment

Searching for the World's Largest Woodpecker Species in Yok Đôn National Park

You first know she’s approaching by the sound of her wings; her broad shadow flashing across the forest floor. Even from far below, her body looks enormous. At half a meter long, she is roughly five t...

Michael Tatarski

in Natural Selection

Mangroves: The Everyday Superheroes Protecting Vietnam Against Climate Change

When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?

in Parks & Rec

Wind, Sun and the Ocean: The Aerial Thrills of Paragliding Over Đà Nẵng

Paragliding means heaving in a lungful of air, bracing against a gale’s resistance, letting one’s mind ponder the vastness of the ocean below, floating in the middle of the sky, and — for me this time...

Khôi Phạm

in Stories

A Letter From Saigoneer

Saigoneers ơi!

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: The Dream of the 2010s Is Alive at Pacey Cupcakes

Pick your favorite cupcake flavor; perhaps a pitcher of hot fragrant tea too. Ascend the dizzyingly steep flight of stairs. Mind your head. Tread gently on the wooden attic floor. There your friends a...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Touching the Infinite: An Interview With Vietnamese Canadian Novelist Kim Thúy

Why pencils are yellow; the connections between the aviation industry, a centuries-old Central American ballgame and sex; the “true” color of goldfish; the reason we never see Buddha peeing; and the g...

Linh Pham

in Culture

The Wall, a Costume, and a Nation's Identity: How the First Áo Dài Came to Be

How does a nation represent itself to the world?

Khoi Pham

in Natural Selection

A Eulogy for the Last Wild Cọp of Vietnam

The story of Vietnam and cọp is not one where we will come out looking good.

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 29: Nhâm Dần Limps In

Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...

in Ănthology

A Tale of Two Rượus

The first time I bought rượu, it was from Lang Giang, my tour guide in Sa Pa. We were staying in a Red Dao village known for its rice liquor production, and that night I received three water bottles, ...

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

Lêkima: The Flower Worthy of a National Heroine

Don’t you find it bewildering when you have existed for centuries, and are suddenly thrust into stardom due to a small cameo in a nationalist saga?

in Environment

Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade

Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group. 

in Quãng 8

Pain, Hazard Clique's 'Big Brother,' on the Trio's Formation and Friendship

If you consider yourself acquainted with the local rap and hip-hop scene, you probably have Pain aka Đại Ca P on your listening radar. As one part of the creative trio Hazard Clique, this charismatic ...

Paul Christiansen

in Snack Attack

What's the Deal With Cơm Tấm-Flavored Potato Chips?

A quirky legend surrounds the invention of the potato chip, and its identity has only gotten odder over the years.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Demise of the Saigon Tax Center; Old v. New Photos of Vietnam

It's time for the second season of the podcast!

in Society

Spending Lockdown With Your Parents: Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?

The recent periods of social distancing have not only created opportunities for families to spend plenty of time together, but also created a lot of mental pressure when members scramble to find perso...

in Tech

Vietnam Announces New App to Unify All Previous Covid-19 Apps

One app to rule them all.

in Society

How Hanoi Residents and Collectives Look out for the City's Most Vulnerable

“He was so happy to be given rice. And he didn’t have a smartphone or anything like that. I felt I had helped someone that really needed help, and I felt very happy about that.”

Linh Pham

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 11: Saddle Chill Time

Who is better at the art of chilling on a motorbike than the xe ôm?

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Massive Outbreak; Acts of Lockdown Kindness

Take a break from doomscrolling and listen to the first Saigoneer Podcast episode in two months.

in Music & Arts

On the Idea of Home: Reflections From Another Covid-19 Summer

I’m writing this to remember another Covid summer. Today, Saigon continues the second round of social distancing.

in Culture

For Vietnam's Millennials, Sneakers Reflect American Ideals, Self-Expression and Nostalgia

My memories of sneakers date back to when I was halfway through 7th grade, when a pair of Chuck Taylor All Star 70’s was given to me by my parents to commemorate my good end-of-semester results. The s...

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Mèo: A Complicated Love Affair

Of all the Asian and Southeast Asian countries that use the animal zodiac, only Vietnam has a cat in place of the rabbit. One theory for why is that while Chinese has a word for rabbit, it also has a ...

in Music & Arts

Đỗ Trọng Quý's Art Playfully Tells Viewers to 'Get the Hell out of This Place'

Đỗ Trọng Quý’s first solo show in Hanoi at Mo Art Space (136 Hang Trong), “One Endless Summer,” presents 26 of his most recent works during the past year.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Cây Đa: A Tree That Contains Multitudes

in Architecture

The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Vietnam's Modernist Architecture

Since the mid-twentieth century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, et.. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Brands Abroad; TV Show Pitches

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

in Film & TV

Saigon's Young Voice Actors Learn There's More to Dubbing Than Pretty Voices

Voice actors are rarely given enough attention, for they are always working behind closed curtains, giving the movie its "life." Nonetheless, many young people continue to be drawn to this nascent car...

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Cầy Mực: A Critter With Popcorn Pee

I won’t bury the lede. If you are wandering Vietnam’s jungles and suddenly get a whiff of an odor that transports you to the entrance of a CineStar movie theatre, don’t ready yourself for another clic...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 'Things We Lost to the Water' Author Eric Nguyen

We hope you had a good, safe holiday weekend!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Contemporary Coffee Culture and a Street Food Update

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is now available!

Linh Pham

in Culture

Bình Dân Học Vụ, Vietnam's Revolution Against the Enemy of Illiteracy

O tròn như quả trứng gà / ô thì đội mũ, ơ là thêm râu.

in Health

Dầu Gió, a Poignant Link Between My Family Legacy and Traditional Medicine

This is an excerpt from Chapter 2 of the book Pills, Teas, and Songs: Stories of Medicine Around the World by Debby Nguyen, republished with permission. Debby's family of pharmacists and doc...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 100th Episode Roundtable!

We are 100!

in Literature

Her Schedule on Saturday

Imagine that on the weekend a splinter flies into your eye and you have to see the doctor.

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

How DiaCritics Creates a Platform for Diverse Vietnamese Voices From Abroad

“Vietnamese communities can sometimes/often demand conformity and tradition of people in order to feel a part of things; I have always seen diaCRITICS as an opportunity to trouble the definitions, pus...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 28: Embrace a New Fashion

What if cải lương tuồng cổ costumes became a new trend?

in Food Culture

Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Favorite Hẻm Gems, Art (and More) of 2020

In 2019, when the world was not going through a global public health disaster, dining out seemed like the most natural activity in our daily routine. We drank, we relished, we munched, and we bantered...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 27: Santa Claus Is Coming to Quarantine

Vietnam makes no special safety-protocol exceptions for Santa Claus. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Christmas Movies and Author Debby Nguyen

Our second-to-last episode of 2020 is here!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Saigon's Covid-19 Cluster; Video Games in Vietnam

We're back!

in Music & Arts

Vietnam's Art Fondling Epidemic and the Online Vigilante Policing It

There are many clumsy shoe prints beyond the foot-high metal boundary, next to a small sign that screams out in all caps: "PLEASE, DON’T TOUCH THE ARTWORK."

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Street Art in Vietnam; Puppetry Artist Linh Valerie Pham

A new podcast episode is available now!

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: In Poetry Collection 'OM,' Đặng Thân Embraces Human Turmoil

At the heart of Đặng Thân's poetry collection, OM [Other Moments], is the poetics of dichotomy: beauty and brutality, light and darkness, hope and despair, nihilism and existentialism.

in Literature

'Blind Man' by Mimi Nguyen

The blind man knows the direction of destiny.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Central Vietnam Floods; Sustainable Fashion Designer Lê Ngọc Hà Thu

Our latest episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Our Dream Pedestrian Areas; Chilling Stories for Halloween

We're back! 

in Environment

Dams, Sand, Rice: The Life and Possible Death of the Mekong Delta

What would Vietnam be without the Mekong Delta?

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 26: Urban Decay

What happens after the cho thuê nhà signs go up?

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Other Moons' Aims to Amplify Voices of Vietnam's Wartime Writers

Why must we continue talking about war?

Khôi Phạm

in Culture

These Illustrations of Vintage Trung Thu Lanterns Are a Ticket to Your Childhood

There are many harbingers of mid-autumn in Saigon: the mushrooming of street-side mooncake vendors, the gradual arrival of corporate mooncake boxes, and a kaleidoscopic tapestry of lanterns along...

in Culture

'The Worlds Between My Wings' by Kim Loan

From the time I began learning Vietnamese at home and English in public school, I have lived with dual identities pulling me from seemingly opposite ends of a spectrum.

in Saigon

The Mystical Origins of Saigon's Notorious Octagonal Prison, Khám Chí Hòa

Chi Hoa Prison (Khám Chí Hòa) is a seven-hectare facility located in Saigon's District 10.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Urbanist Vietnam's Launch; Áo Dài's Place in Modern Society

The podcast is back!

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Portraits of Frontline Workers From Inside Quarantine

In Con Đã Về Nhà - I'm Home, Tăng Quang documents his two-week stint in quarantine at Military School Zone 7 in District 12 of Saigon with a combination of paintings and prose.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Diacritics in English Writing; the Da Nang Covid-19 Outbreak

The podcast is back after taking a few weeks off!

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

On Loving the Saigon Zoo Despite Its Flaws

We’ve all wanted something we can’t have. Something we can see but can’t touch. Something dangled in front of us but just out of reach like an especially succulent apple growing on a branch inches ...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 25: Child's Play

Who builds Saigon's bridges?

in Literature

Nguyễn Đức Sơn, Eccentric Poet and Pillar of Southern Literature, Passes Away at 83

On the morning of June 11, poet Nguyễn Đức Sơn, pseudonym Sao Trên Rừng (Star Over The Forest), passed away at the age of 83.

in Music & Arts

How Music and Art Empower Vietnam's Efforts to Contain Covid-19

"Even if it's small, it is very cruel. Many have died because of it...We definitely got to stay alert."—'Ghen cô Vy' by ERIK and MIN.

Michael Tatarski

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Hẻm Gems: R House, a Haven for Rescued Dogs, Healthy Eats, and Adoption Opportunities

For dogs, dog owners and general fans of man's best friend, living in Saigon can be tough.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Wildlife Consumption in the Covid-19 Era; a Street Food Update

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Hanoi During, After the Pandemic; Modernist Architecture With Mel Schenck Returns

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is now available!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 24: A Slice of New Saigon

Saigon is a cake with many bakers.

in Culture

Field of Dreams: The History and Future of Baseball in Vietnam

Whenever I tell someone that I am on my school’s baseball team, the immediate reaction is surprise that the school has a baseball team, followed by inquiry about my reasons for joining.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Contemporary Vietnamese Cinema

A new episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Snack Chat and Saigon Children Executive Director Damien Roberts

Happy Monday!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: A View of Vietnam From World Cinema

Episode 84 of the Saigoneer Podcast is now available!

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Professor Among 10 Winners of Prestigious European Mathematics Prize

A Vietnamese professor recently clinched a prestigious prize for young individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of mathematics.

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

Street Cred: The Fame and Shocking Death of Cải Lương Icon Thanh Nga

Fame, murder, sex and music — this story has it all. 

Michael Tatarski

in Food Culture

One's Expired Craft Beer Is Another's Hand Sanitizer Ingredient

Amid the relentless pace of upsetting news related to the coronavirus pandemic, bright spots of ingenuity and compassion have shone through.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The End of the National Social Distancing Order

The Saigoneer Podcast has returned!

in Vietnam

Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels

Let's get historical. 

in Vietnam

A Brief Primer on Vice and Sex Trade in Colonial Vietnam

War loves sex. Sex loves war.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

We Made Some Saigoneer Coloring Templates for You Because Adults Need Whimsy Too

Feeling monochromatic? Well, Saigoneer can help with that.

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Saigoneer's Guide to What to Read While Social Distancing

“In good times arts are magical, and in tough times they are essential. That’s when you need them the most. Art makes you human.”

in Music & Arts

A Slovak-Vietnamese Photographer Explores Her Own Hybridity Through Food

A feeble limb of cucumber supports a plastic cup filled with mango pulp. Enoki strands grow out of the orange mush, hoisting up a sheet of bánh tráng. The translucent rice paper bends, as if wilting, ...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 23: A Round of Applause

"Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, ‘What are you doing for others?'"

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Review Roulette

With no end in sight to working from home — and the coronavirus dominating daily life — we've had to think outside the box for this episode.

in Culture

To Learn How to Love Your Jeans Sustainably, Talk to Saigon's Denimheads

I never feel better than when I am ensconced in denim. This love for jeans is caught up in my genuine adoration of the cowboy aesthetic, the particular beauty of a denim-clad ass and the snug hug of a...

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

History in a Tin: The Colonial Past of Vietnam Through Popular Canned Food

Whether it is fish placed neatly inside rectangular tins or uniform meat slabs stored in cylindrical cans with colorful packages, eating canned food is a strange experience. Unlike sitting in street f...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Covid-19 Dispatches From Saigon

We're back after taking a week off!

Michael Tatarski

in Architecture

From Nature, Vietnam Slowly Forges Its Own Brand of Contemporary Architecture

When it comes to architecture in Saigon, a tiny fraction of buildings receive the vast majority of attention.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: The Different Dealings of Trauma in 'Birds of Paradise Lost'

“I just can’t get the voices out my head,” Andrew Lam explains of his writing process.

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Finding Hong in Gangster Noir Thriller ‘Dragonfish’

For those of us who have read countless books by Vietnamese authors and members of the diaspora, the novel Dragonfish is not just one more installment of ethnic literature or postwar fiction.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Covid-19 Updates, Quarantine What-Ifs and Wildlife Conservationist Trang Nguyen

Episode 80 is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Unheralded Women & the Creators of Melon Bê Đê

Our latest episode is out now!

in Environment

Vietnam Considers Scaling Back Plans to Build New Coal Power Plants

The move comes as thermal power plants are increasingly difficult to finance, while their detrimental environmental impacts are impossible to ignore.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 22: Feline Obstruction

If one needs further proof of cats' superiority to humans, one simply needs to consider their response to Saigon's perpetually stalled public transportation plans.

in Vietnam

Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam

Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu's Social Norms and the Impact of Ongoing School Closures

Our latest episode is out now!

in Asia

Indonesia Minister Proposes Taxes to Sugary Drinks, Polluting Vehicles, Plastic Bags

There is a new proposal to tax sugary drinks, plastic bags and cars that release high amounts of carbon dioxide emissions in Indonesia. 

Thi Nguyen

in Saigon

Street Cred: Dauntless Antiwar Icon Nguyen Thai Binh and His Tragic Death

If one were to see the streets of Vietnam as a tangled network of people whose names they took, every city would resemble a messy collection of historical fragments.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws

We're back from the Tet holiday!

in Literature

Two Vietnam Poems by Hoa Nguyen, Inspired by Saigon Ghost Stories

Vietnam Ghost Story: High School Clock Tower and Vietnam Ghost Story: Towers of District 5

in Culture

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...

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding

They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar. 

in Health

Being Human: Facing the Black Mirror of Technology Addiction

The second edition of ‘Being Human,’ our new series dedicated to mental health, focuses on the growing issue of technology addiction.

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia

In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Tet Food Improvements and Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Decade in Review

Our latest podcast episode is out now!

Michael Tatarski

in Travel

Saigoneer Getaways: To a Saigoneer, Phnom Penh Is Same Same, But Different

Is it possible to even recognize everything that has changed after 10 years?

in Saigon Hẻm Gems

Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Best Hẻm Gems of 2019

In 2019, Saigoneer reviewed a total of 38 Hẻm Gems, including 10 bars or cafes, 15 Vietnamese eateries and 13 places serving delicious non-Vietnamese cuisines.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

'The Mountains Sing,' a Quintessential Vietnamese Novel, Written in Memories

As American bombers roared over the horizon preparing to drop fire and misery, air raid sirens screeched and people throughout Hanoi scrambled to find safety.

in Travel

VietJet Launches 3 New Routes From Da Nang to Hong Kong, Taipei, Singapore

The new routes could be beneficial for Da Nang's tourism revenue.

Thi Nguyễn

in Culture

How Vietnam's Pop Culture Leaves Behind Past Stigmas to Embrace Queerness

The recent rise of music videos and pop culture products that feature androgynous idols and same-sex love has invited mixed responses and debates in the media, which open a window into Vietnam’s histo...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: A SEA Games Deep Dive; Restaurateurs Phuong Ngo & Jerome Buzenet

Our latest episode is available now!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 20: Ephemeral Holiday Feelings

Soft lights illuminate Saigon's dark alleys and streets the way holiday cheer brightens the lamentations for another year passing.

in Music & Arts

Đen, Mỹ Tâm, Vũ. Are the Most-Streamed Vietnamese Artists of 2019 on Spotify

As 2019 draws to a close, music streaming platform Spotify has released its year-end statistics.

in Vietnam

Vingroup, Masan Group Units Merge to Create Retail Giant

The deal will establish Vietnam's largest retail chain.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Air Pollution Problem; the Bubble Tea Bubble Bursts

Episode 70 is out now!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 10: Capital City Claustrophilia

Cramped alleyways thread through the heart of Hanoi’s Old Quarter like arteries, carrying not just people and goods, but also intrigue and fear.

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Americana Through a Vietnamese Lens in 'Butterfly Yellow'

“Read what you don’t know because if you can already imagine it, then you can already imagine it; but if you can’t, then open up something that reveals a world you can’t imagine and then suddenly you’...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Alternative Medicine in the Modern World; Can Netflix Dethrone YouTube?

A new episode is out now!

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

In November, Two Music Festivals Set to Rock Southern Vietnam

The next two weekends will be huge for live music in southern Vietnam.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Our Nguyen Hue Upgrades; We're Loud Fest Organizer Peter Menchetti

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

in Music & Arts

An Introduction to Hanoi's Flourishing Independent Music Scene

From fusion bands to pianists and close-knit young collectives, Hanoi’s independent music scene is blooming.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 19: Learning to Swim

Folk wisdom offers a unique way to achieve aquatic efficiency. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Traditional Vietnamese Culture's Role in Pop Culture; Dessert Fight

The latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is out now!

in Environment

Being Human: How Can We Cope With Climate Change Grief?

Saigoneer is proud to announce ‘Being Human,’ our new series dedicated to mental health.

Thi Nguyen

in Music & Arts

Review: On Ngọt’s Newest Album, Urban Loneliness Lingers on Mellow Strings

Ngot’s latest album brilliantly captures the band’s most appealing quality: the ability to walk the fine line between playful brightness and bitter profundity.

Thi Nguyen

in Music & Arts

Review: In Ngọt’s Album '3,' Urban Loneliness Lingers on Mellow Strings

Ngot’s latest album brilliantly captures the band’s most appealing quality: the ability to walk the fine line between playful brightness and bitter profundity.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Instagram's Impact on Tourism; the Power of 'Made in Vietnam'

A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now! 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Victim-Blaming in 2019; the Rising Indie Music Scene

The latest Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Mooncakes and 'Rubber and the Making of Vietnam' Author Michitake Aso

The podcast is back after a two-week break!

in Saigon

Street Cred: Phan Đình Phùng, My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather

An unassuming street named Phan Dinh Phung runs through Saigon’s Phu Nhuan District. It is named after a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in the 1880s ...

Paul Christiansen

in Culture

The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations

"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."

in Society

Vietnam's Startup Scene Goes From Regional Laggard to Leader

Vietnam has transformed its startup ecosystem from the second-least active to the third-most active among ASEAN countries, trailing only Indonesia and Singapore.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 'The Tale of Kieu,' New Social Networks and Music Writer Thuc Dang

The jam-packed latest episode is online now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Historical What-Ifs and a Street Food Update

We've hit episode 60!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 9: The Turtle God of Hồ Gươm

Hanoi's lakes, including Hồ Gươm, are brimming with fish, debris and memories of historical lore. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Pets in Vietnam; the Significance of 'Ghost Month'

We're back with a new episode!

in Literature

[Short Story] 'Deviate' by Tran Thi NgH

The interplay between lust and creativity, origins of capricious desires and the relationship between art and artist: 'Deviate,' by Vietnamese-writer Tran Thi NgH explores a multitude of themes a...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 18: The Legend of Turtle Lake

The name "Turtle Lake" has more mythic origins than merely suggesting the presence of aquatic reptiles.

in Literature

'Deviate' by Tran Thi NgH

The interplay between lust and creativity, origins of capricious desires and the relationship between art and artist: 'Deviate,' by Vietnamese-writer Tran Thi NgH explores a multitude of themes a...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Deciding Where to Study Abroad; a Ride-Hailing App Update

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 8: The Golden Hooves That Formed Ho Tay

Do you know how Hanoi’s greatest lake was formed?

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Food Authenticity Debate

The latest podcast episode is available now, and we've got a new recording sound!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu Roundtable Special & Laiday Refill Station Co-Founder Quyen Nguyen

The new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Domestic Tourism's Rise & the Son Tung-Snoop Dogg Music Video

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 17: Our Love and Hate for the Rainy Season

The monsoon season's heavy clouds carry a chaos of conflictions.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: One Thing We Would Change About Saigon & Preserving Architectural Heritage

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Discomforting Poetry of Vietnamese Cursed Image

The page description of Vietnamese Cursed Image (VCI) has a single line: “how did you get here?” — a question I find myself asking often.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The War on Plastic and Our Vietnam Superpowers

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

in Music & Arts

5 International Artists of Vietnamese Descent to Add to Your Playlist Now

Although both V-pop and Vietnam's independent scene are on the rise, leading to many interesting conversations about where Vietnamese music is heading, on this playlist we want to instead focus on som...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 'The Third Wife' Controversy and Vietnam's Protein Consumption

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Laughing Gas Debate and Our Favorite Sauces

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 16: Rainstorm Inspiration

While the rainy season's flooded streets, soaked satchels and delayed appointments can make one curse its arrival, sometimes when the torrent hits the neon storefronts just so, it becomes a source of ...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 15: Birthright Balance

Navigating traffic with absurdly overburdened motorbikes comes as second nature to Saigoneers.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Overseas Vietnamese Laborers & What If a Zombie Apocalypse Hit Saigon?

Happy short work week!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: A Reckoning on Child Harassment; That Burger King Ad; & 'Startup Vietnam' Author Andrew Rowan

We're back from a two-week break!

Chris Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Video] Introducing Rooftop Concerts, Saigoneer's New Live Music Series

It is with unrelenting pride and excitement that we can finally introduce Rooftop Concerts, our new live music video series inspired by the likes of Tiny Desk Concerts and La Blogotheque. 

in Culture

On Reconciling With One's Vietnamese Half as an American

My mother is Vietnamese and my father is American, yet I’ve always felt as though I was a tea bag submerged solely in American water. I was born and raised in Minnesota, I speak only English, and I kn...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Listener Mailbag

Happy April Fools' Day!

Khoi Pham

in Culture

Bưu Hoa Stamp Project Is an Online Chronicle of Vietnam's Philatelic History

Among the best ways to learn of a country’s culture and history is looking at its stamp design through the ages. These paper tokens follow their owners’ letters to all corners of the world, serving as...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Our Favorite Vietnamese Poems; Perceptions of Foreign Cuisine

A new week means a new Saigoneer Podcast episode!

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

'I Wander Alone' and 'Your Shirt Button' by Nguyen Quang Than

"You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece."

in Literature

'Your Shirt Button' and 'I Wander Alone' by Nguyen Quang Than

"You told me not to look at you, it’s silly / Yet I want to gnaw you the way I gnaw bread ... the pack of ravenous dogs looked at me with night sea eyes / I wish they could gnaw me piece by piece."

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The 5 National Senses of Vietnam, Local Street Cred

The newest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese in Reality TV Shows and Domestic Tourism Boom

We're back with a brand-new show!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 14: The City's Original Insurgents

 Before bombs and boobie traps, guerilla offenses and ambushes, Vietnam had another means of driving invaders out.

Thi Nguyen

in Loạt Soạt

Saigoneer Bookshelf: Revisiting 'Dumb Luck' by Vu Trong Phung

Published in 1938, Dumb Luck, or Số Đỏ, remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vu Trong Phung was fined by the French colonial administration in Hanoi in 1932 for his stark po...

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 7: The 5th Season

Between autumn's cinnamon light and spring’s galvanic skies, a new season gathers. Formed by human hands, it is capricious at best, invasive at worst. It adheres to no calendar, yet lives in all of us...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Many Lunar Calendar Festivals; Familial Pressure During Holidays

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Redesigning Saigon's Parks; Recreation in the City

We're back from our Tet break!

in Culture

[Illustrations] The Tet Board Games That Help Foster (and Destroy) Family Relations

There’s nothing quite as satisfying as beating all your siblings and cousins in a heated game of cờ cá ngựa. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: A Tết-Themed Nhậu Roundtable Special

It's our last episode before the Lunar New Year!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Superstitions, Real or Fake? and 'The Future is Asian' Author Parag Khanna

Episode 40 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Food Delivery Apps and Where We Think Trump and Kim Should Meet

The Saigoneer Podcast is back after taking a few weeks off!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 13: The Modern Exchange Rate

As the rich get richer...

in Food Culture

The First Annual Saigoneer Golden Plastic Stool Awards for Best Hẻm Gems

As the planet-wide dumpster fire that was 2018 comes to a close, we’d like to take a moment to look back at the year in Hẻm Gems through our first-ever Golden Plastic Stool Awards. These will honor so...

in Culture

[Illustrations] Four Festive Cards for a Very Saigoneer Christmas

While there is no chance of Saigon experiencing a white Christmas, we'd still like to take this opportunity to spread a bit of holiday cheer.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Year in Review and a Look Ahead to 2019

It's our last episode of the year!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 12: Life in the Capricious City

Who hasn't skilled moods that shift quick as clouds dashing throughout Saigon's skyline?

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 6: Hoa Sữa by Any Other Name Would Still Smell as Caustic

The fragrance of hoa sữa, or milk flower, is so deeply embedded in the mythology of Hanoi’s autumnal days that singers, poets and authors alike have all sung its praises.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: English as an Official Language; Vietnam Cliches in Foreign Media; and Food Writer Soleil Ho

We're back in your podcast feed with a packed episode!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Retro/Vintage Aesthetic Trend and a Street Food Update

We're back with a new episode!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Beauty Pageant Obsession; Bad Behavior by Vietnamese Abroad

The latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is online now!

in Food Culture

What We Talk About When We Talk About Bánh Mì

Bánh mì is without a doubt a Vietnamese staple. Versatile, convenient and affordable, the sandwich has gotten so popular in recent years in Vietnam and elsewhere that phở shouldn’t be complacent, as i...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: VinFast's New Electric Motorbike; Adapting Foreign Dishes to Local Tastes

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 5: A Real Cold Fish

This week’s postcard is based on a real-life event: a sweet, thoughtful gesture that turned distinctly fishy.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Our Take on 'The Bachelor'; Western Holidays in Vietnam; Combating Human Trafficking

Episode 33 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 11: A Steaming Bowl

When dark clouds rumble in a frequency akin to that of an empty stomach, the city transforms into a bowl of soup.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Drunk Driving and Finding Phong's Depiction of Transgender Vietnamese

Episode 32 of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Vietnam

Vietnam's National Brand, Valued at $235bn, Jumps 2 Places in World Ranking

Vietnam moves to No. 43 out of 100 countries this year, a two-place jump from last year, with a national brand value of US$235 billion.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Street Cred: The Sins and Saving Grace of Dr. Albert Calmette

If you help save hundreds of thousands of lives via medical breakthroughs and establish one of the country’s first and most advanced research institutes, but also assist in the colonial regime’s bruta...

Khoi Pham

in Society

In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another

The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies flutter...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Coworking Spaces and Vietnam's Four Mythological Creatures

The Saigoneer Podcast is back after taking a couple of weeks off!

Paul Christiansen

in Food Culture

A History of Rice Wine, Part 1: Family Stills, Prohibition and Colonial Bloodshed

Fight or flight: to ball fists, rally rag-tag villagers clutching canes, shovels, sampan oars and bamboo staffs to ward off the bayonet-wielding officers invading your home intending to ransack your c...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu Culture, Street Food Update and an Anthropological Conversation

We've reached episode 30!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 4: The Nudists of Banana Island

The naked truth awaits those who venture beneath Long Bien Bridge…

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 10: In the Arms of Urban Vines

Humans adapted to fields, birds to branches... and yet, in Saigon...

Thi Nguyễn

in Food Culture

Bánh Pía: The Dreamy Mooncake Alternative With a Side of Teochew History

From sweet treats such as yam paste, chè bạch quả (ginkgo soup) and bite-size pastries to savory staples such as lotus root soup, bánh củ cải (radish cake), cốn xại (pickles) and xá pấu (salted radish...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Saigon Traffic Plans, Mid-Autumn Festival and Saigonita Founder Tam Le

Happy (damp) Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fast Fashion, Bubble Tea Madness Returns and Urban Tales Cholon

Happy Monday! It's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Asian Olympics, Saigon's Museums and Travelfish Co-Founder Stuart McDonald

We hope everyone had a great holiday weekend - we're back with the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode!

in Food Culture

De-Shelling Vietnam’s Love of Eating Snails

Snails prove a divisive delicacy in many countries, but in Vietnam, they are perhaps more misunderstood, and arguably more refreshing, than anywhere else in the world.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Gender Roles in Vietnam, Public Indecency, and Human Geographer Michael Waibel

We're back with episode 26!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Seafood Fight, Traditional Medicine and L'Arrange Rhum

We're a quarter of the way to 100 episodes!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Exercise in Vietnam, Street Cred and Hanoi Zine Library

Episode 24 is out now!

Thi Nguyen

in Tech

Typing Vietnamese, Part 2: The Vietnamese Diaspora, Unicode and the Ubiquity of Unikey

This is part 2 of our two-part series on the history of Vietnamese-centric typing technologies. Part 1 can be accessed here.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Decadent Vietnamese Dishes and Marriage in Modern Vietnam

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is ready for your listening pleasure!

Paul Christiansen

in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks

Ngõ Nooks: Reng Reng, a Welcome as Cold as the Coffee at Hanoi's Most Idiosyncratic Cafe

Reng Reng isn’t a friendly coffee shop.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Reflections From Hanoi, World Cup Madness and Cave Expert Howard Limbert

Episode 22 of the Saigoneer Podcast is in your earbuds now!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 8: The City's Sewer Saviors

Below the busy streets, saintly, filth-submerged sanitation workers strive to un-muck our sewers.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Nhậu Roundtable Special

The Saigoneer Podcast has turned 21!

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 3: The Right Side of the Tracks

The third entry in the Hanoi Postcards series, our love notes to the city we call home, depicts a unique neighborhood. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Transportation in Saigon, Women in Tech and a Singaporean Foodie

We've hit episode 20!

Thi Nguyen

in Tech

Typing Vietnamese, Part 1: Language, Identity and Technology at a Crossroad

My first exposure to the computer traces back to my primary school years when computer classes were conducted once a week. In order to study computers, students had to migrate from their usual classro...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Forgotten Traditions, Making Vietnamese Food Even Healthier and Renaissance Woman Mai Nguyen

Another week, another episode of the Saigoneer Podcast! We're almost to our big 2-0!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Queer Representation in Vietnamese Pop Culture, Street Food Update and Marou Chocolate

We're back with episode 18 after taking a week off!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 7: The Penguin Puzzle

Where are all the turtles in Saigon's turtle lake, why does Bitexco have a helipad it never uses, how come so many streets misspell their namesakes (looking at you Hàng Sanh) - Saigon is fil...

Khoi Pham

in Culture

The Tale of the Coconut Skull Is a Perfect Balance of Weird, Heart and Family-Friendly Moral Lessons

Vietnamese folklore takes the old adage “beauty is only skin-deep” very seriously.

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 2: Coming up Roses

Hanoi Postcards is our series of love notes to the city we call home. This second offering is of a flower seller cycling along with her florets. With sunlight shining through an audience of trees, her...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fake News Euphemisms, Vegetable Fight and Stand-up Comedian Vu Minh Tu

We're celebrating our sweet 16 this week!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 6: Bus Beatitudes

With the subway years away, taxis too expensive, ride-share apps maddeningly inaccurate, motorbikes impossibly dangerous and walking beneath the sun akin to mobile self-spit-roasting, many Saigoneers ...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Folk Tales and Artist Quynh Lam

It's Monday, meaning it's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 1: Hom Fabric Market

This week, Saigoneer is proud to announce a new series: beautifully crafted illustrations, in the form of postcards, celebrating everything we love about this city. Every couple of weeks, we’ll reveal...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fakes in Vietnam, Kick-Ass Millenials and a Deep Dive on Thu Thiem

It's Monday morning, which means it's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 5: The Rainy Season Has Awoken

As last week's storms attest to, the rainy season is about to once again menace the city.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Movies, Digital Subcultures and One Journalist's View of Vietnam

It's Monday, which means it's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Street Food Roundup, #MeToo in Vietnam and Dr. Phuong Mai Nguyen

We're back from the holiday break with a new episode!

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Riverbanks Silky With Ancient Songs : A Discussion With Writer Nguyen Phan Que Mai

“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Writer Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Brings Vietnamese-English, North-South Closer

“You writers have blood on your hands,” a Vietnamese man once told Nguyen Phan Que Mai in reference to the ability of poetry, stories and songs to have inspired young men and women into wars that clai...

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 4: Mourning the Fallen

Saigon has lost some of its oldest citizens recently, and in this installment of our Saigon Postcard series, we pay our respects. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Unique Hobbies, Mental Health and Nomadic Notes

This week we moved into a recording studio, and we're excited about the much better sound quality listeners will be able to enjoy moving forward!

Khôi Phạm

in Arts & Culture

The Unsolved Riddle Behind Cô Mía, Vietnam's Sugarcane Juice Muse

“Oh this drawing?” chị Liên shouted in Vietnamese over the juicer’s raucous purring. “I don’t know who she is. Isn’t it just an advertisement?”

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Fruit Fight, and Saigon Duo

It's the start of a new work week, which means there's a new Saigoneer Podcast available for your listening pleasure.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 3: The Best Kind of Air 'Pollution'

The third entry in the Saigon Postcards series, our loving messages to the city we call home, focuses on a simple pleasure. 

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Ghost Stories, Vietnam's Super-Rich and Cambodian Rock & Roll

It's time to start your week with a hearty dose of the Saigoneer Podcast.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Deadly Fires, Grab Beats Uber and Building 'Green' in Vietnam

It's been a busy news week in Vietnam, and we're here to break down some of the biggest stories.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 2: Traditional Saigon

Saigon Postcards (formerly Saigon Mixtapes) is our series of loving missives to the city we call home. The second postcard imagines what Saigon would be like if we people had never arrived.

Michael Tatarski

in Food Culture

From Texas to Saigon: Viet-Cajun Cuisine's Journey Around the World

Given the size of the overseas Vietnamese diaspora, it comes as little surprise that the community has had a huge influence on the cuisines of countries around the world.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Cuisine Abroad, Food Writer Andrea Nguyen and Saving Ancient Art Forms

Saigoneer is back in your earbuds with the latest episode of our podcast.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 1: Bitexco's Lonely Helipad

Saigoneer is proud to announce Saigon Postcards, a new series which pays loving tribute to the city we call home through original illustrations paired with text.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Spotify Arrives and the Ties That Bind Vietnam & Japan

We're back in your ears with the latest episode of the Saigoneer Podcast.

Khoi Pham

in Food Culture

A Brief History of Hanoi's Iconic Bia Hơi Glass

Hanoi’s iconic bia hơi glass is more than meets the eye.

Khôi Phạm

in Snack Attack

The Yin and Yang of Saigon Street Desserts: Black Sesame Soup and Bean Curd

In the back of my mind lives a chorus of street calls: the staccato pauses in a recorded advertisement "bánh mì Sài Gòn, một ngàn một ổ" (hot Saigon bánh mì, only thousand [dong] per loaf), the clink-...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Contemporary Vietnamese Literature and the LGBTQ Community in Vietnam

After a one-month break, we're back on the air!

Thi Nguyen

in Food Culture

Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Sticky Rice Cakes

To me, there's nothing that screams Tet as much as sticky rice cake. However one wants to spice up the usual celebration by replacing some dishes with something new each year, sticky rice cakes remain...

Khoi Pham

in Culture

[Illustrations] How Tet Traditions in Saigon and Hanoi Differ, From Booze to Bánh

How one’s family celebrates Tet can reveal a lot about where they hail from.

Thi Nguyen

in Culture

In Vietnam, Joss Papers Link Life and Death, Modernity and Tradition

Joss papers and effigies consumed my experiences before I began to even question their meaning. On the anniversary of my grandfather’s death (giỗ), my grandmother routinely set up a large pot in ...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: U-23 Pride, Bubble Tea Madness, and the Saigon Heat

The Saigoneer Podcast is officially one month old!

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Grab & Uber, Indie Music and Modernist Architecture

The third episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is available now!

in Food Culture

Pandan, Southeast Asia's Humble Leaf Set to Take the World by Storm

Pandan, an aromatic plant native to Southeast Asia, could soon have its moment in the international spotlight thanks to British chef and food writer Nigella Lawson, who extolled its virtues in an inte...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: 2017 Recap, Record Tourism Year and Coffee

The Saigoneer Podcast's second episode is online now!

in Podcast

The Debut Saigoneer Podcast Episode Is Available Now!

The debut episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is now online!