Sun-Kissed Festivities: Celebrate in Urban Luxury at JW Marriott Hotel & Suites Saigon
Home to a significant Christian community, Saigon lights up every Christmas Eve with a myriad of festive lights, making it the perfect destination for Christmas and New Year’s travel. This year, JW Ma...
Hẻm Gems: Amid Saigon's Heat, a Wintry Ambiance in Xocoati's Cozy Cocoa Drinks
Amidst Saigon’s year-round scorching heat, I crave coziness — a feeling that often comes with snuggling under heavy blankets in my Hanoian winter. I was searching for some comfort and “winter vibe” sp...
How Hanoi's Infectious Rats and Impish Locals Bamboozled the French in 1902
When facing a bubonic plague epidemic, is it wiser to delve into sewers and cull infected rats yourself or offer payment to Vietnamese for deliveries of severed tails instead? For Hanoi’s French colon...
The Unbearable Lightness of An Giang's Bánh Bò Thốt Nốt Chảo
Some simple delights can capture the flavor of an entire region.
Elevate Your Culinary Experience With 3-starred Michelin Chef Bruno Menard and Singaporean Chef Mark Suah
This August, JW Marriott Hanoi is set to delight food enthusiasts in Hanoi with a unique culinary week featuring the esteemed 3-starred Michelin Chef Bruno Menard and Singaporean culinary expert Chef ...
Hẻm Gems: At D7's Tía Tô, Home-Cooked Korean Comfort Food for the World-Weary
Growing up in South Korea's extremely competitive and high-stress education system, combined with strict Asian parenting, my relationship with my parents has never been easy.
Hanoi's Largest Indoor Aquarium Is Surprisingly Impressive for a Mall Attraction
I am a champion of the public aquarium. For many people, the aquarium is the only place where they can meet marine life outside of perhaps a wet market or seafood restaurant. Some research suggests th...
Nam Jam Festival Returns to Đà Nẵng With Week of Mural Arts
The Nam Jam Festival from March 4 to 10 invites more than 50 local and international street artists to create massive works of street art in Đà Nẵng.
Celebrating Tết with the Essence of Gift-Giving
The moment of transition between the old and new year has arrived, and it's time when Tết gifts are meticulously selected and carefully prepared. Whether it's a thank you, an expression of gratitude, ...
JW Marriott Hanoi Presents Entirely New Look and Experience From the Renovated Suites
Upgrade your stay and indulge in refined living with our collection of suites that go above and beyond, with spacious layouts, personalized touches and elevated experiences delivered by our dedicated ...
Hem Hem Lights up Saigon With the Electrifying Riffs of Japanese Ska
The cheerful ska tunes combined with insanely energetic and quirky dance moves packed every inch of the indoor space of Indika with heat and pure joy.
Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
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.
Review: ‘Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng’ Is a Soul-Searching Mission in the Lâm Đồng Mist
On the pastures of slow cinema where Andrei Tarkovsky, Tsai Ming-liang and Theo Angelopoulos reside, Phạm Thiên Ân's debut feature, Bên Trong Vỏ Kén Vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell), has made its...
My Great-Great-Grandfathers Were in Indochina in the 1880s to Build the Railway
We often see archival images of old Hanoi, but these photos are different — they are personal. The following shots, which come from a collection of five photo albums, are the only surviving record of ...
Johnnie Walker XR Celebrates Legendary Artist Trần Phúc Duyên
Making a genuine connection with artwork can be a matter of fate. But successful collaborations require more than mere fate. This idea holds true when seeking to protect and uphold the heritages behin...
Pride Fest, Cambodia's Most Ambitious LGBT Event to Date, Is Coming This Week
On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames thei...
In Phú Nhuận's Communal House, a Kỳ Yên Festival Right by the Train Track
The Kỳ Yên festival is the biggest annual event held at the Phú Nhuận communal house from the 16th to the 18th of the first lunar month.
At Phước Hải's Lễ Hội Nghinh Ông, Everything Every Whale All at Once
Phước Hải is a fishing township in the south of Vietnam, a short ride away from Vũng Tàu.
Ở đó ở đây Sài Gòn — A Love-Hate Letter to the Maze of Paradoxes
Editor's note: Adrien Jean is a Saigon-based photographer and a frequent contributor to Saigoneer's Darkroom series. His photos often depict the precise moments in time when the visual elements of our...
A Day in the Life of Phùng Hưng, a D5 Street With Two Personalities
Nestled in the historic Chợ Lớn section of District 5, Phùng Hưng Street runs from the canal along Võ Văn Kiệt through to Hồng Bàng. Within its length, the street has two distinct personalities.
A Visual Homage to the Water Buffalo's Practical and Symbolic Importance in Vietnam
The second animal sign in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, trâu, has symbolic and practical importance in Vietnam.
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 Ninh Thuận's Chăm Community, a Joyous Celebration of Katê, the Year's Most Important Festival
The Katê festival is the oldest and most unique festival of the Chăm ethnic minority and has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tou...
A Mosaic of Vietnam's Landscapes Through the Windows of the North-South Train
Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.
Slices of Life in Saigon, Huế, Hanoi in 1989 on Film
What is it about coming across old photos that tugs on our heartstrings so much, even when they depict a time when some of us weren’t alive yet?
In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil
In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.
How Châu Đốc's Chăm Muslim Community Celebrates Ramadan
Vietnam's recent four-day holiday coincided with observations of Ramadan this year.
The Young Vietnamese Artisans Breathing New Life Into Animals Carcasses
Skeletons and carcasses are often reminiscent of eerie, spine-chilling scenes in horror movies. But in the taxidermy community, animal corpses are of great value for artisans to create unique works th...
A Photographer's Quest to Document Vietnam's Provinces From Two Angles
Hanoi-based photographer Justin Mott has taken a unique approach to depicting Vietnam in his ongoing photo series.
Ná Nả: How a Grassroots Initiative Enriches the Lives of Ethnic Minorities
Khang A Tủa is attending university in Ho Chi Minh City, but he took the last semester off to run a project supporting people of the H’Mong ethnic minority.
Basket Boats: A Key Part of Everyday Life in Coastal Vietnam
Vietnam’s narrow tube houses come from the feudal era and the tax policy in effect at the time. The feudal state charged a fee based on the width of the street-facing facade to collect taxes, pushing ...
Yin Yoga: Beyond Daily Practice
Like two sides of the same coin, yin and yang cannot exist without the other. It’s about dualism, the interconnected and interdependent nature of the world. To say yang, it must be in the context of s...
Saigoneer Podcast: Tourist Attractions & Who They're For; The Debate Over 'Essential' Goods
A new episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is now available!
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Voọc Cát Bà: The Endangered Primate of Karst Land
Imagine being born one color, and growing up into a very differently hued adult.
What Happens When Artists Turn a Fishing Village Into Their Canvas?
Imagine if your home village was suddently transformed into a giant canvas for murals.
Vietnamese Designer Pursues Fresh Approach to Making History Known
Self-taught graphic designer Michael Angle is passionate about Vietnam’s history and wants to spread that love to everybody.
After Series of Shocking Pet Poisonings, Owners Push for Stricter Animal Welfare Laws
About two hours after her morning walk in the Lang Bao Chi area of Thao Dien one recent Sunday, Nguyễn Hoàng Thanh Cao’s two-year-old beagle, Peanut, began vomiting and convulsing uncontrollably.
Art That Outlives Us: The Paintings of Vietnamese American Artist Ann Phong
There are two things that disconcert older-generation Vietnamese Americans in Little Saigon from those around them: fusion food and the arts; both of which evoke nothing but strangeness. Intolerable s...
Sài Gòn Ơi, Let's Meet for Cà Phê Once the Pandemic Is Over
For various reasons, some city activities that I’ve long shunned are now replaying in my mind like footage of an old home video during these days of working from home.
With Summer Comes a Glorious Lotus Harvest Season in Hoi An
The farmers we met in these fields near Hoi An have been working their lotus farms since the end of the 1970s. The area has been a hub of lotus production in the decades since.
Enjoy the Simple Things: The Essence of Hanoi's Gian Don Clothing Store
Gian Don is not much of a commercial fashion brand but a "family shop," where Diệu spends her days delivering stories on "friendly" fashion, and puppies are “employed” as sales associates. I visi...
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 ...
At Huyen Trang Pagoda, Spirituality, Charity Campaigns and a Home for Stray Kittens
Huynh Tan Phat, spanning many kilometers paralleling the river in District 7, is typical of many bustling streets, filled with the cacophonous rhythms of Saigon. However, cross the bridge at Pham...
Ngõ Nooks: Board Game Café Minipolo Bonds Friends Over Snakes and Lattes
Hanoi is no stranger to the board game café niche, but something about Minipolo has groups of friends flocking here day and night to fill the atmosphere with chatter, laughter and the occasional, inev...
The Quotidian Hẻm Life Along the Railway Track in District 3
I have made multiple trips up and down the hẻm along the railway from Le Van Sy to capture the moods both during the week and on weekends. As the hẻm serves both pedestrians and ...
Ngõ Nooks: A Mom-and-Pop Ramen Experience in Hanoi's 'Japantown'
Anyone familiar with the Linh Lang–Kim Ma–Dao Tan area knows it’s the closest one might get to visiting Japan in Hanoi.
On the Gentle Train Ride in a Myanmar From Another Era
Since the shocking coup d’état in Myanmar on February 1 and the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi, the world has watched helplessly while the military junta brutally cracks down on peaceful protesters try...
Wander Around a Holiday-Ready Hanoi Amid the Shadows of the Pandemic
Tết has come and gone, but the memories remain.
Lowy Institute Ranks Vietnam's Pandemic Response Second-Best Globally
As Vietnam confronts a fresh COVID-19 outbreak, it has scored exceptionally well in a new global analysis of pandemic responses.
[Photos] Get Set, Row: The Aquatic Exuberance of Soc Trang's Ooc Om Bok Festival
Also called the Moon Worship festival, Ooc Om Bok is one of the liveliest festivals in the Khmer calendar.
When Life Gives You Flavorful Vietnamese Cashews, Make Vegan Cheese
“Firstly, I had to find my calling, but in the end, it all came down to creating something and then seeing others enjoy it."
[Photos] Fancy a Drink, Scarf or Even a New Cow? Head to Meo Vac’s Sunday Market.
Meo Vac is a small town located in the extreme north of Vietnam, close to the Chinese border that stretches out as far as the eye can see behind the massive limestone mountains surrounding the region....
Vietnam to Increase Fines for Not Wearing Masks 10-Fold in November
The penalty for not wearing facemasks in public places will soon increase by a factor of 10.
[Photos] The Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa
Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?
[Photos] Inside the Dust-Covered World of Ninh Van's Traditional Stone Carvers
It's a rare treat to see generations of skill in person.
'Con Ăn Cơm Chưa? | Have You Eaten Yet?' by Jessica Nguyen
it took me till my college years when saying “I love you” became a normal thing
[Photos] A Sweltering Day on a Ninh Thuan Salt Field
Ever wonder where your salt comes from?
[Photos] From Bamboo to Altar: The Life of an Incense Stick in Vietnam
Vietnamese see the process of burning incense as a sacred ritual said to provide a bridge between the visible life of human beings and the spiritual world of gods.
Bring Your Own Containers, We're Going Grocery Shopping
Above a peaceful coffee shop on the quiet road of Nguyễn Khắc Nhu lies a small zero-waste refill shop trying to advocate change.
With No Foreign Visitors, Vietnam's Travel Sector Courts Domestic Tourists, but Is It Enough?
As the country slowly opens for tourism, are companies and people adequately prepared?
[Photos] Visions of a Dynamic Vietnam Through My Deaf Eyes
Vietnam inspired me to take photographs of places, people, cultures and landscapes that I've never seen before.
In an Ever-Changing Saigon, Street Artisans Hold Fast to Dying Crafts
We delve into the lives of Saigon’s artisans — an animal coconut leaf folder, a woodcarver embracing modern influences, an accomplished street corner calligrapher, and an itinerant craftsman to see wh...
A Brief Primer on Vice and Sex Trade in Colonial Vietnam
War loves sex. Sex loves war.
Tracing the Reincarnation of Plastic Waste in Saigon's Informal Recycling Workshops
The text message said to be ready at 4:30am at my street corner, where I would be picked up for the drive to the plastics recycling center. I had been wanting to visit the site for this article and th...
66% of Covid-19 Cases in Hanoi Are Asymptomatic, Health Officials Say
Hanoi officials have warned of increased risk of Covid-19 outbreaks, as it was reported that 66.6% of confirmed cases in the capital were found to be asymptomatic.
Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants
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.
[Photos] In Yangon's Forsaken Amusement Park, Nature Finds Home in Decrepit Artifacts
Yangon Amusement Park was built in 1997 by the former military junta as a flashy distraction from their violent dictatorship.
Vietnam's Movie Industry Strides Forward as Much Work Remains
After all it’s been through in conjunction with the historical journey of the nation itself, it's safe to say that it has been one hell of a ride for the Vietnamese film industry.
Coronavirus Update: 57 Cases, Compulsory Masks and Saigon's Nightlife Closures
Despite tightening restrictions on movement and air travel, Vietnam’s number of Covid-19 cases jumped from 39 last Thursday to 57 by the end of Sunday.
Coronavirus Update: Vietnam’s Cases Rise to 39; Patients' Health Improves
Nine new coronavirus cases in Vietnam have been confirmed within the last three days.
Coronavirus Update: 30 Cases in Total; 13 New Cases Linked to London–Hanoi Flight
It was a grim weekend for Vietnam as, after three weeks with no new Covid-19 cases and 100% recovery rate, the number of patients who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus ballooned to 30.
How Vietnam Is Trying to Save Its Beloved Giant Yangtze Softshell Turtles
Eighty-eight-year-old Le Huy Hoanh stands up from his bench and carefully poured tea in rural Vietnam, and mimes for us how he used to kill gods.
[Photos] Immersing in a Lonely Japan Outside the Urban Crowds
Japan's cities are known for their dense urbanity and crowded subways, but they can also be isolating.
Saigon Extends School Shutdown by 1 Week for Grade 12, 2 Weeks for Others
Saigon authorities recently announced that students in public schools in the city will continue to stay at home for the first weeks of March.
[Photos] Life in the Time of the Masks and Coronavirus
These are strange times we're all living in.
[Photos] On the North-South Railway, Open Windows Frame Portraits of Everyday Life
Traveling on the Reunification Express from Saigon to Hanoi feels like a ride through history and time.
