In conversations surrounding Vietnam’s fashion history, it’s impossible not to discuss áo dài and its many iterations across the eras as symbols of Vietnamese femininity, but it would be amiss to leave out the local range of eclectic bracelets and bangles, hairdos and headdresses and the people who wore them.

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Since Saigon Supersound presented its first volume back in 2017, the anthology of vintage Vietnamese music has become a household name for fans, both in and out of Vietnam, with a penchant for tunes from the country’s storied past. Earlier this month, Saigon Supersound’s third and final volume was officially released by Germany-based INFRACom.

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On their fifth journey off the beaten paths, Tô Đậm is heading to the highland of Ma Bó, Lâm Đồng Province for a new season of lessons, stories, and adventures previously unfolded.

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An overnight stay in Xuân Thủy National Park, Nam Định Province means potential bug bites, snake encounters and pungent ocean air, but also a rewarding quest into the wild wetlands of northern Vietnam’s coastline.

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One item on my “bucket list” is a journey to discover an exciting new land on a solo trip. It’s not a simple aspiration so I didn’t think that I would get a chance to accomplish it any time soon, but right on my 19^th birthday, Châu, my “big boss” and mentor at Urbanist Travel, surprised me with an unforgettable vacation to Sapa.

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Countless are the number of hours Hanoi creatives have spent sipping whisky and contemplating the world at the famous drinking hole that is Tadioto.

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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 Tourism in 2017.

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My non-existent architectural background leaves me unable to do anything beyond expressing a distaste for tacky constructions and a vague idea of what constitutes a well-designed building. I can speak on the tasteful placement of a brise-soleil with as much confidence as a nervous five-year-old cooking beef wellington for an unhinged Gordon Ramsay. I hadn’t even heard of Vietnam’s modernist architecture movement until a few weeks ago, but when I was given the opportunity to take part in Urbanist Travel’s modernist architecture tour, I was intrigued to learn more about the stories behind the remnants of history I drive past in Saigon on a daily basis.

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To celebrate the 2^nd anniversary of Urbanist Travel, we are excited to invite you to participate in Saigoneer’s first-ever writing competition, “2 Years of Memories,” to look back at the most historic years of Vietnam’s tourism industry during the pandemic and the following recovery period.

Urbanist Travel is an international travel agency that came into existence to further realize Saigoneer’s long-enduring aspiration to “explore Vietnam and beyond.” Read our interview with Urbanist Travel Co-Founder Châu Cecilia Nguyễn here for the company's origin story.

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Loyal readers might know Saigoneer as a home where all things fascinating, whimsical and insightful about Vietnam are celebrated, but not many are aware that for the past years, we have been a tiny bit more than just writers. Two years ago, we officially welcomed our sister company Urbanist Travel into the family.

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The enduring pages in our history deserve book covers that match their significance.

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Saigon is filled with addresses you aren’t looking for, announcements not aimed at you and signs for businesses you have no plans to frequent. Sign street demands delving into the oft-ignored.

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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 Vietnamese communities across the globe. 

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What gives one’s life meaning? For some, it’s faith, family or art. For Trần Văn Nam, it’s money, but not in the way you probably imagine.

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“Đông Nam Bộ” is a collection of illustrations reflecting the culture, history and local charms of provinces in the Southeast Region of Vietnam. The artworks were all created by artists who live or grew up in the region.

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Even in his 70s, Phan Văn Bạc — better known among friends and fans as chú Hai Bạc — is still getting his hands dirty every day working with engines, screws and bolts to take care of vintage Vespas and Lambrettas. Bạc is among a handful of veteran mechanics remaining in Saigon whose specialties are Vespas and Lambrettas.

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

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Serene nature? Thrilling activities? Cultural insights? World-class cuisine and vibrant nightlife? Everyone has different priorities when going on vacation, and a few special places in Vietnam can accommodate almost all of them. Saigoneer recently traveled to Đà Nẵng to see how many different experiences we could find.

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In an effort to facilitate new discussion and appreciation of Vietnam’s national epic poem The Tale of Kiều, this September, the team behind YUME - Art Project is launching a series of events titled “Đợi Kiều” (Waiting for Kiều). The initiative comprises the minishow “Thư gửi cung mây,” the seminar “Truyện Kiều - Ca dao & Hồn Việt,” and a contemporary cải lương performance titled “Đợi Kiều.”

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On a sunset wander through Hanoi, you may be surprised by the peculiar sight of men haphazardly perched in nooks and crannies playing the ancient game of xiangqi.

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The cheeky illustration project “Phố Trong Hộp” (City in a Box) was conceived when its author Khánh Băng started merging Vietnam’s quaint street corners with some of the country’s most iconic FMCG products.

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Being surrounded by the laughter of one’s family while enjoying a carefree vacation may be one of life’s greatest pleasures, but it takes some coordination to make everyone involved happy. Thanks to its convenient natural beauty, modern entertainment options and diverse dining offerings, Đà Nẵng represents an ideal destination for families of all ages to explore, play and rest.

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“What we wanted was to bring iconic images of Vietnam to a global audience — metal doors, plastic stools, cà phê sữa and at the same time use these as tools for people to become connected,” said Hoa Phạm, co-founder of Saigon-based creative outlet OHQUAO. The content creator, along with her husband, illustrator Simon Phan, has invested the last five years of their time, energy, and money into creating and scaling this desire into a brand.

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

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Earlier this month, Merited Artist (NSƯT) Khánh Hợi passed away in Hanoi at 100 years old. She was a cải lương legend with enthralling roles that shall live on in the heart of the community. 

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If Captain Tsubasa was a treasured part of your childhood, perhaps you can give Sơn Goal! a try. 

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River entities hiding the bodies of drowned victims, spectral ma lai whose head and guts hover in the air, ma trành spirits luring unassuming victims into the path of tigers, or the ghosts of a family with consecutive deaths — these are just some ghastly myths from Vietnamese folklore that the Ma Quỷ Dân Gian Ký project (The Chronicle of Folk Spirits) was inspired by.

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Our trek to Everest Base Camp from Lukla begins on the first days of summer. Just two weeks into May, throngs of mountain climbers have already congregated here, despite the bitter cold, striving to conquer Earth’s highest base camp.

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As the xe ôm is about to reach the halfway point of Long Biên Bridge, I tell him to stop.

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Combining elements of the traditional and the modern, Hnubflower and her collaborators have brought to life a project to recreate the fashion of many H’Mông communities in provinces across Vietnam.

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"A Việt Kiều customer living in France paid me a visit. She looked at my sofa and started tearing up because its design was so similar to one she had in her childhood home. She said she missed home and missed those days a lot,” Huỳnh Minh Hiệp, the owner of Lúa Cafe, says.

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The 84-km railway line connecting Đà Lạt and Tháp Chàm (Phan Rang) was built between 1908 and 1932 and abandoned in 1976.

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To promote two upcoming Trịnh Công Sơn biopics, the production team collaborated with Universal Music Vietnam to release an extended play (EP) of Trịnh Công Sơn classics performed by young musicians.

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From a humble audio recording studio, Rec Room went from a small close-knit community of like-minded music lovers to organizing multi-event live performance tours spanning provinces.

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This dizzying bridge is not for the faint-hearted.

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Were those nose swabs all a dream?

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Vietnam's recent four-day holiday coincided with observations of Ramadan this year.

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From feng shui to bánh tráng trộn, the chosen designers find their inspiration everywhere. 

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The poetic Hương River flows calmly, the fresh air and breeze whisper through the lush pine forest, a coming sunset colors the peaceful natural spectacle. All of this can be experienced during a late-afternoon visit to Huế's Vọng Cảnh Hill.

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Maybe Suboi can eat a plate of cơm tấm during her next performance.

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"The Bát Tràng Ceramic Boots. An Inspiration from Italy" exhibition will feature 12 ceramic boots created by artisan Vũ Đức Thắng, who blended Italian fashion and Bát Tràng craft traditions.

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In hopes of recreating the paintings of silk master Mai Trung Thứ, photographer Minh Sơn and his collaborators have done something extraordinary with this photo collection. The resulting works bear striking resemblance to their painted predecessors and have taken Vietnam’s social media by storm recently.

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Lĩnh Nam Chích Quái was one of Vietnam’s first anthologies written in Hán characters in prose form. It’s a collection of 22 folk tales, mythologies, and legends surrounding the origin story of the Vietnamese civilization, how our ancestors built and defended our sovereignty, and a myriad of ancient customs and spiritual folk beliefs.

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Time for all Vietnamese Masters to save their Saint Quartz.

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“No one could sing our song but ourselves.” — Inrasra, Chăm poet and anthropologist.

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Transcending the boundaries of a conventional art exhibition, “Midnight in the Mangroves - Đêm Trong Rừng Ngập Mặn” tackles the beauty and important environmental role of mangrove forests via the language of photography.

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If you live in Vietnam, chances are you live next to a construction site: hotels, condos, shopping centers, etc. But why see the same old site every day when there are so many different ones out there to experience?

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How much mắm tôm can you chug?

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Born of the vivacity and flashiness of the 1980s, a novel wave of music once became the symbol for a whole generation of Vietnamese, and then faded into obscurity at its peak. It took over two decades for this golden era to resurface thanks to the efforts of young musicians.

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As aid to Vietnamese communities decreases, how do we continue to preserve cultural heritage? Zó Project, an organization based out of Hanoi, offers a compelling example of the role social enterprise can play in Vietnam.

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