Khôi Phạm

in Film & TV

Remembering Thuy Trang, the First Vietnamese Power Ranger

It was the late 1990s, and I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror of our childhood home, holding my dad’s solid-metal belt buckle up with a pseudo-serious expression on my baby face. Fortunately, I wasn’t doing a YouTuber-style makeup review, but was in fact mirroring the transformation sequence of my favorite TV idols, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

in Music & Arts

In 'Vietnam Retropunk,' a Young Illustrator Dreams of a Cyberpunk Hanoi

To Đặng Thái Tuấn, the talent behind illustration project “Vietnam Retropunk,” whimsical depictions of robots and animatronics sprouting out from everyday objects and activities embody the space in between the ancient and the futuristic.

in Loạt Soạt

A Story of Personal, Political Reckoning in a Singaporean Writer's Fictional Wartime Vietnam

The Immolation first came to me as a bewildering surprise: at a now-relocated bookshop in Singapore, the book caught the eyes of the 17-year-old me. It was not so much the cover’s pale blue background, or the expression of ennui on the author’s post-impressionist portrait, but rather its dealing with the American War. After all, the title directly referenced the iconic protest by the Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức, who set himself on fire on the street of Saigon.

Xuân Phương

in Culture

Under the Sky, Above the Water: Into the Heat at Ninh Thuận's Salt Fields

A 3,000-kilometer coastline is one of nature’s best gifts to Vietnam, bringing about not just ample seafood, but also a motherlode of sea salt.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Enter the Dreamy Tales Told by the Works of Young Illustrator Thố Đầu • Hổ Vĩ

Being born at the cusp of the Year of the Rabbit (cat) and the Year of the Tiger offers the literal meaning for Hoàng Phúc's artist name, thố đầu • hổ vĩ, but he hopes it carries a metaphorical one, as well: “a humble beginning but a positive end,” he explained to Saigoneer. thố đầu • hổ vĩ’s origins may be humble — he started seriously focusing on illustrations just four years ago when he started university — but he has already reached remarkable achievements, as evidenced by three projects he shared with us.

Khôi Phạm

in Travel

Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River

As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes to explore.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Preserving Hanoi's Old-School Cool in Digital Stamps

When was the last time you sent a letter or used a stamp?

in Music & Arts

Q&A: How A O Show Creative Director Tuan Le Actualized His Vision for Performance Art in Vietnam

Some may say that modern performance art in Vietnam looks the way it does thanks to the works of Tuan Le and his colleagues. Almost two decades into a series of smashing theatrical successes across th...

in Music & Arts

Q&A: AO Show Creative Director Tuan Le Had a Vision for Performance Art in Vietnam. And He Built It.

Some may say that modern performance art in Vietnam looks the way it does thanks to the works of Tuan Le and his colleagues. Almost two decades into a series of smashing theatrical successes across th...

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Local Illustrator Captures the Charm of Vietnam in Mini Icons

When asked for the reasons why one loves Vietnam, many might hesitate. There is a lot to love about this chaotic, eclectic, bewildering nation; but there is a lot to frown upon as well.

in Film & TV

[Video] Vingroup Premieres First-Ever Animated Series by In-House Studio VinTaTa

Have you ever wondered what a Vingroup-funded animated series would look like?

in Music & Arts

Sixty Square: Crumbling Colonial Buildings House Hanoi’s Hippest New Art Quarter

Ever since the closure of Zone 9, Hanoi’s young artists have been longing for a new spot to rise from the ashes and fill the hole the defunct art hub left in the capital's creative landscape. Creative...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] In Minimalist Street Photography, Good Frames Come to Those Who Wait

Photographer Victor Morante is all about the little details in a frame.

in Film & TV

Hanoi Queer Film Week Provides Platform for Vietnam's LGBTQ Voices

Starting today and running until Friday, August 17, Hanoi International Queer Film Week 2018 (HIQFW), will include 14 film screenings followed by audience discussions. 

in Podcast

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

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

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Minimalist Pastel Renditions of Hanoi’s Historic Landmarks

Local illustrator Nguyen Minh Trang brings calming colors and geometric aesthetics to some of the capital’s most striking architecture.

Michael Tatarski

in Music & Arts

[Video] Saigon-Based Directors Feature Abandoned Hue Waterpark in New Music Video

A small boat reaches shore and an adventure begins at the wild, abandoned Ho Thuy Tien Waterpark outside of Hue.

in Film & TV

Ahead of Its Premiere Next Week, 'The Bachelor Vietnam' Reveals the Bachelor in New Trailer

The Vietnam adaptation of American reality TV show The Bachelor will premiere this month.

in Film & TV

Vietnam's Cinema Industry to Receive $50m Financial Boost

Lack of funding has always been an issue for Vietnam's film industry.

in Podcast

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

Episode 24 is out now!

in Music & Arts

[Video] Suboi Makes Saigon Nightscapes Her Playground in Latest Music Video for 'N-Sao?'

Saigon's color-streaked nighttime streets serve as background for the hip-hop star's latest music video.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Hanoi Typography Project Turns Classic Food and Drink Names into Vibrant Designs

When paired with artistic creativity, common food and drink names can become symbols of cultural re-imagination. The following illustrations successfully capture the past while also appearing youthful...

Chris Humphrey

in Literature

Alain de Botton Visits Vietnam: 'What I Want to Argue Is That Romanticism Has Been a Disaster for Love.'

It’s not often that a philosopher of Alain de Botton’s status visits Vietnam, so it was no surprise that all 50 seats on the upper floor of Toong Coworking Space were occupied, with most tickets snapp...

in Arts & Culture

Vans x Van Gogh Museum Collection Will Also Be Available in Vietnam

Some of Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh’s most iconic works have been turned into everyday apparel.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Korean Filmmaker Creates Charming Video Postcard of Hanoi

This short video of Hanoi is vicarious tourism at its finest.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] Malaysian Artist Encapsulates the Timeless Charm of Asia's Mom-and-Pop Shops in Mini-Models

“There are many ways to help you keep something in mind, through a memo, a voice recorder, or a photo. But miniature is something you can touch and see, to recall your memories.”