'Making a Whore' Is Both Less and More Revealing Than Its Reputation Suggests
For the first time, Vũ Trọng Phụng’s novel Làm đĩ is available in English. Originally published in 1936, the novel has been translated by Đinh Ngọc Mai under the title Making a Whore and was released last year by Major Books, an independent publishing house dedicated to making Vietnamese literature more available for the English-speaking world.
Uyên Đỗ in Culture
The Surprisingly Global History of Monobloc, the Chair Vietnam Loves and the West Despises
In 2024, The New York Times published a list of the 25 most iconic pieces of furniture from the past century, selected by a panel of designers, artists, and curators from the world's leading museums. Unexpectedly, the Monobloc, a plastic chair found in almost every corner of Vietnam and across the globe, had somehow secured a seat.
How Richie Fawcett's Saigon Sketches Illuminate a Decade of Change
It’s been hidden right there in the heart of Saigon for over half a decade.
Water as a Metaphor for Trauma, Memories and Unspoken Histories in Quế’s Art
Through installations and animated films, Quế traces the flow of water as they move through personal memories and collective histories, carrying generational trauma amidst urbanization, and even natural disaster.
Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum
When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.
Tourists Generate Up to 3 Times More Plastic Waste Than Locals, UNDP Finds
A recent report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) warns that plastic waste pollution poses increasing pro...
Thi Nguyễn in Music & Arts
The Facetious Gender Politics of Gỗ Lim, Hanoi's Feminist Post-Punk Quintet
In an example of cruel irony, October 20 is when we celebrate annual Vietnam Women's Day, and also the anniversary of the passing of Mai Nga (commonly known as Nga Nhí), the lead singer of Gỗ Lim — a Hanoi-based female post-punk band that, albeit short-lived, struck a blow for women’s representation in rock and metal music in Vietnam in 2011 and 2012.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
'Chuyện Của Pao' Turned a Historic H'Mông Home 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.
Q&A: Six Space Founder Le Giang on the Hard Work of Contemporary Vietnamese Art
Hanoi-based visual artist Le Giang is an educator and co-founder of Six Space, an artist-run venue dedicated to exhibitions, workshops, film screenings and talks. Her practice spans installations, scu...
In Bắc Giang, 'Mudball' Is a Centuries-Old Festive Sport
Held once every four years, the mud wrestling festival in Vân Village in Bắc Giang Province is one of the most dramatic and unique festivals in all of Vietnam.
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 ...
[Photos] What Happens When Marvel Superheroes Are Given Vietnam Makeovers
We probably don’t need to convince you that Vietnam’s online culture is a wonderfully weird place. The wits of local netizens have brought us joy on many occasions, like the many adventures of Hai Pho...
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Masterminds of Saigon's Most Memorable Concerts Join Forces to Create a Brand-New Beach Festival
The organizers of some of Saigon's most legendary recent concerts are combining forces to bring a new music festival to Ho Tram later this year.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
The Masterminds of Saigon's Most Memorable Concerts Joined Forces. A Brand-New Music Festival Was Born.
The organizers of some of Saigon's most legendary recent concerts are combining forces to bring a new music festival to Ho Tram later this year.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Folk Tales and Artist Quynh Lam
It's Monday, meaning it's time for the latest Saigoneer Podcast episode.
[Video] Saigon Electronica Ep. 2: The Dreamers From Behind the Decks
When Tran Huu Tuan Bach decided to embark on his DJ career at the beginning of this decade, he had already established himself as a film composer in Vietnam.
Kit Humphrey in Music & Arts
Sirens of Ha Long: Facetiousness and Vitriol on Debut EP ‘Rampant Happiness’
Having released Rampant Happiness, their debut EP, only a few weeks ago, and with a string of live shows lined up to debut upcoming music videos, Sirens of Ha Long are on the rise.
[Illustrations] Here Are Some Standout Picks From Collaborative Art Project 'Ve Ve Hat Boi'
Even after Ve Ve Hat Boi ended, the project's success shows that there’s still space for Vietnam’s ancient art forms in today’s ever-changing world.
'Crystal Cloud' Art Installation in Mu Cang Chai Stirs Controversy
Stunning.
Kit 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...
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!
Vietnamese Student Wins Top US Interior Design Award With Bamboo-Inspired Community Center
Tran Thach Thao, a native of northern Vietnam, was recognized with a prestigious award from the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) for her plans for a community center that connects elderly...
Over 20 Bands, Artists to Join Epic Musical Bus Tour of Vietnam
Anyone who plays music in Hanoi will tell you it doesn’t pay. Anyone who hosts shows in Hanoi will tell you that doesn’t pay either. Anyone who has toured in Vietnam or the region will tell you it doe...
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.
[Photos] Photographer Shin Noguchi Revels in the Oddities Lurking in Quotidian Japan
The same way one doesn’t notice the ease in which air enters one’s nose until getting sick, we too often take for granted the strangeness that surrounds us.
[Video] Stop-Motion Animation Project Retells Vietnam's Starfruit Tale With a Horror Twist
As a common saying goes: "tham thì thâm" (grasp all lose all).
Hanoi’s Rising Techno Scene: Local Artists Strive to Bring Underground Music to Wider Audiences
Underground music in Hanoi is flourishing, and Vietnamese artists are at the forefront. After years brewing at venues like Hanoi Rock City (HRC) and Cama ATK, the city now enjoys huge house and techno...
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.
