'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.
[Video] A Hundred-Year History of Vietnamese Beauty
In the most recent episode of their 100 Years of Beauty series, WatchCut shines the limelight on the beauty of Vietnamese women throughout history.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a morning in Tam Giang to Ngu Hanh Son's marble mountain, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Glee's Vietnam Remake to Premiere This August Amid Online Controversy
'Gleeks' in Vietnam have mixed feelings about the remake of the popular American musical show Glee.
Michael Tatarski in Literature
Bringing Literature to Life: Kickstarter Campaign Aims to Translate 2 Vietnamese Novels
For Minh Bui Jones, editor and founder of the Mekong Review, the greatest pleasure of his work is discovering an exciting book or writer that he has never heard of before.
Urban Art Flourishes in Cambodia Despite Challenges
Cambodia’s Urban Arts Festival has had its fair share of controversy in only two years, however that hasn’t stopped the festival’s founders and aspiring artists from inspiring the next generation of K...
[Photos] 19th Century Japanese Scroll Depicts Raucous Fart Battles
Though some may try to deny it, everyone loves a good fart joke, and it seems the 19th-century Japanese were no different.
Saigon Spaces: Huy Nguyen's Home for Repurposed Vintage Treasures
Huy Nguyen’s lovingly restored colonial-era bolt-hole, tucked away above a hẻm off Nguyen Hue, is a masterclass in making the best use of small spaces. As the owner of Mountain Retreat restaurant, Ngu...
Ariana Grande to Bring Dangerous Woman Tour to Saigon
Arianators in Vietnam assemble: your favorite American pop sensation is making her Saigon debut in August this year.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From serviced apartments to cozy izakayas, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
In Search of Lost Time: The Story of Vietnam's Single-Screen Cinemas
Once upon a time, like the rest of the world, Vietnam’s metropolises were home to a plethora of single-screen cinemas. Unfortunately, with the arrival of television, VCRs and DVD players, these relics...
[Photos] Cambodian Artist Breathes Life Into Intricate Sketches With Digital Enhancement
Watch closely as flora and fauna, the sun and stars are brought to life under the hands of Cambodian artist Visoth Kakvei.
[Photos] Local Artists Create Colorful, Lively Traffic Safety Illustrations
A group of local artists has created a traffic safety project which uses colorful illustrations to educate the public on how to drive properly.
[Photos] Taiwanese Art Project Turns Dirty Water Into Frozen Popsicles
These popsicles will make you sick, but they’ll also teach you a valuable lesson about water pollution.
[Photos] Artist Captures Old Edo's Remnants in Busy Tokyo
Shinji Tsuchimochi's ukiyo-e illustrations breathe nostalgia into Japan's cool and modern capital.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Saigon hẻm life to fish baskets, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
$350,000 Vietnamese Painting Sold at Christie's Allegedly a Fraud
According to art dealers and collectors, rampant counterfeits may devalue Vietnamese paintings on the international market.
[Photos] A Tour of Hong Kong's Cramped 'Kowloon Walled City'
Today Hong Kong is known for its sleek modernity and space-age skyscrapers, but not long ago it was home to a massive unplanned residential block known as Kowloon Walled City.
Khoi Pham in Literature
Award-Winning Vietnamese Children's Book 'The First Journey' Finally Released
It’s been over a year since we wrote about The First Journey, the award-winning children's book that clinched the top prize at 2016’s Asia-wide Scholastic Picture Book Award competition.
[Illustrations] 'Sai Gon 3 Met Vuong' Is a Love Letter to Our Saigon Childhood
Within a three-square-meter block in Saigon, one can neatly fit in many things: an entire mom-and-pop shop, a barber shop, or even the dining area of a street food stall.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a morning in Thi Nghe Market to a duck noodles stall in the rain, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
