'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.
Japanese Photographer Releases Photobook on Tokyo's Stray Cats
In Masayuki Oki’s book, when it comes to cats, personality is more important than typical cuteness.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
'Girls Rock Asia' Brings Together Female Musicians From Across Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia isn’t particularly well-known for its live music scene. Major international acts might only play Bangkok or Singapore, if they stop in the region at all. Home-grown acts are common, but...
[Photos] Rainy Season in Vietnam: An Ode to Boats, Raincoats and Flooding
Elsewhere in the world, a heavy bout of rain might not be a big deal. However in Vietnam, where flooding is a common occurrence, the rainy season is a prime occasion for the country’s shutterbugs to c...
'Em Chua 18' Is Vietnam's First Film to Have Foreign Remakes
Foreign filmmakers are seeking to remake Em Chua 18, Vietnam's biggest domestically produced box-office hit to date.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Saigon skyline to Art Deco facades, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Music & Arts
A Present Retrospective: Fusing Past, Present and Propaganda
Work Room Four’s current exhibition, A Present Retrospective, connects past and present in the iconic work of Cuban graphic artist René Mederos and the responses of five contemporary Vietnamese artist...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From the grits of Saigon's chợ cũ to the city from above, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
[Video] Saigoneer Session: Ca Hoi Hoang's Paper Dream
The first time I met Ca Hoi Hoang frontman Nguyen Viet Thanh and band leader Nguyen Thanh Minh was in the midst of a sweltering Saigon afternoon.
Cinema Department Attends Cannes to Promote Vietnam as Film Destination
As the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival gets under way, Vietnam is hoping to generate interest among filmmakers and production companies from around the world in its push to become a major movie-makin...
Young Saigoneers Turn Manhole Covers Into Street Art
Street art sporadically pops up in the most hopeless of places, and this time it’s Saigon's lowly manhole covers.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Music & Arts
French Hip-Hop Meets Viet Rap in New Piu Piu Collaboration
As Vietnam’s underground hip-hop scene begins to emerge into the spotlight, one of its rising stars joins forces with an up-and-coming foreign artist to create a track for worldwide release.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Hue's intricate lanterns to a Saigon dusk, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] Kiyohiko Azuma’s Intricate Sketches of Tokyo’s Urban Landscapes
This manga artist creates backgrounds with such extreme attention to detail that they could pass for standalone works of art.
Vietnamese Film Wins Top Honors at ASEAN Film Festival
A Vietnamese film named The Way Station won Best Film, Best Lead Actor and Best Director of Photography (DOP) at the 2017 ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA).
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From a fishing village in Tam Giang to Hanoi's Long Bien Bridge, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] This Artist Creates Ukiyo-e Paintings of Basketball Stars
Edo-ball is what happens when one combines Japanese culture, professional basketball and ukiyo-e paintings.
Hoa Van Dai Viet: A Very Vietnam Take on Adult Coloring Books
As globalization transforms Vietnam’s cultural landscape, a group of young history aficionados have taken it upon themselves to keep old traditions alive.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From amused fishermen to forlorn coracle, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Local Artist Challenges Japan's Stigma Against Tattoos in Modern Era
In tattoo-averse Japan, a case heading to court in Osaka could help determine whether anybody will be able to get their body inked in the country in the future.
[Video] Vietnamese Animator Creates Wistful Reel of Saigon Memories From Pencil Sketches
Sometimes our childhood memories exist as little pieces of wonder.
