Uyên Đỗ

in Arts & Culture

Strangevisuals Is an Archive of Daily Life on Postcards of Rice and Dó Papers

What are our memories made of?

Paul Christiansen

in Loạt Soạt

Within the Shocking Brutality of Queer Novel 'Parallels' Rests Poignant Poetry

Parallels by Vũ Đình Giang shocked me. While I refrain from spoiling its plot, allow me to share my experience when reading this novel, as translated by Khải Q. Nguyễn, to better explain how the book jolted me from expectations and why the experience provides a unique and valuable addition to the array of Vietnamese novels translated into English.

in Music & Arts

‘129BPM’ Carries the Contemporary Hip-Hop Heartbeat From Vietnam to Malaysia

Under the shared heartbeat of “129BPM,” the dancers channeled their emotions through movement, navigating between individuality and collectivity both on and off stage. Extending beyond Vietnamese audiences, the piece has now been presented on an international platform at George Town Festival 2025 in Penang, Malaysia, marking a significant milestone for Vietnamese contemporary hip-hop performance on the international stage.

in Trích or Triết

Trần Dần, the Literary Maverick Teaching Us How We Should and Can Be an Artist

In the mind of many Vietnamese readers, the name of writer Trần Dần has been inextricably linked with artistic experimentation and innovation. His poetic voice feels nothing like those of writers I learnt back in high school: there is something so different, refreshing and oddly contemporary about it. As I consider every page of his bulky posthumously published anthology Thơ (Poetry), I find his legacy remains inspirational even for contemporary readers — especially other young Vietnamese — on what it means to “be an artist.” This does not only entail one’s appreciation and production of Vietnamese art, but also their adoption of an artist’s mindset into daily life.

in Travel

A Tribute to the Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc

Signs are like voices.

Linh Phạm

in Travel

On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River

We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.

in Music & Arts

In 1920s–1940s Paris, Vietnamese Artists Painted Through the Interwar Period as the 'Others'

How did Vietnamese artists navigate the complex tides of social and political changes, and mark their own position in the art world as the “Others” during interwar Paris — which was celebrated as the “City of Lights,” yet also a stage for both colonial propaganda and a ground for anti-colonial resistance?

Back Arts & Culture

in Literature

[Illustrations] Young Illustrator Breathes New Life Into Work of Vietnamese Poet

Poet Tran Dang Khoa’s most beloved collection of children’s poetry is receiving a makeover, thanks to young illustrator and graphic designer Pham Quang Phuc.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From sunsets to fishing nets, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] The Godfather of Saigon's Water Puppets

While Saigon’s younger crowd is busy picking up the hottest new foreign trends, like parkour or wearing bean sprouts on your head, artisans from older generations have held fast to their traditional c...

in Arts & Culture

Meet The Girl in Reuters' 2016 Vietnam Photo

For its recent One Photo, One Country, One Year series, Reuters picked a snapshot from Vietnam depicting an áo dài-clad lady posing on an ornamental peach tree plantation in Hanoi.

in Culture

[Photos] The Weird Fruits of Tet Are Coming

With Tet fast approaching, Vietnam’s array of strange, misshapen fruits is returning in full force.

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] New Children's Book Introduces Southeast Asia's Animals to the World

A New York-based art director and illustrator recently published a children’s book on the fauna and flora of Laos and Vietnam featuring a host of intricate drawings.

in Music & Arts

[Music] How Indonesia’s Horn-Honking Became a Hit Among EDM DJs

On the streets of many Southeast Asian countries, vehicle honking presents yet another opportunity to stand out from the crowd.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From quiet, waterfront cafes to bustling city corners, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Music & Arts

[Recording] Listen to Saigon’s Hottest Track From 1900

At the turn of the 20th century, with French colonialism well under way in Vietnam and the age of motion pictures just beginning, Saigon – and much of the rest of the country – became a subject of gre...

in Arts & Culture

Wonderfilled Magazine Explores Saigon’s Sustainable Leather Goods

Ahead of their Saigon issue, Saigoneer presents an exclusive excerpt from Wonderfilled Magazine. Now in its sixth volume, the travel magazine tells stories about creativity around the world. Each issu...

in Arts & Culture

An Illustrated Homage to Saigon Traffic

From old buildings and frenetic traffic to bustling sidewalks and endless construction, Saigon provides no shortage of visual inspiration for the city’s illustrators, artists and graphic designers.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From French colonial mansions to the chaotic traffic of urban Vietnam, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Animals, Explained: 6 Unusual Vietnamese-to-English Translations

When it comes to the gap between Vietnamese and English, there are a lot of things that get lost in translation.

in Culture

[Photos] Meet Hanoi's Savvy Grasshopper Hunters

For most of Vietnam’s farming community, grasshoppers pose a real threat to fields and plantations. However for a particular commune in Hanoi’s suburban areas, these pesky insects have become a signif...

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From cityscapes to seashores, this is what we saw through our lens this week.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Check out This Vietnamese-American Artist's Mesmerizing Portraits

Next time somebody claims that “colored pencils are for kids”, show them the work of Cuong Nguyen, whose intricate paintings are crafted entirely from colored pencils.

in Culture

As Indonesia Modernizes, a Remote Culture Begins to Fade Away

Far removed from the rapidly modernizing cities of Indonesia, the Mentawai people are struggling to reconcile their traditional way of life with the country's development.

in Music & Arts

Indie Artists Bring New Sounds to Vietnam's Contemporary Music Scene

The state of current Vietnamese music is complicated. In the minds of the older generation, years of historical turmoil are intricately linked with their personal identity, thus they tend to harbor a ...

in Music & Arts

[Podcast] Songs From Southeast Asia: Vietnamese Music Through the Ages

Given the country's geography and the many twists and turns in its history, defining a distinctly Vietnamese sound is no easy feat.

in Arts & Culture

#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week

From hand-painted signs to nón lá to the quiet coast of Con Dao, this is what we saw through our lens this week.