'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.
[Photos] World-Famous Divas Meet Saigon Street Food
Vietnam’s cybersphere is a magical place.
[Memes] Watch King Kong Stomp Across Vietnam
One week into the release of Kong: Skull Island, the hype surrounding the Hollywood blockbuster may have leveled off in real life – officials are no longer trying to erect a life-sized statue of the g...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From city lights to Con Dao's island vistas, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Illustrations] The Rustic Charm of South Korea's Mom-and-Pop Shops
While Hallyu fans take an interest in Korean culture because of its massive entertainment industry and eye-catching fashion sense, South Korean artist Me Kyeoung Lee pays homage to the count...
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
Saving the City's Soul: The Release of Saigon Supersound, Vol. 1
Despite being subject to a bombardment of ruthless changes, Saigon is surprisingly persistent in its love for all things old, rustic and gritty. For someone who was not born and bred in the bustling m...
[Video] Filmmaker Captures the Many Faces of Vietnam
On a thousand-mile journey from the furthest reaches of northern Vietnam to the hot, sunny streets of Saigon, filmmaker Fabien Echochard captures the optimism of the Vietnamese people in beautiful det...
'Kong: Skull Island' Smashes Box Office Records as Director Considers Move to Saigon
It was a big weekend for King Kong fans in Vietnam, with the giant ape's latest cinematic foray smashing local box office records, while the film's director announced his intention to move to Saigon.&...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From birdcages to bird's eye views, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
American Musical 'Miss Saigon' Returns to Broadway This Month
On the 25th anniversary of its debut, the American musical Miss Saigon will return to Broadway later this month.
Vietnam's Local Screenplays Are Losing out to Cheap Foreign Remakes
In the face of diminishing confidence in Vietnamese scripts, local producers are turning to neighboring countries for a surefire source of profitable movie formulae.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Cho Lon to Ben Tre, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Arts & Culture
3A Station Is Closing in 2 Months
After three years, 3A Station is closing.
Vietnamese Cultural House to Open in France in 2018
Starting next year, Parisians won’t need to travel far to get a dose of Vietnamese culture.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From salt fields to cityscapes, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Illustrations] Check Out This Polish Artist's Watercolor Tokyo Shopfronts
There’s something about urban shopfronts that inspires artists everywhere to break out their canvas and doodle away.
As China Rejects Hallyu, the Korean Wave Is Headed Straight for Southeast Asia
With China blocking South Korean film and television from its airwaves, Hallyu is now headed straight for Southeast Asia.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From traditional temples to colorful graffiti, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
After Major Expansion, CGV Dominates Vietnam's Cinema Industry
As the number of cinemas in Saigon continues to grow, CGV is dominating Vietnam's local moviegoing industry.
At Tết Nguyên Tiêu, a Celebration of the Lunar Year's First Full Moon
Last Saturday, on the first full moon of the first lunar month, members of Saigon’s ethnic Chinese community celebrated Tet Nguyen Tieu, or the Lantern Festival.
Cambodia Is Losing Its Buddhist Monks to Modernization
Rocked by scandals, rapid modernization and a changing society, membership in Cambodia's Buddhist monkhood is on the decline.
