Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border
In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.
The Cultural Depths in Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance ‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’
Have you ever witnessed a live performance so powerful that it still lives in your mind weeks later? “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments.
New 'Số Đỏ' Movie Announced, Directed by Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Starring MONO
Another classic of Vietnamese literature is heading to the big screen in the near future.
Thi Nguyễn in Loạt Soạt
Revisiting the Delicious Satirical Society of 'Số Đỏ' by Vũ Trọng Phụng
Published in 1938, Dumb Luck , or Số Đỏ , remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vũ Trọng Phụng was ...
Severine Phương Trần's Debut Exhibition in Saigon Celebrates a World of Colors
Step into Severine Phương Trần’s first-ever exhibition in Saigon, where you can explore the artist’s inner world of vibrant colors and different emotions. To fully enjoy this exhibition, it is best to let your inner child and imagination roam free and allow the flow of colors and different sceneries to guide you through a journey of creativity, self-discovery, and personal artistic transformation.
From Germany to 'King of Rap' Runner-up: How Tuimi Becomes a Hip-Hop Breakout Star
Tuimi, a Vietnamese German singer and rapper, has become one of the most notable female voices in the local hip-hop scene and been making big waves since her return in 2019.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefu...
What Will Become of Chợ Quê in the Era of Widespread Online Shopping?
Firmly taking root in everyday life, our hometown markets — chợ quê — are not simply a place to trade, but also puzzle pieces that make up childhood memories, holiday excitement, and even tales of hardships and life milestones of countless people.
[Photos] Japan’s Last Samurai
The adoption of the Meiji Restoration in 1868 signaled the beginning of the end for Japan’s samurai’s who enjoyed centuries of prominence in the country's feudal ranks.
Unlocking the Potential of Vietnam's Art Market
As one of Vietnam’s most prolific art organizations reduces its cultural and residency programs, we look at the state of national contemporary art in the global market and its economic impact on Vietn...
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: Hanoi's Coolest Skater
Last month, Saigoneer sat down with Eliza Lomas and Fabiola Buchele, the duo behind Hanoi-based The Renovation Generation. Now on its eighth episode, the English-language podcast focuses on Vietnam's ...
[Photos] Vietnam Steps up Its Meme Game Ahead of Obama Visit
Vietnamese netizens are flexing their meme skills ahead of United States president Barack Obama's visit to the country.
Livinwondr: A People’s Art Project
The first installation of new community project Livinwondrexpresses the stories and creative ideas of the public through transformative media art.
[Illustrations] Local Illustrators Bring Saigon's Street Carts to Life
Saigon's streets are full of mobile vendors, schlepping food carts or huffing it across the road with a bamboo pole over one shoulder. Whether selling hot food or fresh fruit, pet fish or woven basket...
[Video] Tokyo Gone: Escaping the Concrete Jungle on Borrowed Motorcycles
From wheezing, old-school Honda Cubs to fancy vintage Vespas to the brand-new, high-octane two-wheelers that have begun to appear on Saigon's streets, Vietnam is a country of two-wheeled vehicles.
Paying Homage to the Hand-Painted Signs of Cho Lon
French photographer Brice Coutagne settled in Saigon several years ago. With an interest in unusual lettering, the expat found himself mesmerized by the city's hand-painted signs. Camera in hand, Cout...
[Video] Adults Cheer on Kids' Beer-Drinking Contest, Fail at Adulting
As recent evidence suggests, not all adults excel at adulting. In fact, more often than not, we're all making mistakes in one way or another. It's just that we usually try not to involve young, i...
[Video] Making of an Art Exhibition: Suby One's 'Time'
Earlier this month, Vietnamese-French artist Suby One showcased his latest exhibition, Time, at the Museum of Fine Arts. The 10-day display was a combination of abstract art, graffiti and several inst...
[Photos] Stay Cool in Saigon's Ice Palace
It's sweater weather in District 7's Him Lam New Urban Area.
[Photos] Life in a Saigon Cemetery
When her youngest son was six months old, Kieu Thi Anh Lien's husband disappeared. They were never officially married but the couple had lived together for years, until one day the father of Lien's th...
The Renovation Generation: Meet Vietnam's Post-Đổi Mới Movers and Shakers
Thirty years after the inception of Đổi Mới, Vietnam is night and day compared to its former self. Following the tragedy of war, this 1986 economic reform wholly transformed the country into what it i...
[Video] The Story Behind Urban Vietnam's Graffiti Advertisements
Splashed across city walls and on the sides of buildings, urban Vietnam is awash with advertisements for khoan cắt bê tông (KCBT), or demolition services.
In Yangon, Myanmar's Cold War-Era Typewriters Are Still in Use
Southeast Asia is a study in the clash of tradition and innovation. Across the region, increasingly modern societies reconcile their traditional values with contemporary progress, and in some cases th...
'Farmers Got Power': A Satirical Look at Social Upheaval
Satire and humor have long been recurring tropes employed by artists to deal with uncomfortable topics, to challenge people to discover on their own the object and meanings of their satire. Nowhere co...
[Video] Recycle: Saigon's Uber-Cool Tattoo Parlor
Not only in Vietnam but around the world, tattoos are at once both embraced and misunderstood: older generations loathe them, younger generations view them as an important tool of self-expression.
[Video] See If You Can Spot Vietnam in This 'Skull Island' First-Look Featurette
As part of this year's MTV Movie Awards ceremony, which took place last weekend, the people behind Kong: Skull Island put out a nice little featurette teasing the forthcoming movie, which is set to pr...
Technology Has Officially Entered Saigon’s Art Scene
From the invention of farming to the advent of military drones, technology has shaped the economy, politics and culture of every society. It was inevitable that such a vital element of our lives would...
[Video] Travel the Length of Vietnam in One Minute
For those of us who prefer armchair travel, Vimeo user Riccardo Fasoli's stunning minute-long journey through Vietnam is the perfect mini holiday.
