Pete Walls in Travel
For the Freshest Fish of the Day, Head to Hội An's Coast Before Sunrise
The alarm goes off at 3am. By 3:30am, scooters laden with empty crates and baskets are already moving through the dark lanes and sandy passages towards Hội An's coast. Long before the old town wakes, the beaches along the shore are coming alive with engines, head torches, waves, and fishermen preparing to return to land. Thankfully, coffee is readily available almost anywhere.
From the Mind of 'Mekong Review' Comes ‘Yellow,’ a New Lit Mag Focused on SEA
“Cooped up in my apartment-cage in Tân Định, I created, with scissors and glue, dummy after dummy of a cosmopolitan rag positively pumping with scandals and half-truths. I was having a lot of fun dreaming of a magazine that I would never be able to do. And buried somewhere in that detritus on the floor—advertising cutouts and newspaper clippings—was Yellow … Once I knew I had the name, the magazine more or less made itself, as though the name determined the rest, ie, form and content,” writes Minh Bui of the birth of Yellow, his “what-do-I-do-after-Mekong Review magazine.”
In Saigon's Bửu Long Pagoda, a Meditative Escape and Pan-Southeast Asian Architecture
It all started with a sparkle on the horizon, a beam of solar brilliance bouncing off a garish metallic surface.
On Reading Ocean Vuong and Thinking About the Sniff Kisses of My Family
Having always been a little brother, I had to learn to be a big one when I was 10 years old. In the midst of the confusion of this new role, I found myself pressing my nose to this newborn’s head and inhaling as hard as I could. This “sniff kiss” was not an action I invented. Rather, it was an instinct forged through mimicry: I started noticing from this point that my father and grandmother both did the same thing to me.
Paul Christiansen in Music & Arts
Meet Th.ink Room, the Tattoo Collective Bringing New Life to Old Artworks and Onto Skin
Tattoo Therapist, dr.99hz, cd.cadao, goc.viet, Solarist and Baby Nepotism: listing the artists that call Th.ink Room home feels like shouting out the members of a rap clique. Indeed, tattoo artists, more than any other visual artists, are akin to rappers in their use of pseudonyms, so to employ a common hip-hop refrain, Saigoneer became interested in Th.ink Room because “game recognize game.”
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
A (Literally) Brief History of Vietnamese Representation in 'Mean Girls' (2004)
Written by Saturday Night Live alum Tina Fey and premiered in 2004, Mean Girls is often heralded as a sharp, self-aware comedy that was ahead of its time, yet still holds up surprisingly well today. Alas, its depiction of Asians has aged a little more poorly, even though at the time of its release, the Asian representation was shockingly accurate for its time, despite some haphazard characterizations.
On Shooting an Entire Movie on 35mm Film: The Curious Case of 'Quán Kỳ Nam'
“Let’s go to Vietnam!” declared Sabrina Baracetti, president of the Far East Film Festival (FEFF) in Udine, Italy, as she wrapped up her introduction for Leon Lê's Quán Kỳ Nam (Kỳ Nam Inn). Sitting in the Teatro Nuovo, watching Quán Kỳ Nam unfold for the first time, I felt an overwhelming surge of pride.
Tracing the History of 'Hello Vietnam,' the Overnight Sensation From Europe
Most people who have flown with VietJet are probably familiar with the song ‘Hello Vietnam’ or its Vietnamese version ‘Xin chào Việt Nam.’ As it's often played during landing, tourists might mistake the song for a cute jingle of the company, but the meaning behind the song lyrics is much more nostalgic. It’s about a person of Vietnamese descent longing for their ancestor’s homeland, a place they’ve never been — a story that can certainly strike a chord with many Vietnamese people. Few know, however, that this song was originally a French-language song, one that was almost never released.
From Vandals to Vanguards: Saigon’s Graffiti Artists Take on Fine Art Venues
This weekend, as Saigon’s street artists converge upon The Factory Contemporary Arts Center for a two-day showcase of rap, hip-hop, breakdancing and graffiti, SubyOne has something to prove.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From stunning seascapes to freshwater springs, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Video] Indonesian TV Show Depicts Diabolical Hello Kitty Murder
In every country, in every culture, there are good people who love bad television.
[Video] Honda Celebrates Saigon's Super Cubs With Charming TVC
Is there anything more reminiscent of 1990s Saigon than a Honda Super Cub?
[Video] Malaysian Artist Creates Singaporean Mural With Chopsticks
Next time you order take-away phở, don’t throw away your bamboo chopsticks; turn them into art.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sand dunes to freshwater lagoons, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From cityscapes to island life, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Group Behind Whimsical Saigon Pop-Up Book Launches Crowd-Funding Campaign
A team of creative Saigoneers has turned the city’s most recognizable landmarks into a quirky pop-up book.
[Photos] A Ride on North Korea's Glamorous Subway Trains
From unveiling a Netflix-like entertainment service called “Manbang” to banning sarcasm, North Korea is known worldwide for its bizarre antics. Therefore, it’s rather surprising to see that its metro,...
How Your Phone Number Affects Your Fortune
“Too many nines,” Diep scoffs. “And you think it’s good? It’s not, honey.”
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From Vung Tau's sandy beaches to Phu Quoc's ethereal sky at dusk, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Free Online Exhibition Embedded South(s) Showcases Vietnamese Visual Artists
The work of eight Vietnamese visual artists will be included in Embedded South(s), an online exhibition of moving images that opens today.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Arts & Culture
International Photographer Captures Spirit of Đạo Mẫu in Vibrant New Photo Book
Tewfic El-Sawy’s introduction to Đạo Mẫu, also known as the Mother Goddess religion, began with music.
'Vietgone': New Play Brings Vietnamese Refugee Love Story to Life
Qui Nguyen’s play Vietgone, which opened earlier this month, marries raw, intimate anecdotes about the life of refugees following the American War with modern storytelling techniques such as hip-hop a...
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From sand dunes in Mui Ne to waterfalls in Da Lat, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
[Photos] Dutch Photographer Captures the Beauty of Hanoi's Street Vendor From a Unique Perspective
Dutch photographer Loes Heerink has launched a Kickstarter campaign to publish a high-quality photo book featuring Hanoi’s colorful street vendors.
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: Vietnam's Flock of Foreign-Educated Teens
In their latest episode, the team behind Hanoi-based Renovation Generation invites not one but four guests to their studio to share their hopes for the future and thoughts on the idea of home.
#WeAreSaigoneer: Instagram Shots of the Week
From lagoons to lettuce farms, this is what we saw through our lens this week.
Three VTV Documentaries Shortlisted for International Broadcasting Awards
State-run television network VTV has made the shortlist in three categories of this year’s Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union (ABU) Prizes.
[Photos] Romanian Photographer Captures North Korean Fashion Sense
A Romanian photographer has released a collection of photographs of everyday women in North Korea taken during a recent trip to the reclusive country.
