Nguyen Phan Que Mai in Culture
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tet Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tet. Tet in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tet could bloom magnificently for all of us.
Saigoneer in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding
They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia
In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Fashion, Contemporary Art Ruminations Intermingle in Designer Cong Tri's 'Cục Im Lặng'
Cuc Im Lang, the latest exhibition from renowned fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri, presented ten collections spanning his 20-year career through the lens of ten contemporary artists across different mediums and practices.
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Illustrations] The Mythological Race That Created Vietnam's Zodiac, Retold in Watercolor
After 12 years, Vietnam’s zodiac cycle will once again reset to welcome the Year of the Mouse, the first animal in the dozen.
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: To a Saigoneer, Phnom Penh Is Same Same, But Different
Is it possible to even recognize everything that has changed after 10 years?
Zula Rabikowska in Culture
[Photos] A Night With Kim Lee, the Only Vietnamese Drag Queen in Poland
There are only around 30 drag queens in Poland, and just one of them has Vietnamese roots: Kim Lee.
Raquel Guerra Aragonés in Music & Arts
The Masterful Urban Symbolism of 'Turn Left, Turn Right' Author Jimmy Liao
Jimmy Liao is a prolific Taiwanese illustrator and author who has expanded readership of picture books beyond children to general audiences. With sensitivity and creativity, he crafts each of his stories to become a journey through human feelings, a pathway towards Liao’s inner world, a world worth reviewing.
Saigoneer in Film & TV
Vietnamese Short Awarded Illy Prize at Cannes Film Festival 2019
Director's Fortnight is an independent event running parallel to the main Cannes Film Festival, organized by the French Directors Guild starting in 1969.
Saigoneer in Travel
Quang Binh Homestay Owners Struggle in Price War Against Major Hotels
Price reduction by companies with deep pockets disproportionately harms homestay proprietors, who used to be farmers living near Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: The Laughing Gas Debate and Our Favorite Sauces
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
[Photos] How a Taiwanese Grandpa Used Art to Save His Village From Demolition
An abandoned 1,200-household village in Taichung, Taiwan was about to be torn down, but its last resident ended up transforming it into a huge, well-known masterpiece.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 16: Rainstorm Inspiration
While the rainy season's flooded streets, soaked satchels and delayed appointments can make one curse its arrival, sometimes when the torrent hits the neon storefronts just so, it becomes a source of ...
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
[Photos] Saigon Boulevard: The 9 Buildings You Miss in Saigon
Lys Bui is a Saigon-born illustrator who is currently living in New York.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Direct Routes to Whimsy in 'Ticket to Childhood'
Children can “hear the music and see the colors of letters on a page — magic portals to a wilderness without fixed meanings… all adults see are the neat rows of black lines, the building blocks of def...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Amid Online Backlash, Production Company Pulls 'The Third Wife' From Theaters
After just four days in theaters, the award-winning movie The Third Wife (Nguoi Vo Ba) has stopped being screened in Vietnam due to an online controversy that’s gaining traction.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Altars, Lucky Packets and Votive Dollars: Suboi's New Video Goes Back to Basics
Sleek? Inspiring? Sexy? Slick syllable-massaging? The newest video from Vietnam's rap queen delivers on all fronts.
Saigoneer in Film & TV
[Video] Hanoi Circus Acrobats Show Mesmerizing Moves in Short Film 'Sông Trăng'
Shimmering pig brains, karst-adjacent acrobatics, Hanoi flame-twirlers, "Why don't you embrace me like when we first met?"
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Reading Culture and Another Viewpoint on Folk Wisdom
It's our 50th episode!
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Action Blockbuster 'Hai Phuong' Will Be Released on Netflix on May 22
Hai Phuong (Furie) follows a former gangster, played by Ngo Thanh Van, trying to save her kidnapped daughter.
Saigoneer in Film & TV
[Video] Saigon's Sneakerheads Kick It up a Notch in New Documentary
While relatively unknown in Vietnam, Nike's iconic Air Max sneakers are some of the most popular shoes in the world.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 15: Birthright Balance
Navigating traffic with absurdly overburdened motorbikes comes as second nature to Saigoneers.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Vietnam's Lacquer Masterpiece Damaged by Dish Soap During Cleaning
Nguyen Gia Tri's lacquer painting 'Vuon Xuan Trung Nam Bac' was named a national treasure by the Department of Cultural Heritage in 2013.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Video] Adorable Animated Short Captures the Life of a Tet Flower Farmer
For some, the true joys of Tết disappear before the actual holiday arrives.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
[Illustrations] Japanese Artist Reimagines Marvel Heroes as Ukiyo-e Artworks
By now, many Saigoneers may have already seen Avengers: Endgame, the ultimate puzzle piece of a 22-film narrative. Undoubtedly a global cultural phenomenon, Endgame and the Marvel Cinematic Universe h...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Overseas Vietnamese Laborers & What If a Zombie Apocalypse Hit Saigon?
Happy short work week!
Eric Hundert in Travel
[Photos] Morning Over the Fish Markets and Salt Fields of Phan Rang
I live in Da Lat, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Thai Indie Sensation Phum Viphurit to Perform at Music Festival in Saigon This May
Right on the heels of his new single release, Thai-New Zealander indie sensation Phum Viphurit will play his first-ever music festival in Vietnam this May.
