Neighborhood Vibes and Modern Comforts Combine at Hotel Indigo Saigon The City
Staying in a local neighborhood means surrounding yourself with the sights, styles, routines, traditions, and history of a locale. Hotel Indigo Saigon The City, a new boutique lifestyle hotel, tells the stories of the iconic Ba Son area via its details, decor, atmosphere, and experiences, so checking in feels like taking part in a celebration of the city.
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.
‘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.
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.
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 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?
[Video] Foreigner Pleads for 'No Sugar' Through Song
For our non-Vietnamese-speaking friends, there are certain linguistic misunderstandings which become a part of daily life in Saigon. To the untrained ear, for instance, sao, xạo, xấu, sau and xào migh...
[Video] Highlighting Vietnam's Forgotten Moroccan Soldiers
Vietnam and Morocco have much more in common than you might initially think.
[Video] 'As a Saigonese': Saigon in Vivid 4.6k
From multicolored layers of chipped paint to a sliver of light emanating from a darkened alleyway, Saigon is a city of details. While the naked eye provides a solid lens, we’re often too bus...
Meet Cambodia's All-Female Rock Band of Ex-Garment Workers
After years of working in minimum-wage garment factories, Cambodia's Messenger Band now fights for better working conditions and higher pay through music.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Music & Arts
[Video] Rapper Wowy Preserves a Piece of Saigon History in Music Video 'Do Tao Lam'
Late last month, Saigon rapper Wowy debuted his “Do Tao Lam” music video, the first clip from his most recent album, Lao Dai.
Foreign Filmmaker Uses Vietnam as Backdrop for Sci-Fi Short
When it comes to filmmaking, Vietnam's natural beauty has attracted a fair amount of international attention in recent years. Just a few months back, the cast of Kong: Skull Island – including the gre...
Incredible Drone Photos Show Singapore From Above
Singapore is often lauded for being an organized, well-planned metropolis. This is even more apparent when you take in the Lion City from above as a bird's eye view of Singapore reveals the fractal-li...
[Podcast] Renovation Generation: A Wedding Planner Who Doesn't Believe Weddings Equal Happy Endings
For its ninth episode, the founders of Hanoi-based English-language podcast The Renovation Generation recorded their first-ever live interview in front of an audience at Hanoi's Manzi Art Space&n...
[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...
