in Trích or Triết

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.

in Music & Arts

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.

in Film & TV

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 ...

in Music & Arts

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.

in Quãng 8

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...

in Culture

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. 

Back Arts & Culture

in Culture

[Video] Insane Buon Ma Thuot Floods Sweep Away Motorbikes

In Vietnam's latest installment of flood-related news, yet another deluge has struck the country, this time in the Central Highlands city of Buon Ma Thuot.

in Music & Arts

Phnom Penh to Transform Abandoned Ship Into Floating Arts Center

Phnom Penh is about to get a new attraction in an old, deteriorating boat.

in Music & Arts

[Video] Downtown Saigon Is at Its Best in This Drone Video

Sometimes, when you're trapped in a gridlock of rush hour traffic, struck by an especially foul scent or awoken by the ear-splitting noise of roosters, construction projects and chatty next-door neigh...

in Music & Arts

Event Rewind: Beer Fest @ Saigon Outcast

Last Saturday, crowds of thirsty Saigoneers flocked to Saigon Outcast for its first-ever Beer Fest, which celebrated the city's growing number of craft beer producers.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Saigon Ad Agency Portrays Romance With a Good, Old-Fashioned Cavity Search

Most Vietnamese TV commercials are pretty much the same: there's a bit of dancing, a few graphics and a handful of attractive young people parading across the screen. Everything is glossy, well-produc...

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer's September Art Picks

After the city's gallery scene took a summer hiatus, Saigoneer is back with our art picks for the month. September was off to a good start with a variety of exhibitions, employing everything from urba...

in Music & Arts

New Edition Of Standpoint Theories Will Hit Saigon This Month

Multi-disciplinary production company Standpoint Theories returns to Saigon with three performances of Legends of Vietnam: Remix, an evolution of last year's Legends of Vietnam. The new and improved p...

in Culture

Thai Binh Businessman Builds Made-in-Vietnam Mini Submarine

We all have our hobbies: for some it's tennis, for others it's golf, and for one guy in northern Thai Binh province, it's building military-grade submarines.

in Film & TV

October Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

It is not Halloween without a dose of horror. Check out which spooky films made the list this year at Saigon's alternative movie-viewing venues. If zombies, ghosts and paranormal activity are not your...

in Film & TV

New Victor Vu Film Wins at International Festival

Last week, Vietnamese film Tôi Thấy Hoa Vàng Trên Cỏ Xanh (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) took home the Feature Films of 2015 award at China's Silk Road International Film Festival, held in Fujian...

in Music & Arts

Zelda Goes To The Gallery: Khói Sóng

Khói Sóng, Ha Manh Thang’s new exhibition and his second at Galerie Quynh, is part of the artist's ongoing Vietnam Landscapes (2010 – present) project, in which his reflections on Vietnamese...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Whoever Made This Drone Video of Vietnam's Floods Has a Sense of Humor

Last week, when we all had floodwater up to our kneecaps and half of Saigon was stuck in rush hour traffic, someone was having a good time in northern Vietnam with a drone camera.

in Music & Arts

The Story of the Greatest Female Pirate Retold via Cinemagraph

When it comes to brave, daring women, Asia has no shortage of badass heroines. In Vietnam alone, historical figures like Vo Thi Sau and the Trung sisters are hailed for their courage and str...

in Music & Arts

Zelda Goes To The Gallery: Urbana

When I arrived at deciBel Lounge last week, ready to meet two of the three artists behind photography project Urbana: City View, I was dreading what I would see. Too often, urban-themed artwork turns ...

in Arts & Culture

[Photos] How The Other Half Lives: District 2's Makeshift Village

When you think of District 2, the first thing that comes to mind is massive villas and high-end developments, fancy western-style supermarkets and upscale restaurants. But while Thao Dien may be a hub...

in Music & Arts

Metiseko: How One Local Designer Created An Eco-Friendly Brand

When it comes to fashion, sustainability is not always a high priority in Vietnam. These days, Vietnam is beginning to see more campaigns which aim to raise public awareness around environmental issue...

in Film & TV

Six-Minute Film Depicts Enchanting Landscapes Of Southeast Asia

Soren Nielsen and Victoria Rivera's six-minute film opens with a question: “When did we stop walking if it's what makes us human in the first place?”

in Film & TV

Vietnam Considers Allowing 5 Second Sex Scenes in Movies

Next time you catch a movie at your local theater, keep an eye out for the film's rating on the screen. As of early 2016, you may find that things have changed.

in Culture

[Video] What Happens When Vietnam Sees Domestic Violence In Public

In Vietnam, it's not unusual to stop and stare when something is out of the ordinary. But while some incidents are fairly tame – think wedding photos or street performers – there are also times when t...

in Film & TV

King Kong Prequel to Be Filmed in Vietnam

The director of Hollywood's King Kong prequel, Kong: Skull Island, has arrived in Vietnam and is scouting possible locations for the blockbuster-to-be.