Paul Christiansen

in Literature

How Nam Cao Almost Ruined My Favorite Canal Cafe

Spoilers for an 80-year-old story that every student in the nation is required to read: the dog dies, the old man dies, his son's misfortunes show no sign of abetting. Simply, misery abounds at the end of ‘Lão Hạc.’

Paul Christiansen

in In Plain Sight

On a Boat Ride Through Nhiêu Lộc Canal, a Fish's-Eye View of Saigon

Could your life in Saigon be made into a quirky indie film? 

in Music & Arts

Galuocad's Artworks Create a Universe of Very-Vietnamese Whimsy

Staying in one place for an extended period can lead to what's known as the "boiled frog effect."

in Loạt Soạt

A World of Riveting Medically Inspired Magic in Vanessa Le's YA Debut

Captured by Butchers, the “blackmarket bogey men who deal in rare goods,” Nhika Suonyasan is caged and auctioned off to the city’s elite. A figure in a fox mask attempting to purchase her is outbid by a rich family that carts her off to a mansion that boasts luxury beyond anything Nhika has ever seen. The family immediately commands her to heal a witness to the wealthy patriarch’s death.

in Music & Arts

Lemaire's Campaigns Blend Vietnam's Street Scenes, French Fashion

Stuck in traffic on a Honda Cub, but make it fashion.

in Film & TV

Indie Short Film 'Saigon Kiss' Is a Quintessential Saigon Queer Love Story

Is there a meet-cute more characteristically Saigon than a motorbike breakdown and subsequent friendly assist from a stranger?

in Culture

In Ê-đê Villages, Bến Nước Is the Heart Pumping Water Across the Community

Ever since the beginning of time, Ê-đê people have treated water as a respected resource of the community. Water, in their belief, is the life force bringing about bountiful harvests for the villages.

in Music & Arts

Nam Jam Festival Returns to Đà Nẵng With Week of Mural Arts

The Nam Jam Festival from March 4 to 10 invites more than 50 local and international street artists to create massive works of street art in Đà Nẵng. 

Back Arts & Culture

in Culture

[Video] Hanoi Road Rage Leads To Epic Jump Kick

Driving can test the patience of even the most cool and collected individuals. For one Hanoi driver, the poor directional choices of a motorbiker led to an epic jump kick to the chest. 

in Music & Arts

[Video] Sài Gòn...Sài Gòn...!

In a departure from Vietnam road trips and timelapse videos, Sài Gòn...Sài Gòn...! shows the city from the perspective of a group of young locals.

in Music & Arts

5 Totally Reasonable Explanations For The Broken AAG Cable

While officials have blamed everything from sabotage to poor quality materials for its inconsistency, we’ve come up with five completely reasonable, alternative explanations for why the Asia-America G...

in Film & TV

[Video] Heartbreaking Film Shows The Hopes And Dreams Of The Mekong’s Boat Children

Last week, Mai Huyen Chi released “Down the Stream,” a short film that explores the lives of boat children in the Mekong Delta.

in Culture

84% Of Vietnamese Students Admit To Plagiarism

At a conference on academic integrity in Vietnam held on May 29, a university official announced the results of a survey that found 84% of students have plagiarized significant portions of their writi...

in Culture

Vietnam’s Cities Are Losing A Lot More Than Their Old Buildings: Experts

“A city is enriched by accumulation over generations. Accumulation incorporates destruction but keeps enough fabric to retain cultural identity, while obliteration erases everything includin...

in Film & TV

June Movies at Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

This month’s films show us that it’s possible to make a great sequel from an 80s classic, that Twilight has accidentally done something good for cinema and that Hollywood producers can’t always constr...

in Culture

Check Out This Hardcore American War-Era Board Game

As the US scaled up their military presence in Vietnam during the mid-1960s, anti-American propaganda followed suit throughout communist nations in Asia. While much of this was manifested in well-know...

in Culture

[Video] Russian Daredevils (Illegally) Climb China’s Tallest Building

If you’re unfamiliar with On the Roofs (OTR), a group of Russian photographers who double as adrenaline junkies, you need only know one thing – they’re not afraid of heights.

in Music & Arts

Dragonfly: Setting the Standard for Theater in Saigon

Oscar Wilde, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Samuel Beckett, Rajiv Joseph and now Tennessee Williams - those are some of the figures whose literary works have been brought to Saigon by the only professional...

in Culture

9 Photos That Perfectly Capture Vietnamese Smartphone Addiction

While smart addiction has become rampant across the globe, the scourge seems to be particularly acute in Vietnam.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Dong Nai Farmer Breeds Mussels That Produce Buddha And Jesus-Shaped Pearls

When we talk about humans harnessing nature, it is often on a macro scale, such as dams, solar arrays and reservoirs. One Vietnamese farmer has found a more subtle, but nonetheless impressive way of b...

in Music & Arts

London’s Little Barrie Returns to Saigon

Rock and R&B band, Little Barrie, will return for the second time in as many years this Wednesday at Cargo Bar. The three-piece band - Barrie Cadogan (Primal Scream), Vigil Howe and Lewis Wharton...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.

in Culture

Can You Solve This Math Puzzle For Vietnamese 8-Year-Olds?

While Vietnamese students performed very well when it came to math and science in the recent OECD education rankings, some of the local curriculum is next-level difficult, stumping even those with PHD...

in Culture

[Photos] The Majestic Sheep Of Ninh Thuan

Considered the Vietnamese province with the harshest, driest weather, Ninh Thuan has found its niche as a home for the country’s largest herds of sheep. Brought to Vietnam by the French over 100 years...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.

in Music & Arts

Sai Gon Art Map: Final Call For Submissions

There’s only one week left until we close submissions for the Sai Gon Art Map, a project from Saigoneer, Saigon Artbook, Dia Projects and The Alternative Art Area.

in Culture

Draft Amendment Would Restrict Vietnamese Names To 25 Characters

A new draft amendment submitted by the Ministry of Justice would limit Vietnamese names to 25 characters.

in Film & TV

2 Vietnamese Films to Be Screened at Cannes Film Festival

Two Vietnamese films, "Big Father, Small Father and Other Stories" and "Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass," will be screened at the 68th Cannes Film Festival that will take place from May 13 to May 24...