Khôi Phạm

in Film & TV

Remembering Thuy Trang, the First Vietnamese Power Ranger

It was the late 1990s, and I was standing in front of the bathroom mirror of our childhood home, holding my dad’s solid-metal belt buckle up with a pseudo-serious expression on my baby face. Fortunately, I wasn’t doing a YouTuber-style makeup review, but was in fact mirroring the transformation sequence of my favorite TV idols, the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers.

in Music & Arts

In 'Vietnam Retropunk,' a Young Illustrator Dreams of a Cyberpunk Hanoi

To Đặng Thái Tuấn, the talent behind illustration project “Vietnam Retropunk,” whimsical depictions of robots and animatronics sprouting out from everyday objects and activities embody the space in between the ancient and the futuristic.

in Loạt Soạt

A Story of Personal, Political Reckoning in a Singaporean Writer's Fictional Wartime Vietnam

The Immolation first came to me as a bewildering surprise: at a now-relocated bookshop in Singapore, the book caught the eyes of the 17-year-old me. It was not so much the cover’s pale blue background, or the expression of ennui on the author’s post-impressionist portrait, but rather its dealing with the American War. After all, the title directly referenced the iconic protest by the Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức, who set himself on fire on the street of Saigon.

Xuân Phương

in Culture

Under the Sky, Above the Water: Into the Heat at Ninh Thuận's Salt Fields

A 3,000-kilometer coastline is one of nature’s best gifts to Vietnam, bringing about not just ample seafood, but also a motherlode of sea salt.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Enter the Dreamy Tales Told by the Works of Young Illustrator Thố Đầu • Hổ Vĩ

Being born at the cusp of the Year of the Rabbit (cat) and the Year of the Tiger offers the literal meaning for Hoàng Phúc's artist name, thố đầu • hổ vĩ, but he hopes it carries a metaphorical one, as well: “a humble beginning but a positive end,” he explained to Saigoneer. thố đầu • hổ vĩ’s origins may be humble — he started seriously focusing on illustrations just four years ago when he started university — but he has already reached remarkable achievements, as evidenced by three projects he shared with us.

Khôi Phạm

in Travel

Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River

As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes to explore.

Back Arts & Culture

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.

in Culture

[Photos] Vietnam's Mooncake Masters

Mooncakes are probably the most sophisticated of Vietnamese pastries. Round, square or animal-shaped, these dense mid-autumn festival treats are always marked with a golden crust and intricate pattern...

in Music & Arts

Artist Spotlight: Saigon's DAOS501

Saigon-based graffiti artist DAOS501's visceral, introspective artwork explores the animalistic side of humanity in his first solo exhibition, now on display through September 30 at 3A Station's ...

in Music & Arts

Zelda Goes To The Gallery: A Material History Of Man And Animal

Cave paintings, the Latin poet Lucretius, the slavery of consumerism and, more prominently, the evolution between mankind and nature are some of the ingredients effortlessly intertwined in the rivetin...

in Film & TV

Emotional Short Film Depicts LGBT Life In Rural Vietnam

Vietnamese film seems to be growing by leaps and bounds these days. Whether it's gracing the festival circuit or taking home prestigious awards, the country's film industry is blossoming not only...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Lives of Asian Immigrants Captured Through Lens of Vietnamese-American Photographer

In Vietnam, like many countries around the world, the United States earns a reputation as the land of opportunity. The cities are modern, jobs are plentiful, the country is home to scores of world-cla...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Young Artist Creates Beautiful Paintings From Daily Materials

Vietnam is home to a host of talented, up-and-coming artists. Whether through paint or sculpture, performance or film, young creatives are pushing boundaries in the art world not only by using new sub...

in Music & Arts

Meet the Man Who’s Rewriting the Rules of Traditional Vietnamese Calligraphy

More often than not, the best things in Saigon take place on the sidewalk. Whether moonlighting as a parking lot or a restaurant, a barbershop or a spa, the lề đường is a rich eco system of all things...

in Culture

[Video] Social Experiment Gauges The Honesty Of Danang, Hoi An Locals

Earlier this month, Danang student group Black or White wanted to create a social experiment to gauge the honesty of local residents.

in Film & TV

September Movies At Saigon's Alternative Film Venues

This month’s film line-up ranges from stories centered around the world of music to the tale of post-civil war Mali, an animal uprising and a biopic of the painter that would change landscape painting...

in Music & Arts

Drop Everything: Kenny G Is Coming To Hanoi

Smooth jazz enthusiasts may want to take a seat for this thrilling announcement: next month, Kenny G is coming to Hanoi.

in Music & Arts

Saigon Artbook: Call For Submission

Saigon Artbook, the city’s platform for emerging artists, is currently seeking submissions for its quarterly art publication. Both local and foreign artists based in Saigon are encouraged to apply.

in Music & Arts

[Video] The Saigon Shoemaker Who Made Kicks for Kings: Part 2

In the second part of this collaboration between Saigoneer and Only In Saigon, famed shoemaker Trinh Ngoc tells the story of his return to the southern city. From his success as a bespoke designe...

in Music & Arts

A Bold Move: The Story Of A Saigon Jiu Jitsu Artist

Vietnam has a deep-rooted tradition of võ thuật, or martial arts. Both throughout history and in popular culture, the image of a wise, mild-mannered martial artist stands as the epitome of respec...

in Culture

10 Things To Avoid During The Month Of Spirits

Today marks the ceremonial day of the “ghost month”, one of Vietnam's lesser known annual traditions. Often joked about, this is actually an important time in the Vietnamese year and influences much o...

in Music & Arts

The Groundbreaking Work of L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine Artists

The establishment of L’Ecole des Beaux-Arts de l’Indochine (EBAI) in 1925 was a turning point for art in Vietnam. The establishment of the school not only ushered in a new era of traditional art that ...

in Music & Arts

[Video] The Saigon Shoemaker Who Made Kicks for Kings

In the latest collaboration between Saigoneer and Only In Saigon, we enter the shop of famed Shoemaker Trinh Ngoc, located at 50 Ly Chinh Thang, District 3. His story is one of success ...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Humans Of Saigon

Humans of Saigon follows in the footsteps of the acclaimed Facebook page Humans of New York that embraces the mantra “There’s more to a book than its cover.”

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Nha Xa: The Remote Village Packed With 30 Colonial Villas

The village of Nha Xa, located in northern Vietnam, is best known for its long tradition of silk weaving. During the colonial period, high demand for the quality product led to a boom for the town’s b...

in Music & Arts

Check Out This New Instagram Account Dedicated To Napping Saigonese

In Vietnam, there’s no shame when it comes to taking a nap in public as nearly every vehicle doubles as a makeshift sleeping pad. To capture Saigonese at rest, graphic designer Maria Tran Larsen (who ...