This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans
Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Among them, the handmade lion’s heads from Huế carry distinctive slivers of beauty within them.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Are We Living in the Final Days of Cô Mía?
They say a person dies twice: once when their heart stops beating and a second time when people stop mentioning their name. If we alter this phrase a bit to include the last time one’s image is seen, Saigon’s beloved cô Mía may soon be receiving last rites.
Aprxel Builds Her Ethereal R&B Dreamscape With 2000s Nostalgia
“High school was when we all had lots of thoughts and reflections. And I felt like I didn’t fit in with the world around me at that time, so I turned to music as my companion,” Aprxel reflects on the period of time where her connection with music began to solidify, which ultimately set her on the path to become a music artist.
Women in Post-Đổi Mới Vietnamese Cinema: From Archetypal to Multifaceted
In Vietnamese cinema, the female figure has long been employed to deliver macro-level messages rather than just mundane narratives.
Vy Trịnh Takes Us 'On Da Dream' via Her Solo Exhibition at Galerie Quynh
Tough-looking, yet elegant metal ribbons spark, spill, move and occupy all corners of the empty space: up and down, left and right, and in countless directions. Through a new series of sculpture works and a site-responsive sculptural installation, Vy Trịnh blurs the lines between the street scene and the exhibition space.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Via Webcomics About Sơn Đoòng, Hai Bà Trưng, a Link to Vietnam Across the Ocean
An enormous chim Lạc snatches Mai from her school library in the present day and lifts her high above Sa Pa more than 2,000 years ago.
Michael Tatarski in Loạt Soạt
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
On Grappling With the Problematic Legacy of 'Miss Saigon' in 2024
Having been abroad for more than a year, I was excited at the mere mention of Vietnam anywhere, so I was even more delighted when I learned of the popular musical Miss Saigon. Posters of it were plastered up in musical-themed bars in Manchester and different theaters across London. The musical is constantly on tour, having recently been staged in Brisbane, Manila, and Singapore. I was curious to see what about the play created such a cultural phenomenon in western theater and pop culture, especially when all people ever seem to know of Vietnam is the war and phở. The play, however, with its questionable history and writing choices, didn’t live up to my expectations.
18 Country's Flags Reimagined Using Traditional Foods
To help promote the Sydney International Food Festival, advertising agency, WHYBIN\TBWA, designed 18 national flags made from traditional foods.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.
[Video] Bandit 9: Motorcycles From "Another Dimension"
Some of Saigon’s homegrown brands are starting to embrace high-quality short films to promote their products.
5 Vietnamese Photographers Among Finalists For International Photo Contest
The annual Smithsonian Photo Contest is wrapping up, and, of the 60 finalists, five are Vietnamese photographers.
An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 2
We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang. Part 1 of this series can be found here.
5 Of Saigon’s Oldest Temples
Before the arrival of the French and their colonial architecture, Buddhist temples served as the most ornate structures in Saigon. Here is some background on and the locations of five of the city’s ol...
[Updated] The Prodigy To Play Surprise Performance In Saigon This Friday
[Update] According to the organizers, the show has been canceled due to logistical issues.
Color Me Run Returns To Saigon
After a successful Saigon debut in 2014 with more than 6,800 participants, the next installment of the Color Me Run will take place in the city this April.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.
An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Slang: Part 1
We’re back with another series of illustrated Vietnamese slang.
[Video] Marou Chocolate's Nifty Stop Motion Commercial
Director Tom Jobbins and a team of animators, 3D model designers and colorists worked painstakingly on this playful 30-second spot to show the abridged story of how Vincient Marou and Samuel Maruta be...
March Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
This month’s film programme is packed with films that address socio-political issues including gay rights, civil rights and freedom of speech. If that’s not your cup of tea, you have the opportunity t...
The Best Cultural Happenings In The Year Of The Horse
As we say goodbye to the year of the Horse, our editorial team looks back at the increasingly expanding cultural scene in Saigon and beyond. From theatre to art exhibitions, these are, in no particula...
New Video Shows Why "Da Nang Is Awesome"
Da Nang is Vietnam's posterboy for urban development, sporting everything from free public WIFI to a dragon bridge. Surrounded by rolling hills and pristine beaches, the city attracts plenty of local ...
[Photos] Vietnamese Transform Ordinary Cars Into 'Rolls-Royces'
In Vietnam, the land of product copycats, imitation iPhones and Louis Vuitton handbags are par for the course. But now, a new and impressive trend seems to be taking off – modding ordinary cars into "...
Vietnam Photo Tips: Lighting Subjects Wearing Nón Lá
One issue photographers often face in Vietnam is taking pictures of people wearing the traditional nón lá, Vietnam’s signature conical hat. It covers so much of the face that your subject may look und...
Saigoneer’s February Art Picks
Saigoneer's arts & culture guru, Zelda, highlights some of the best art being displayed and exhibited around town this month.
Local Handbag Company Seeks To Empower Minority Women And Preserve Ancient Weaving Techniques
When sustainable fashion designer, Danica Ratte, traveled to the far-flung corners of Vietnam, she was immediately taken with the weaving culture of the country’s ethnic minorities.
Exhibition Spotlight: Leonid Keller
Leonid Keller is the first and only exhibition in Saigon by Berlin-based artists Julia Ossko and Eugen Schulz.
[Photos] The Mekong’s Grandest Flower Village In Full Bloom
Last week, the oldest and largest flower village in the Mekong Delta, Tân Quy Đông, was in full bloom.
