Khôi Phạm

in Culture

Uncovering the Mystery of 'Ai Ai Ai I'm Your Butterfly' on Chinese Toy Phones

There’s a particular sequence of sounds that many, if not all, of us would remember by heart: two rings of the phone, a high-pitched female voice saying “Can I help you?”, some dog barks, and then “Ai ai ai, I’m your little butterfly.”

Paul Christiansen

in Travel

In Hội An’s Pottery Museum, Mini Clay Landmarks Hold Unexpected Memories

When preparing to visit Hội An’s Thanh Hà Pottery Museum, I didn’t anticipate an opportunity to reminisce. I hadn’t been to the museum dedicated to the region’s pottery traditions before, so how could it illicit fond memories?

in Film & TV

Review: Watch a Family's Trauma Unravel in Real Time in 'No Crying at the Dinner Table'

I had little to no expectation when I started watching No Crying at the Dinner Table, especially since the topic of generational distance in Vietnam has been discussed time and time again by many other media, including Bố Già and Nhà Bà Nữ, both feature films by Trấn Thành.

in Music & Arts

Destruction, Rebirth Enmeshed in Ngô Đình Bảo Châu’s Exhibition 'Projecting a Thought'

Darkness fills the space and a flame fiercely burns on the large screen, while dim lights and floating fabric linger behind. Ngô Đình Bảo Châu transforms domestic and bodily forms into works that explore the interconnectedness between the human body and the surrounding environment within this evolving world — in between destruction and rebirth.

Chris Humphrey

in Travel

The Poetry of Everyday Life in Central Vietnam's Coastal Towns

Traveling south through central Vietnam by train can bring you to the familiar or the obscure: the Disney-fication of Hội An, the peaceful bays of Quy Nhơn, or the thrill of derelict spaces in Huế.

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.

in Music & Arts

‘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.

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in Culture

[Photos] The Parks Of Saigon Seen From Above

Public parks can seem few and far between in Saigon, especially outside of the city center. But you gotta appreciate what you have and there’s no better way to do so than with the drone images of Saig...

in Music & Arts

The Incredible Origami Art Of Nguyen Ngoc Vu

In addition to digital art and stop motion films, Saigon-born Nguyen Ngoc Vu has also found success with one of Japan's most prolific analog art forms – origami.

in Film & TV

Check Out The Trailer For Victor Vu’s Beautiful New Film “Yellow Flowers On The Green Grass”

The trailer for “Yellow Flowers On The Green Grass,” the latest film from prolific Vietnamese American filmmaker Victor Vu was released late last week.

in Culture

Event Rewind: Farmers Market @ Saigon Outcast

Farmers markets are weekend staples in many cities around the globe, but these events have been noticeably absent from Saigon. Until now.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

Sai Gon Art Map: Call For Submissions

Saigoneer, Saigon Artbook, Dia Projects and Alternative Art Area are in the process of producing a handy map of art-related activities and venues in Saigon – from galleries to street art.

in Culture

10 Photos Of The Amazing Vietnamese Spider-Men

While some Vietnamese cities have begun to move their tangled nests of electricity wires underground, they are still a ubiquitous feature of many urban neighborhoods.

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Women’s Revolutionary Roles Depicted In Propaganda Posters

In the context of France-Vietnam Year, the Musée du quai Branly is presenting an installation of Vietnamese propaganda posters exploring the various representations of women in Vietnam from the 1950s ...

in Music & Arts

Saigoneer Chats With Suboi, Saigon’s Queen of Hip-Hop

Suboi recently returned from a series of successful US shows and wall-to-wall American media coverage. ­We sat down with Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop” to ask about her experiences in the US, whether...

in Culture

Hue’s Heritage Threatened By Development, Time

In a recent piece for The New York Times, Edward Wong warns that many of Hue’s World Heritage sites and perhaps its very soul are slowly deteriorating as a result of development and environmental fact...

in Culture

[Video] Nha Trang Driver Learns Why Lessons Shouldn’t Be Done On City Streets

This video should serve as a friendly reminder that novice drivers should avoid busy streets when trying to up their skills. You probably shouldn’t be driving a fancy Mercedes SUV either...

in Music & Arts

An Interview With Jazz-Fusion Trio The Drops

Forming in 2008, with Guitarist Frederico Casagrande, saxophonist Christophe Panzani, and percussionist Tom Poor, Casagrande and Panzani sought to continue a previous partnership in a new band. After ...

in Film & TV

[Video] Short Film Perfectly Captures Slices of Life in Vietnam

Unlike some of the more pensive Vietnamese travel videos we’ve come across in the past, Oliver Astrologo’s “Reverie of Vietnam” is a short film composed almost entirely of quick and explosive cuts.

in Film & TV

New Web Series Highlights Viet Kieu Who Have Found Themselves, Success In Vietnam

“Employed Identity” is a new web series created by Vietnamese American director, Bao Nguyen, for the Center for Asian American Media and PBS.  

in Film & TV

May Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

There’s a bit of everything in store this month at Saigon’s alternative film venues, from some recently acclaimed independent films and genre classics to the two most talked about documentaries from t...

in Music & Arts

Vietnamese Artist’s Spin On A Classic Piece Of Propaganda Art

Triet Nho, the artist behind the stop motion banh mi video we posted back in February, has been trying his hand at a different medium – watercolor.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

Vietnam Photo Tips: The Juxtaposition

When taking photos of people in a dynamic environment (and here I am talking specifically about Southeast Asia), it is very important to keep one’s photos as simple as possible. Capturing something to...

in Music & Arts

Pop Superstar Katy Perry Coming To Saigon Next Month

American pop star, Katy Perry, will be making her way to Saigon next month to attend an event organized by Forbes Vietnam.

in Music & Arts

7 Incredible 360° Panoramas Of Saigon

These spiraling photos are the work of Hồ Ý, a graphic designer who moved to Saigon in 1999.