All Aboard the Languorous 35-Hour Train From Hanoi to Saigon
The train connecting Vietnam’s largest cities takes 35 hours. Yet even after the first time I finished the trip, I was already coming up with excuses for why I needed to do it again. For me, the journey is much more than a chance for great views and time to reflect. It’s an exploration of life itself.
Short Film 'Mud Below, Sun Above' Reveals Daily Trials of Hanoi's Scrap Collectors
Đồng nát translates to “junk; broken materials,” but it is also a term used in northern Vietnam to describe the recycling workforce, 90% of whom are elderly women, that operate in a nation that produces 68,000 tons of solid waste every day.
Inside the Vivid, Soothing Art Realm of Vietnamese Illustration Artist Phuongsongdep
Using her keen observation and sensitive art intuition, Minh Phương creates a colorful realm through her brushstrokes, w...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Learning to Ngồi Chồm Hổm Is a Simple Way for Anybody to Feel More Vietnamese
What is culture? For someone who writes for an arts and culture publication, you’d think I’d have a quick and clean answer, but the more I ruminate, the more I realize it comes down to a sloppy assemblage of habits, ephemera, and minutiae: eating preferences, holiday attire, styles of sneezes, methods for counting on one’s fingers, variety of fruits to gift and an endless string of social norms. Pile enough of these choices together, and you end up with a distinct culture.
Great Vietnam Resurrects Nguyễn-Era Fashion, One Traditional Costume at a Time
In the last four to five years, ancient Vietnamese costumes have gained more visibility, becoming a welcome sight among young locals thanks to the efforts to reproduce and promote historic fashion from a number of designers, brands, and interest groups that appreciate the country’s history and traditions.
In the Mekong Delta, Đồ Bộ Is Everything, Everywhere, All at Once
Despite its humble beginning as something worn just for convenience’s sake, đồ bộ has entered every minute of life in the Mekong Delta as a staple fashion choice that’s both flexible and colorful. Đồ bộ means “set outfit” in Vietnamese, a type of female casualwear made of soft, thin fabrics that often comes in a top and long bottom combo. They’re sometimes referred to as “Vietnamese pajamas,” but these comfortable sets can be worn at any time of the day and even outside, not just reserved for sleep like pajamas.
Nguyễn Đổng Chi's Classic Retelling of Vietnam's Fairy Tales, Now in English
Folklorist and anthropologist Nguyễn Đổng Chi dedicated decades to weaving a significant portion of Vietnam’s folklore tapestry. He collected, researched, and rewrote over 200 Vietnamese folktales from all corners of the country. His work, initially scattered across five volumes published individually and consecutively over 25 years, appeared as a complete anthology in 1982. Guided by a comprehensive treatise of Vietnamese folktale, Chi’s Kho tàng truyện cổ tích Việt Nam (Treasury of Vietnamese Folk Tales) might be daunting for readers drawn to Vietnamese folklore but disenchanted by rigorous academic discourse.
Kit Humphrey in Travel
In Thổ Hà Village, Rice Paper Spills Onto the Streets and Wraps Around Daily Life
A few hours after sunrise in the small village of Thổ Hà, Bắc Giang Province, alleyways morph into picturesque tunnels of drying rice paper, while ladies toast crackers over fire in the streets.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
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...
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.
7 Incredible 360° Panoramas Of Saigon
These spiraling photos are the work of Hồ Ý, a graphic designer who moved to Saigon in 1999.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Film Screening: March: Art Walk Presents “Ánh” and “Mùi”
Part of Sao La and Freeland’s community art project, March: Art Walk, aims to bridge the gap between Saigon’s contemporary art scene and the general public. To that end, on March 11, the project scree...
Brian Letwin in Film & TV
This Film Beautifully Captures The Daily Life Of Vietnamese
Wander in Vietnam is not your typical Vietnam travel video as this short film’s beauty lies in its simplicity.
Saigoneer’s March Art Picks
Last month was, without a doubt, the most extravagant (artistically speaking) in the past four years; Saigon was a theatre unto itself with a variety of art shows and exhibitions. Here are some of our...
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Forgotten Vietnamese Communities Come To Life At Sao La
Nguyen Thi Thanh Mai’s latest thought provoking and socially conscious exhibition, Day by Day, is currently on view at Sao La.
[Video] Chinese-Vietnamese Gang War Erupts in Australia
Chinese-Vietnamese relations are still a bit frosty from the oilrig that caused a geopolitical fracas last year, and by the looks of it, this animosity has manifested in the diasporas of these countri...
Zelda Goes To The Gallery: World in My Mind
For his first exhibition, The World in My Mind, now on view at deciBel Lounge, Saigon-based concept designer and illustrator Hoang Trung has assembled nine medium-scale digital paintings inspired by h...
Vietnamese Photographer Takes Home Grand Prize at International Photo Contest
A photo by Vietnamese photographer, Pham Ty, has beaten out 26,500 other submissions to take the top spot at the recently concluded Smithsonian Photo Contest.
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 2
Though Saigon has lost quite a bit of its verdant luster over the years, there are still patches of green throughout the city that are worth checking out.Vietnam Coraclehas made a handy guide to some ...
Incredibly Detailed Map Shows SE Asia's Amazing Diversity
This detailed map created by the Indigenous Knowledge and Peoples Network shows the incredible diversity of ethnicities in SE Asia.
Vietnam’s First IMAX Theatre To Launch In Saigon With “Furious 7”
IMAX is finally coming to Vietnam next month with screenings of the seventh installment of the “Fast & Furious” franchise.
[Video] Saigon Mad Men: “The Guitar-Maker's Labor of Love”
This short film is the fourth episode in a series called "Saigon Mad Men" that profiles some of the city’s most passionate business people.
April Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues
As we slowly move away from the awards season, our local film venues go back to what they do best: indie and cult cinema.
Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest [Results]
Over Tet, many of us got out of Saigon either to our hometowns, or for some much needed holiday time to surrounding countries. Either way, some beautiful images were submitted, and we had a rough time...
