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.
21 Outrageous Photos Of Vietnamese Motorbikers – Part 2
For many living in Vietnam, motorbikes act as an appendage, taken everywhere and used for everything. They are monuments to function that are at once a personal vehicle, a delivery truck, a school bus...
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlight their favorite articles from the past week.
Three Saigon-based Artists Bring Their Diverse Urban Art To Vin Gallery
This evening, American illustrator and street artist Kristopher Kotcher AKA Frenemy is bringing his work back to Vin Gallery with a new exhibition, Trialogue. It has been almost a year since his first...
This Is What A Mongolian Hip-Hop Video Looks Like
Tracing its roots back to the cities of the United States, Hip-Hop has since spread across the globe, penetrating even the farthest corners of human civilization.
S-A-I-G-O-N: Digital Pop Art Project Brings "Saigon" To Life
This incredibly detailed piece of digital pop art takes aim at Saigon's complex beauty.
[Photos] Vintage Vietnamese Lottery Tickets Are Works of Art
In contrast with the bright red colored, formulaic designs of today’s Vietnamese lottery tickets, those of the mid-twentieth century were more like postcards and graced with intricate artwork.
12 Of Saigon’s Best Parks And Open Spaces – Part 1
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 Coracle has made a handy guide to som...
Saigoneer Sunday Rewind
Saigoneer's staff highlights their favorite articles from the past week.
Saigon’s Own Suboi Making Headlines in America
Suboi, Saigon’s “Queen of Hip-Hop”, has been making international headlines this week in anticipation of her performance at one of America's largest music festivals.
[Video] This Vietnamese Coke Commercial Might The Best We’ve Ever Seen
Say what you will about Coca-Cola’s poor human rights record and shady promotional practices, but the soda giant sure seems to have its marketing executions figured out.
Infographic Shows The Most Popular Beers In The World By Country: Vietnam Confused
Vinepair, a website dedicated to all things alcohol, recently released a great infographic showing the most popular beers in the world by country. However, while the king of beers in most nations was ...
Vietnam Photo Tips: Aperture Is Your Best Friend
Vietnam, and more generally Southeast Asia, are full of visual pollution. We are surrounded by plastic bags, motorbikes, flashy karaoke signs and electric wires. As a result, there is often a need for...
[Photos] Remnants Of Old Saigon
Often coming across as bustling and chaotic, Saigon’s entangled streets make for one hell of a first impression. Saigon’s charm, however, lies underneath the surface and only unveils itself when time ...
Saigoneer Tet Photo Contest
Alright Saigoneers, we hope you’ve had a chance to deal with your holiday withdrawal depression and get back into the groove of life. You should have had ample time to get all your holiday photos edit...
Saigon's Instant Street Furniture
Public space in Saigon can be easily understood as an endless source of spontaneous, if not random, design solutions.
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.
