Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

The Unquenchable Spirit of Artist Lê Triều Điển

“Điển is like a flower; there is no question of growing or not growing.”

in Music & Arts

Cổ Động's Live Session Series 'Động Tag' Returns for Season 2 With 9 Vietnamese Artists

Động Tag Live Session, Cổ Động’s series of live recordings aiming to highlight Vietnam’s up-and-coming musicians, is returning with a second season.

in Culture

The Artist Preserving Saigon's Cultural Tapestry Through Hand-Painted Signs

"In the early 2000s, the market experienced an exodus of painters due to the shift to digital; it was difficult to retain customers otherwise. I didn't want my craft to be forgotten, so I started everything all over,” Nguyễn Hoài Bảo told me in Vietnamese when I visited his studio.

in Travel

Vietnam Welcomes 21m Tourists in 2025, Highest-Ever Figure in History

Last year marked an impressive year for tourism in Vietnam. A record number of 21.17 million international tourists visite...

in Loạt Soạt

Viet Thanh Nguyen's New Essay Collection Is Both Theoretically Sharp and Intimately Tender

Last year, acclaimed Vietnamese American writer Viet Thanh Nguyen published To Save and to Destroy: Writing as an Other, a collection of six essays adapted from the prestigious Norton Lectures that he delivered at Harvard in 2023–2024.

in Travel

Hanoi's Proposal to Stop Train Service Might Spell the End of 'Train Street'

Hanoi’s infamous train street might be going away if a new municipal plan becomes a reality.

in Fashion

In Sa Pa, Learning How to Indigo Dye, One Plant, Vat, and Beeswax Pen at a Time

My first meal in Sa Pa was accidentally earned. After a few hours of uneven rest in a sleeper bus and a short ride from Sa Pa city center to the village, I finally arrived, along with two other indigo enthusiasts, at a small hill in bản Cát Cát. A few modest houses framed a quiet courtyard where indigo vats rested, and long strips of dyed fabric hung on bamboo poles, drying in the morning air.

Khôi Phạm

in Quãng 8

Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx Brings Tried-and-Trù Traditions to Young Ears

A grazing buffalo, frolicking water puppets, mystifying tam cúc cards, an insolent maiden in áo tứ thân, a rustic meal around cái mâm. These are just a few standout visuals that will haunt your brain upon feasting your eyes on Limebócx’ debut music video ‘Yêu Nhau (Qua Cầu Gió Bay).’

Back Arts & Culture

in Culture

Event Rewind: Creative Drinks @ Saigon Ranger

Last Friday at Saigon Ranger, team Creative Drinks held their 4th event with the theme “Sell Your Creative Work” at Saigon’s newest alternative venue, Saigon Ranger.

in Culture

Bình Tân District’s Gold Castle

Though Bình Tân District is quite a distance from the economic center of HCMC, in it lies one of the city’s most extravagant buildings.

in Music & Arts

Zelda Goes to the Gallery: Mr. Bastian the Time Traveller

Mr. Bastian The Time Traveller opened last week at the majestic HCMC Museum of Fine Arts, where Sri Lankan-born, Australia-educated Kumkum Fernando brought to Saigon this year’s most electrifying and ...

in Music & Arts

18 Photos That Combine Past And Present Vietnam In A Single Image

We love before and after shots of Vietnam as much as anyone, to the point where we’ve dedicated an entire Facebook group to the comparisons. But Vietnamese photographer, Khánh Hmoong, takes this conce...

in Music & Arts

[Video] Superman Mất Dạy (Asshole)

There are many versions of famed D.C. comic book hero, Superman. There’s singing, slightly depressed Superman; confused Bizzaro Superman; amazingly Retro Superman and now Mất Dạy (Asshole) Superm...

in Culture

The Fading Legacy Of Lê Công Kiều’s Camera Shop

Renowned among local photographers and cameras aficionados, the Phạm Thê Camera Repair Shop, which opened before 1975, has stood the test of time. But behind the façade of customer’s smiles sit the wo...

in Music & Arts

$840,000 Vietnamese Oil Painting Sets Christie’s Record

While SE Asia may not be known for fine oil paintings the way Europe is, Vietnam boasts a few exceptional artists in this discipline. One of these is the 20th century painter, Lê Phổ, whose artis...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

Our staff's favorite articles that appeared on Saigoneer this week.

in Music & Arts

Iconic Rockers, The Lemonheads To Take The Stage At Cargo

People of a certain age remember the 90s as a time of neon clothing, bad haircuts, and oversized polyester pants. Well luckily those memories are firmly cemented in the past presumably to return when ...

in Culture

The Stories Behind Vietnamese Bank Notes

Though we’ve previously written about the history of Vietnamese currency, we haven’t deeply explored the beautiful artwork the adorns their backsides which feature not only famous landmarks, but more ...

in Music & Arts

Jagwar Ma To Bring Their Unique Indie/Dance Sounds To Cargo Bar In December

If ever there were an experiment in music that yielded such results as the FLRL community did in Sydney, audiences would be spoilt for a generation. Jagwar Ma is one of those results.

in Music & Arts

Black Infinity And White Noiz To Rock Cargo Bar Next Week

Smack in the middle of Saigon International Music Week on November 30th come two of the most reliable acts in Vietnam’s rock music scene.

in Music & Arts

Chinese Music Video “Chick Chick” Is The Definition Of Insanity

In what seems to be a mixture of “What Does The Fox Say” and “The Chicken Dance,” Chinese pop group Wang Rong Rollin’s “Chick Chick” is absolutely WTP (what the phở) worthy.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam’s Beauty in 30 Amazing Photos

VN Express’s Photo Contest 2014 kicked off in August and the site has released the 30 top pictures for the “Landscape” category.

in Culture

[Chart] Vietnamese Dominating The US Manicure Industry

Vietnamese living in the US are known for saturating the manicurist market, but data from the Texas Department of Licensing and Registration show that they absolutely dominate the profession.

in Music & Arts

Back To The Basics: Experimenting With Pinhole Photography In Vietnam

While digital SLRs are all the rage these days, some photographers are moving in the opposite direction, opting for bare-bones techniques that provide unpredictable (and exciting) results. Will Branti...

in Music & Arts

Saigon International Music Week Arrives At Cargo This Month

Cargo Bar continues to raise the bar for live music in the city with the launch of Saigon International Music Week later this month.

in Music & Arts

Comic Con Is Coming To Saigon Next Month

Comic Con, one of the World’s largest gaming, technology, comic book, anime, manga, and cosplay events is coming to Saigon for the first time next month.

in Culture

[Video] Daily Café Hustlin': A Digital Nomad’s Life In Saigon

There are plenty of digital nomads in Saigon, those who tote their laptop from coffee shop to coffee shop instead of sitting in a cubicle. But it’s not a life of glamour. It’s a hustle.

in Culture

[Photos] 21 Outrageous Photos of Vietnamese Vehicles

If you’re from Vietnam, or have lived here for a while, you’ve probably come across some pretty outlandish things on the local roads. But if you think you’ve seen everything, this collection of photos...