in Culture

But What Even Is an Expat: Unpacking the Highly Contentious Term, in Vietnam and Abroad

“Expat is a racist as hell term” — this is the take of Misan Harriman on the popular internet show  SubwayTakes. The ...

Adrien Jean

in Travel

The Enigmatic Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa

Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?

Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

Review: Pieces of Me | Nao Yoshioka (feat. Mỹ Anh)

Mỹ Anh has come a long way since becoming the runner-up of The Heroes in 2021. Five years later, now with a full-length album and a spectrum of singles and extended plays under her belt, the Hanoi-based artist has proven to be one of the most dynamic singer-songwriter-producer of her generation.

in Music & Arts

Art Exhibition ‘Limerence’ Explores Where Romantic Desire Distorts Into Obsession

Thom Nguyen utilizes portraiture and depictions of mushrooms and organic objects to explore the concept of limerence in a solo exhibition at Permanently Closed Gallery in Thảo Điền, beginning Friday, August 28.

in Music & Arts

How Vinahouse Fosters Sonic Belonging in Modern Saigon's Queer Collectives

If you spend a night wandering along Bùi Viện Walking Street and its dense concentration of bars and clubs, you will almost certainly hear the same sound spilling from multiple directions: fast, pounding basslines layered with Vietnamese pop melodies, punctuated by dramatic buildups and explosive drops. If you fall into the right algorithm on TikTok, you might encounter these same sounds circulating as background audio. This music is Vinahouse. Its ever-presence in both physical and digital spaces makes it one of the most recognizable yet least critically examined musical forms in contemporary Vietnam.

Xuân Phương

in Culture

Inside Tế Tiêu, Home to Vietnam's Rare 'Land Puppet' Performances

Bidding goodbye to central Hanoi, I took the National Road 21B to reach Tế Tiêu Neighborhood, a small community in Đại Nghĩa Township of Hanoi’s Mỹ Đức District. This fertile patch of land by the Đáy River is the cradle of a unique form of traditional folk art: Tế Tiêu puppetry.

in Travel

How Quy Nhơn's Old Cemetery Slowly Expands up Vũng Chua Mountain

​You might miss it if you were driving past, but once you walk down a small hẻm off Quy Nhơn’s main Tây Sơn Street, the massive cemetery sprawls in all directions. 

in Travel

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.

Back Arts & Culture

in Music & Arts

These 8 Saigon Christmas Cinemagraphs Will Get You In The Christmas Spirit

Whether you enjoy Saigon’s frenetic Christmas energy or not, it’s impossible to escape the twinkling light shows in the city’s alleys, Santa impersonators and tinfoil snow.

in Music & Arts

All In: Vietnamese Artists Put A Beautiful Twist On Playing Cards

With an obsession for peace signs, adoration for the hippie lifestyle and an open mind, two young artists, Đinh Công Thành and Ngô Đình Lệ Thuỷ, have started a creative project called “Bài Ta” (Vietna...

in Music & Arts

Saigon Xưa: Young Artist Makes Incredible Drawings to Show Love of Old Saigon

Although born in Ninh Thuan province, Le Hung Trong has grown intimately attached to his second home, Saigon. Working as an architect for past three years, he has put together a collection of drawings...

in Culture

OMG: Use Of Online Acronyms By Vietnamese Youth Blurs Linguistic Lines

Across the globe, the internet has brought about new ways of thinking, interacting and communicating. The latter has been a cause of concern for some in Vietnam who worry about the impact of popular i...

in Culture

[Video] Pro Skateboarders Make an Epic Vietnam Road Trip

Back in 2012, Skateboarder Magazine sent a group of pro skaters on a motorbike journey from Hanoi to HCMC in a quest to find unseen skate spots throughout the country.

in Music & Arts

[Photos] Vietnam Through The Lens Of A Leica

There’s little doubt that Vietnam is one of the World’s most photogenic countries. No matter what camera one uses, you’re bound to have at least a few gems on your film roll or memory card. But what h...

in Culture

A Look At The Top Google Searches In Vietnam In 2014

On Tuesday, Google released its annual “A Year in Search” showing the most popular searches of the last year. To make it a bit more accessible, the search engine released localized versions in additio...

in Music & Arts

4 Awesome Animated Gifs Of Sleeping Saigon Cyclo Drivers

Maria Tran Larsen, a graphic designer with Vietnamese roots living in Copenhagen, Denmark has always been entranced by the sleeping cyclo drivers she came across on her trips to Vietnam.

in Music & Arts

Rolling The Dice With Old Saigon Monopoly

There’s something about inspired design mixed with nostalgia that always pulls on the heartstrings. We recently got wind of an old Saigon inspired game of Monopoly designed right here in Saigon.

in Music & Arts

Incredible Pointillism Pieces Show The Faces Of Vietnam

Out of all the many art forms, pointillism is one of the most impressive. Artists in this medium use millions of individual dots to compose their masterpieces that are packed with incredible detail.

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Music & Arts

[Photos] An Illustrated Guide to Vietnamese Motorbikers, Part 2

After we published the first edition of “An Illustrated Guide To Vietnamese Motorbikers,” we received an abundance of requests from users on Facebook, Twitter and a number of Vietnamese social network...

in Music & Arts

Artist Spotlight: Tonstartssbandht

Tonstartssbandht is one of those bands which occupy that very rare dimension in music defying categorization. Psychedelic-rock, pastoral vocals, pop undertones, rock-n-roll and lo-fi are all terms tha...

in Music & Arts

Amazing Vegetable Carvings In HCMC

When one thinks about materials artists use to make intricate carving, wood immediately comes to mind. But at the Taste of the World culinary festival which wrapped up last week, a group of talented c...

in Music & Arts

This Video Proves That Vietnam Is One of the Most Beautiful Places on Earth

"This Land", a short film by overseas Vietnamese filmmaker Arnaud Ly Van Manh takes viewers across Vietnam and focuses on the beautiful landscapes, people and tranquil moments one finds in t...

in Culture

19 Amazing Photos Of Animals In Vietnam

Whether you live in the city or the countryside, animals are a constant characteristic of life in Vietnam. These amazing photos sourced from one of our favorite Facebook pages, Another Side of Vietnam...

in Culture

The Highest Paying Jobs In Vietnam

Last month, Adecco released a report outlining the pay rates for the leading job titles in Vietnam. As recent years have shown us, those in finance and banking are taking the lion’s share when it come...

in Arts & Culture

Saigoneer Sunday Rewind

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

in Film & TV

December Movies At Saigon’s Alternative Film Venues

The Christmas holidays are fast approaching but our alternative film venues have more in store for you than just Christmassy-flicks. Philosophy in cinema, the first Saudi Arabian film in history and a...

in Culture

An Illustrated Guide to Old Saigon Slang: Part 2

Mã tà! Nhà dây thép! Đi bum! Do these phrases look familiar? No? Don’t worry you’re not alone. This old Saigon slang is derived from mispronounced French words, the names of locations and plenty of me...