Saigoneer in Travel
[Photos] The Incredibly Eye-Catching, Organic Signage of Sa Đéc
Signs are like voices.
Trần Thị NgH in Literature
Short Story: 'Left-Eared' by Trần Thị NgH
'Left-Eared' (Người Thuận Tai Trái) is a short work of fiction originally written in Vietnamese by author Trần Thị NgH and translated with her assistance for Saigoneer.
Giang Phạm in Culture
[Photos] For a Tết Full of Rich Traditions, Head to Saigon's Hoa Community
Up until 2011, I thought that everybody in Saigon had the same Tet every year, with apricot flowers in the living room and bánh chưng or bánh tét on the altar, and family trips to the Nguyen Hue flower street and prayers to Buddha at pagodas.
Saigoneer in Travel
[Photos] A Stroll Through Eclectic Chợ Lớn
Until fairly recently, Chợ Lớn was its own city, long inhabited by người Hoa who carved out an economic hub along the banks of the Saigon River over 200 years ago.
Peter Walls in Travel
[Photos] Watching the Sunset From Fansipan, the Roof of Vietnam
Conquering Mount Fansipan’s 3,147 meters was once a feat reserved for those willing to take on the potential multi-day hike from Sapa to the summit and back.
Paul Christiansen in Literature
How DiaCritics Creates a Platform for Diverse Vietnamese Voices From Abroad
“Vietnamese communities can sometimes/often demand conformity and tradition of people in order to feel a part of things; I have always seen diaCRITICS as an opportunity to trouble the definitions, push the boundaries, to include the atypical voices and stories and viewpoints.”
Michael Tatarski in Travel
An Eye-Opening Mushroom Farm in Da Lat for Budding Mycologists
It could be argued that mushrooms are among nature's strangest creations.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 28: Embrace a New Fashion
What if cải lương tuồng cổ costumes became a new trend?
Brian Letwin in Culture
Is the Internet Changing Vietnam’s Perception of Sexuality?
Over at Vietmeme, one of our favorite local blogs, Mai Huyen Chi takes a closer look at the recent scandal surrounding the bra-less Facebook sensation, Bà Tưng and how the web is shaping sexual discou...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Video: Foreigners Race Mini Bikes Around Saigon Traffic Circle
Ever wonder what it would look like if two foreigners undertook a 250 lap race around a Saigon traffic circle on 49hp mini bikes and full racing regalia? Do you have 14 minutes to spare? That's rheto...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Future Shorts Returns with 2 Screenings
90 Countries, 325 Cities, 6 Continents, 1,700 screenings – Future Shorts is the world’s largest short film festival. This season’s short films explore the grief; the joy, and the memory of living and ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Beautiful Japanese Rice Paddy Art
The slideshow below features examples of tanbo, a ingenious Japanese style of rice paddy art, popularized by the village of Inakadate. The tradition began in 1993 when the villagers were looking for ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Interview with HCMC MEGA City Organizer - Part 1
Dr. Michael Waibel, along with Hilbert Henning, have launched the TP. Ho Chi Minh - MEGA City project to visually document Saigon’s rapid urban development. The project is currently being assembl...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Beware: The Face-Kini May Come to Vietnam
While the Western World spends huge sums of money on tanning, in the East, things are reversed. Seemingly every cosmetic cream promises to whiten ones skin while many hibernate during the day to avoid...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Famous Japanese Rockers to Play Saigon
Looking to an alternative to the typical Saigon music scene? On Sunday, July 28th, the Onion Cellar will host a night of Japanese-dominated indie, progressive rock and electronic music ranging from si...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Video: What Traditional Vietnamese Music Would Sound Like in English
For many foreigners, Vietnamese is a tough language to master due to its many tones. As hard as it may be for them in daily conversation, understanding music lyrics is a herculean task. So what would...
Diana van Oort in Culture
Dutch Lady Versus Vinamilk - A Foreigner and a Local Battle it Out (But Not Really)
Humor doesn't require much knowledge of each other’s language, especially in Vietnam. On a recent sweltering day, I went to a minimart to buy a Coca-Cola just as the store was being supplied. They di...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Dekotora: Japan's Truckin' Subculture
The Japanese really know how to take shit to the next level. Next level brothel? Check! Next level hamburger? Check! Blinged-out transformer trucks? Double check! The pictures in the gallery below sho...
Alfredo de la Casa in Music & Arts
Latin Music With Soul
With many options available, it seems that a large number of Vietnamese youth are getting more and more into Latin music - Salsa, Merengue, Cumbia and Reggaeton. From Salsa clubs like La Salsa and Xsa...
Jas Huynh in Culture
A Vietnamese View of Photography: Artsy vs Trendy
Over the past four years, young Vietnamese have been paying more attention to photography. They’re not only keen on the qualitative aspects but are also eager to learn how to create these images by th...
Brian Letwin in Travel
Japan Eases Visa Requirements for Vietnamese
The struggles of Vietnamese applying for visas to European and North American countries are well documented and probably won’t be changing anytime soon. But it will soon be easier for Vietnamese to vi...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Emerging Vietnamese Artists at Craig Thomas Gallery
In celebration of Craig Thomas Gallery’s 4th anniversary, the works of 15 young Vietnamese emerging artists will be displayed from June 29 – July 21. Among the artists are Ngo Van Sac, Bui Thanh Tam,...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Amazing Motorbike Choreography by the Rome Police (1953)
Think Saigon motorbike drivers are hardcore? You have no idea. Check out the video below of a 1953 performance of the Rome motorbike police. If Saigon’s traffic is organized chaos, then this is, well...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Vietnamese Artists Mix Electronic, Hip Hop and Traditional Music
There are complaints that Vietnamese pop music is bland and lacks variety and musical ingenuity. Pop ballads, usually indistinguishable from one another, dominate Vietnamese TV and radio. Fortunately...
Mark Batchelor in Music & Arts
Ode To Saigon
When Mark Batchelor found himself in an all-to-familiar power outage, he was left with no internet and decided to spontaneously pick up a pen a paper and whip together a poem/rhyme about his first imp...
Brian Letwin in Culture
Event: Green Drinks Returns on June 25
Every month people who work in the environmental field meet up at informal sessions known as Green Drinks. With a lively mixture of people from NGOs, academia, government and business, it's a great w...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Downed US Plane in Binh Phuoc
Earlier this year, Quinn Ryan Mattingly made his way through Binh Phuoc Province. Eventually reaching Phuoc Long, he stumbled upon some interesting history, a downed US plane, slowly decomposing in th...
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Amazing Vietnamese Origami
This is the work of Hanoi-based artist Nguyen Hung Cuong who creates his beautiful pieces with paper called Do. Nguyen Hung Cuong has been making origami since the age of six when he received his fir...
