Composer Hoàng Việt and a Radical Romance Across the North-South Border
In a country fractured by ideology, Hoàng Việt's love for his wife Ngọc Hạnh persisted like a secret melody carried across closed borders by weak radio signals, and letters that had to circle the globe before finding their way home.
The Cultural Depths in Contemporary Hip-Hop Dance ‘129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén’
Have you ever witnessed a live performance so powerful that it still lives in your mind weeks later? “129BPM: Động Phách Tách Kén” is not your usual hip-hop breakdance battle, but a contemporary dance performance combining live music with Vietnamese folk elements. It is a journey that requires your full presence and attention to appreciate its fleeting and transformative moments.
New 'Số Đỏ' Movie Announced, Directed by Phan Gia Nhật Linh, Starring MONO
Another classic of Vietnamese literature is heading to the big screen in the near future.
Thi Nguyễn in Loạt Soạt
Revisiting the Delicious Satirical Society of 'Số Đỏ' by Vũ Trọng Phụng
Published in 1938, Dumb Luck , or Số Đỏ , remains one of Vietnam's most popular and controversial novels. Vũ Trọng Phụng was ...
Severine Phương Trần's Debut Exhibition in Saigon Celebrates a World of Colors
Step into Severine Phương Trần’s first-ever exhibition in Saigon, where you can explore the artist’s inner world of vibrant colors and different emotions. To fully enjoy this exhibition, it is best to let your inner child and imagination roam free and allow the flow of colors and different sceneries to guide you through a journey of creativity, self-discovery, and personal artistic transformation.
From Germany to 'King of Rap' Runner-up: How Tuimi Becomes a Hip-Hop Breakout Star
Tuimi, a Vietnamese German singer and rapper, has become one of the most notable female voices in the local hip-hop scene and been making big waves since her return in 2019.
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefu...
What Will Become of Chợ Quê in the Era of Widespread Online Shopping?
Firmly taking root in everyday life, our hometown markets — chợ quê — are not simply a place to trade, but also puzzle pieces that make up childhood memories, holiday excitement, and even tales of hardships and life milestones of countless people.
[Video] This V-Pop Song About Coronavirus Is Going Viral
Besides school closures and dragon fruit bánh mì, the Covid-19 epidemic has also inspired a plethora of whimsical coronavirus-themed songs, videos and parodies.
Khoi Pham in Music & Arts
In 'Tình Tính Tang,' a Progressive Metal Take on Vietnam's Folk Melodies
‘Trong Com’ is unassuming; ‘Trong Com’ is simple and easy to memorize; much like its namesake — a small drum played during traditional ceremonies, the song evokes an idealized image of Vietnam, one th...
[Photos] Life in the Time of the Masks and Coronavirus
These are strange times we're all living in.
Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu's Social Norms and the Impact of Ongoing School Closures
Our latest episode is out now!
Vietnam's Buddhist Temples, Now in Typographical Form
Rendered under the elaborate, rotund graphemes of Den typeface, every sentence becomes a slice of street scenery.
Parasite's Historic Oscars Win and What It Means for Asian Cinema
With a beguiling mix of style and substance, South Korean director Bong Joon-ho’s class thriller Parasite cuts through societal divides and sends a vital message to “world cinema.”
Trinh Cong Son Biopic 'Em Va Trinh' to Start Filming in 2020
The biopic will be produced by the same producer as Mat Biec, the movie adaptation of the Nguyen Nhat Anh novel of the same name.
In Tình Đầu Exhibition Space, a Home for Hanoi's Bohemian Young Artists
Nestled deep within labyrinthine alleyways in Hanoi’s Ba Đình District, Tình Đầu (first love), a studio-gallery run by a collective of Vietnamese artists, is growing a reputation as a home for the cap...
Saigoneer Podcast: After the Success of 'Parasite,' a Look at Asian, Vietnamese Cinema
Our latest episode is available now!
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
In Defense of Bảo Tàng Địa Chất, Saigon's Most Underappreciated Museum
By (un)conventional standards, Saigon’s Geological Museum may warrant a score of 1.3/9, but if one considers it as a source of whimsy, it’s a solid 8.2/9.
From Fan to Filmmaker: How Le Lam Vien Found His Confidence as an Independent Director
At the age of 12, Le Lam Vien saw a movie at the cinema for the first time, and it swept him away to another world – one he’s been chasing ever since.
In Warsaw, Homemade Thịt Kho Trứng for the Homeless
The Vietnamese community in Poland started to form in the 1950s, and to this day, most of its residents are very active in Poland.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Coronavirus Outbreak and New Drunk Driving Laws
We're back from the Tet holiday!
[Photos] Japan Releases New Sketches of Upcoming Ghibli Theme Park
A cafeteria containing Spirited Away's ghostly food stalls, a full-size version of the house where Mei and Satsuki lived when they first met Totoro, and an interactive version of the Irontown tha...
An Artist's Intimate Portraits of Genderfunk's Collective Energy
The collective of drag artists and performers known as Genderfunk has been creating safe spaces for local queer creatives and blowing the minds of Saigon’s denizens for nearly two years, and they are ...
Netflix Star Comic Iliza Shlesinger to Perform in Saigon, Hanoi This Month
American stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger gained popularity after she became the first woman and the youngest comedian to win NBC’s talent competition Last Comic Standing.
Two Vietnam Poems by Hoa Nguyen, Inspired by Saigon Ghost Stories
Vietnam Ghost Story: High School Clock Tower and Vietnam Ghost Story: Towers of District 5
[Illustrations] An Art Book of Watercolor Saigon Sketches 3 Years in the Making
How envious we are of those who can render in great detail paper scenes that otherwise could only be accessed through one’s memory.
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tết Past
Every year, as the pages from my block calendar peel off, bringing me towards another Vietnamese New Year, my mind once again fills with nostalgia about an old Tết. Tết in my memory begins with my chi...
Saigon Postcard No. 21: The Year of the Rat Wedding
They say it's bad to get married during your year on the Lunar Calendar.
