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

Michael Tatarski

in Film & TV

'Da 5 Bloods' Review: A Vital Message Lost in a Deeply Flawed Film

This article contains major spoilers for Da 5 Bloods.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Gender, Generational Divides of Saigon's Civic Spaces

Episode 87 is ready for your ears!

in Culture

[Photos] Scaling the Cliffs of Northern Vietnam

Despite its incredible potential, rock climbing in Vietnam still flies relatively under the radar.

in Film & TV

'Canh Dong Hoang' Cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba Passes Away at 93

Most famously known for his part in making the film Canh Dong Hoang (The Abandoned Field: Free Fire Zone) in 1979, cinematographer Duong Tuan Ba died of old age at 1:50pm on June 1, 2020, at the age o...

in Culture

[Video] An Effortlessly Cool Hanoi in Biti's Hunter's New Collection Promo

Hanoi's aesthetic can rightly be likened to a patchwork quilt: a chaotic assemblage of colors, styles, influences, eras and atmospheres. 

in Film & TV

Award-Winning Film 'Rom' to Hit Theaters in Vietnam on July 31

After eight years in development and months of not knowing whether the movie would be allowed to be screened, the filmmakers behind Rom can now heave a sigh of relief.

in Culture

Field of Dreams: The History and Future of Baseball in Vietnam

Whenever I tell someone that I am on my school’s baseball team, the immediate reaction is surprise that the school has a baseball team, followed by inquiry about my reasons for joining.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Contemporary Vietnamese Cinema

A new episode is available now!

Brian Letwin

in Film & TV

[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Hanoi Through the Lens of a VFX Artist

Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.

Kit Humphrey

in Music & Arts

Rooftop Concerts: Electronic Duo Tiny Giant Performs 'Air' (Live in Truc Bach)

Following Limebócx last year, Tiny Giant is now the third act to feature in Rooftop Concerts, Saigoneer's live music video series, and their haunting, dance-driven performance feels like the perfect s...

in Music & Arts

[Photos] In a Thao Dien Concrete Shell, a Mystery Graffiti Mecca

You never know what you'll find amid the glittering facades of Saigon's new upscale residential developments.

in Arts & Culture

Local Designers Create Typefaces Inspired by a Bygone Era

Local designers are bringing the craftsmanship of Vietnamese typography into the digital world.

in Music & Arts

Vietnam's London Design Biennale Artwork Now Available for Viewing in Hanoi

On display in Vietnam for the first time, installation work 'Khải' marked Vietnam's first participation in the London Design Biennale.

in Film & TV

Spike Lee's New Netflix Film, Featuring Ngo Thanh Van, Premieres in June

The movie was filmed in Vietnam and Thailand last year, and will be released by Netflix on June 12.

Brian Letwin

in Music & Arts

[Videos] A 'Stranger Things'-Esque Vietnam Through the Lens of a VFX Artist

Narrow alleys have long been a defining characteristic of Vietnam’s cities, with many tracing their origins to the rice patty embankments that once crisscrossed an agricultural landscape.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: The Snack Chat and Saigon Children Executive Director Damien Roberts

Happy Monday!

Govi Snell

in Culture

Already Ubiquitous, Face Masks Become the Symbol of Vietnam's 'New Normal'

What image will come to mind when you look back on 2020?

in Music & Arts

[Illustrations] Local Designer Turns Vietnam's Endangered Species Into Geometric Stamps

Beautiful illustrations of animals on stamps take on a mournful tone within the context of extinction.

in Music & Arts

In 88Rising's Concert, Asian Artists, Including Suboi, Sing From the Comfort of Home

Last week, 88Rising put together a reimagined concert experience during the global pandemic. 

in Music & Arts

[Photos] An Other-Worldly Wander Through a Human-Less Hanoi at Night

Tracing Hanoi’s spirit: that was the initial goal of the photographic project I set out to do from November 2018 onward.