Nguyen Phan Que Mai in Culture
On the Cusp of a Modern New Year, Reflections on a Simpler Tet 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 Tet. Tet in my memory begins with my childhood in a small house nestled under a coconut grove on the outskirts of Bac Lieu in the Mekong Delta. Those were days of hardship, yet my parents worked hard so that Tet could bloom magnificently for all of us.
Saigoneer in Postcards
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.
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
Art Platform S.E.A. Focus Brings Together 20 Galleries From Vietnam, Asia
In its second year, the art platform brought together 20 galleries from across Asia and beyond, highlighting a diverse range of contemporary Asian artists in one space.
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Fashion, Contemporary Art Ruminations Intermingle in Designer Cong Tri's 'Cục Im Lặng'
Cuc Im Lang, the latest exhibition from renowned fashion designer Nguyen Cong Tri, presented ten collections spanning his 20-year career through the lens of ten contemporary artists across different mediums and practices.
Khoi Pham in Culture
[Illustrations] The Mythological Race That Created Vietnam's Zodiac, Retold in Watercolor
After 12 years, Vietnam’s zodiac cycle will once again reset to welcome the Year of the Mouse, the first animal in the dozen.
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: To a Saigoneer, Phnom Penh Is Same Same, But Different
Is it possible to even recognize everything that has changed after 10 years?
Zula Rabikowska in Culture
[Photos] A Night With Kim Lee, the Only Vietnamese Drag Queen in Poland
There are only around 30 drag queens in Poland, and just one of them has Vietnamese roots: Kim Lee.
Raquel Guerra Aragonés in Music & Arts
The Masterful Urban Symbolism of 'Turn Left, Turn Right' Author Jimmy Liao
Jimmy Liao is a prolific Taiwanese illustrator and author who has expanded readership of picture books beyond children to general audiences. With sensitivity and creativity, he crafts each of his stories to become a journey through human feelings, a pathway towards Liao’s inner world, a world worth reviewing.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Instagram's Impact on Tourism; the Power of 'Made in Vietnam'
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Saigoneer in Travel
Illegal Hotel on Ma Pi Leng Pass Becomes Center of Controversy
Located in Ha Giang Province, Ma Pi Leng Pass is known for its breathtaking views of natural beauty.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Photographer Hon Hoang on Returning to His 'Foreign Hometown' After 11 Years
Saigon is changing so quickly that people who were born here can feel as if they are returning to a foreign land after years away.
Khoi Pham in Film & TV
Review: When Indie Music Meets Indie Cinema on a Grab in Saigon
In today’s aggressive stream of Marvel blockbusters, doll- and shark-themed horror flicks, and gratuitous comedies, Troi Sang Roi, Ta Ngu Di Thoi (Good Morning and Good Night) is like a stubborn wild ...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Victim-Blaming in 2019; the Rising Indie Music Scene
The latest Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Thi Nguyen in Music & Arts
Through Vietnam's Stories of Coffee and Rice, a Trio Finds Where Art and History Meet
Without notice, a gust of July rain swept through the museum of animals and plants' foyer, knocking down several paintings, strewing paper coffee cups and shattering the monitor that had been pla...
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
[Video] Le Cat Trong Ly's New Music Video, a Career First, Is a Love Letter to Africa
For an artist of Le Cat Trong Ly’s caliber, it’s remarkable that the recently premiered music video for ‘Tám Chữ Có’ (There Were) is the first-ever of her career. But then again, Ly is more special th...
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
Tran Huu Trang Theater Stages Free Shows to Draw Audience to Cải Lương
Like many traditional forms of theatrical arts in Vietnam, cải lương faces dwindling viewership in today’s society, a problem that theater owners are trying to rectify by offering free shows.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
[Photos] The Vietnamese Origami Master Turning Paper Into Lively Artwork
For the average Joe, a paper crane is perhaps the most advanced foray they could undertake into the intricate art of origami. Artist Nguyen Hung Cuong, however, has managed to transcend the limits of ...
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Convenience Stores Take Over Saigon; Social Media Literacy
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Video] Saigon's Silly Little Moments as Seen Through a Tilt-Shift Video Feature
Tilt-shift videos probably aren't new to most readers, but this particular entry in the genre is noteworthy for its playful sound effects and the comical moments it captures.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Saigoneer Podcast: Mooncakes and 'Rubber and the Making of Vietnam' Author Michitake Aso
The podcast is back after a two-week break!
Khoi Pham in Culture
A Brief Primer of Asia's Mid-Autumn Mythology in 3 Folk Tales
There’s something for everyone during Tet Trung Thu season, as the arrival of mid-autumn comes with a wide variety of customs and traditional fare.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Video] Louis Vuitton Seeks Vietnam's Help to Sell Bags in New Campaign
Each year, Louis Vuitton’s "Spirit of Travel" advertising campaign picks a new location for its crew to travel to and film.
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
Nguyen Van Thong, Who Captured Thich Quang Duc’s Self-Immolation, Dies at 94
Although American photojournalist Malcolm Browne is famous for his photos capturing the historical moment in 1963, Browne wasn’t the only one at the scene with a camera.
Michael Tatarski in Arts & Culture
Street Photographer Group to Host Saigon Photo Exhibition
The first edition of the Saigon Photo Walk (SPW) exhibition features eight photographers, showing eight different points of view and eight ways of looking at the same city.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."
Saigoneer in Arts & Culture
[Illustrations] Masashi Shimakawa Draws Snippets of Everyday Japanese Life In Colorful Complexion
Each artwork acts as a point through which viewers are transported to a different dimension of reality.
Saigoneer in Music & Arts
The Wholesome Encounter Between Kacey Musgraves and a Vietnamese-Run Vintage Photo Lab
A small mom-and-pop operation in Los Angeles got a massive publicity boost thanks to a happenstance visit from country music superstar Kacey Musgraves.
Saigoneer in Film & TV
Vietnam's First-Ever Series on Netflix Is a South Korean Remake
The Korean-made original series released in 2016 was a hit in South Korea and many other countries, including Vietnam.
