Khôi Phạm

in Music & Arts

5 Classic Christmas Songs in Vietnamese for Those Craving Nô-en Wistfulness

Christmas celebration in Vietnam is something else altogether.

in Trích or Triết

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.

in Music & Arts

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.

in Film & TV

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 ...

in Music & Arts

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.

in Quãng 8

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...

Back Arts & Culture

in Film & TV

Vietnamese Short Wins Best Director at 48 Hour Film Festival, to Be Screened at Cannes

The movie unfolds the story of a little girl kidnapped by two criminals, which is later discovered to be a personal conspiracy.

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese in Reality TV Shows and Domestic Tourism Boom

We're back with a brand-new show!

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 14: The City's Original Insurgents

 Before bombs and boobie traps, guerilla offenses and ambushes, Vietnam had another means of driving invaders out.

in Music & Arts

Abstract Art Exhibition Examines Rural-Urban Divide From Two Perspectives

On February 20, VICAS Art Studio opened its latest exhibition, the endearingly named ‘EM CHÀO CÁC BÁC!’ (‘HI THERE, CITY FOLKS!’) Featuring new paintings from artists Doan Xuan Tung and Nguyen Nghia C...

Michael Tatarski

in Film & TV

[Video] Short Film 'Sigh Gone' Depicts Love Lost, With a Twist

Have you ever felt completely at sea, hopelessly lost? A new Saigon-set short video from Vietnamese-American director Jeannie Nguyen depicts a day in the life of a young woman facing this situation.

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] A Stamp Design Project Pays Homage to Women Across Vietnam

Tu Bac Dzo Nam is a project by graphic designer Huu Danh, who is known for his works on Sai Gon Sau Vai.

in Arts & Culture

[Video] Streets of Saigon: A Montage of Cho Lon's Food Trail

Street (n.): a sprawl of cement, stone, pavement or dirt splayed across a stretch of earth that has been smoothed, stripped of plants and serves as a communal transport path and thus a stage for the v...

in Arts & Culture

Meet Myra Tran, the Vietnamese Girl Who's Taking 'American Idol' by Storm

You’ve probably heard it by now, but the latest season of American Idol has a Vietnamese contestant, and she’s kicking ass.

Khoi Pham

in Culture

A New Typeface That Was Built From Designs on Old Book Covers

Finding new values from old relics is a popular way some young creatives today are keeping old Vietnam aesthetics alive.

Chris Humphrey

in Music & Arts

[Video] Paying Tribute to Quán Cầm, 60 Square With Những Đứa Trẻ

Earlier this month, Hanoians were left heartbroken when waving farewell to much-loved art quarter Sixty Square, which closed for good on February 15. We're releasing this music video of ...

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

A Radio Program Puts Vietnamese Poetry in the Limelight With Bilingual Readings

"Lanterns Hanging on the Wind" features 18 poems read in Vietnamese and translated into English that span themes, styles, time periods and locations to give listeners a broad introduction to the natio...

in Music & Arts

Open Call for Hanoi's 'Pure Gold' Upcycling Exhibition Running Until Next Week

Earlier this month, Germany’s IFA (Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations), in collaboration with the Goethe-Institut and Heritage Space, announced an open call for designers, producers, makers, art...

Chris Humphrey

in Postcards

Hanoi Postcard No. 7: The 5th Season

Between autumn's cinnamon light and spring’s galvanic skies, a new season gathers. Formed by human hands, it is capricious at best, invasive at worst. It adheres to no calendar, yet lives in all of us...

in Arts & Culture

The New Season of 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Features a Vietnamese-American Queen

RuPaul's Drag Race, an American drag queen reality TV show hosted by host RuPaul, recently announced their lineup of drag queens for Season 11.

Chris Humphrey

in Culture

Scaling the Dragon: An Urbexer's Guide to Long Bien Bridge

Urban exploration, urbex or UE, is a form of recreational urban trespass. Urbexers find a way into anything from derelict theme parks, sewers and asylums to factories, skyscrapers, missile silos and p...

in Podcast

Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Many Lunar Calendar Festivals; Familial Pressure During Holidays

The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!

Khoi Pham

in Music & Arts

A Playful Project Uses Pigs to Showcase Vietnam Iconography Through History

Year of the pig is a gift that keeps on giving.

in Arts & Culture

Gucci Is Selling a $450 Hat That Looks Just Like Straw Hats Worn by Farmers in Vietnam

The artificial bamboo hats by Gucci closely resemble those traditionally worn by Vietnamese in the rice fields. The only difference is that the Vietnamese version costs only a few thousand dong.

in Music & Arts

Saigon Music Collective Launches Project to Introduce Classical Music to Youth

"Introduction to Classical Music" is initiated by Saigon Classical, a group of 30 musicians who share a love for classical music.

in Film & TV

[Photos] The Costumes of This New Nguyen Dynasty Historical Web Series Will Make You Swoon

The web series is expected to be released in late 2019 on YouTube.