More Than Just Prosperity, Ông Địa Is My Personal Patron Saint of Misplaced Things
I was maybe seven when I first clasped my hands and whispered a plea to Ông Địa.
New Tarot Deck Uses Traditional Motifs, Legends and Folk Wisdom to 'Speak Vietnamese'
Tarot decks can feel written in a foreign language.
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
'Đây Ngồi Ráp Việt' Pixel Art Project Turns Vietnam's 63 Provinces, Cities Into Model Kits
How many of us can identify all 63 localities in the current administrative map of Vietnam? Who has been to all of them? Who can name all the 54 ethnicities of Vietnamese across the country? These are...
An Ode to Our Childhood Games and the Days of Being Wild
This season, chò seeds drift through the air, their tiny wings twirling in the wind before settling softly onto pathways. It feels as if someone, unseen, has scattered a handful of memories ...
Bánh Ú Tro Wraps the Childhood Joy of Tết Đoan Ngọ Within Its Green Leaves
Since the beginning of our festive history, Vietnam’s special occasions have always been closely associated with traditional dishes. Lunar New Year is the time to enjoy bánh chưng and bánh tét, while ...
In Chợ Lớn, Leaf-Wrapped Rice Dumplings Abound Every Tết Đoan Ngọ
The fifth day of the fifth month of the lunar calendar is a day of great importance in Chinese communities all over Asia.
10 Rare Illustrations Offer Glimpses Into Life in Tonkin in 1923
What’s your typical Sunday routine? If your answer includes grabbing some noodles on the street, getting your earwax removed and mustache shaved, and maybe smoking some opium to take the edge off, con...
In an Ever-Changing Saigon, Street Artisans Hold Fast to Dying Crafts
We delve into the lives of Saigon’s artisans — an animal coconut leaf folder, a woodcarver embracing modern influences, an accomplished street corner calligrapher, and an itinerant craftsman to see wh...
Hanoi's Bát Tràng Ceramic Village Turns Historic Craft Into Global Fame
Bát Tràng has been producing ceramics for over 700 years, but it’s the recent decades that interest me most: a period in which this small village has mirrored Vietnam’s rapid economic growth.
Vibrant Watercolor Paintings Take Us Back to Northern Vietnam in 1890
Way before colored photography appeared, generations of our ancestors had to rely on the finesse of painters to create visuals records of their everyday routines. This collection of watercolor paintin...
Meet the Saigon Man Whose Home Is an Archive of Traditional Musical Instruments
“These instruments serve our everyday life, or even our spiritual life. For example, they mark the transitions of life. When a baby is born or a person passes away, people play these instruments to we...
Văn Tân in Architecture
An Homage to Courtyards, the Heart of Traditional Vietnamese Homes
This time of the year, the giáng hương tree in my grandma’s courtyard is probably blooming with clusters of golden blossoms, enticing the kids in the neighborhood to gather around it and carefully pic...
Tranh Kiếng, Southern Vietnam's Glass Painting, Is at Risk of Disappearing
I’ve always loved marveling at the colorful tranh kiếng hung in our altar room whenever I get a chance to visit my mother’s hometown. Since I was little, the paintings have been an indispensable part ...
Múa Lân Is Officially Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage
In Chợ Lớn, every Tết, amid the aroma of burning joss sticks and an onslaught of red-color decorations is the echoing beats of lion dance instruments. For generations of Saigoneer, the presence of múa...
Vietnam's Central Highlands Imagined in ‘Angin Cloud’ at National Gallery Singapore
Amidst shifting social currents, industrialized landscapes, and a fast-paced world, how does a community preserve its heritage, rewrite histories, and confront colonial legacies? In this long-term col...
Đờn Ca Tài Tử Captures the Soul of Southern Vietnam in Every Melody, Every Word
“It’s not something unfamiliar, but it’s been a few years since I last heard it. Stumbling upon this beautiful bucolic scene now has made me fall in love with the Mekong Delta’s đờn ca tài tử melodies...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
A Folk Symbol and Cash Animal, King Cobras Just Really Want to Be Left Alone
The king cobra, or rắn hổ mang chúa in Vietnamese, has great personal branding. For proof, one need look no further than the recent flower display on Nguyễn Huệ celebrating the Year of the Snake: th...
Xuân Phương in Quãng 8
Ly Mí Cường Takes the Sounds of Sáo H'Mông From Hà Giang to International Stages
Born in 2005, Ly Mí Cường has brought sáo Mèo to international music competitions twice in his life — and he managed to take home the first prize both times. Cường’s anchor is always H’Mông culture, t...
Thi Nguyễn in Culture
In Vietnam, Joss Papers Link Life and Death, Modernity and Tradition
Joss papers and effigies consumed my experiences before I began to even question their meaning. On the anniversary of my grandfather’s death (giỗ), my grandmother routinely set up a large pot in ...
Every Mùng Một, My Family Organizes Our Own Temple Run to Visit 10 Temples
According to Vietnamese traditions, the first, second, and third days of Tết are reserved for one’s paternal family, maternal family, and teacher’s family, respectively.
Khôi Phạm in Society
In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another
The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies flutter...
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
Tết Tales: The Many Folk Stories Behind Vietnam's Bánh Chưng, Bánh Tét
To me, there's nothing that screams Tết as much as sticky rice cake. However one wants to spice up the usual celebration by replacing some dishes with something new each year, sticky rice cakes remain...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Bored of the Traditional Zodiac? A Case for the Shipworm as a New Con Giáp.
From games to sweet treats to flowers to traditional attire, the nostalgic elements of Tết often tug people to the past. Saigoneer writers have reflected on the enticing, acidic aroma of once-legal fi...
From Sticky Rice and Sugar, Bánh Tổ Binds Me With Tết and My Hoa Vietnamese Roots
This Tết, you’re invited to my grandma’s house for a true-blue Tết meal of Hoa Vietnamese, comprising char siu, khâu nhục (braised pork belly), cured duck meat, etc. Then, you can think of the best we...
From Abroad to My Favorite Bún Riêu: A Brief History of Trứng Vịt Lộn
I pride myself on being a child of Hanoi, but only after nearly 20 years, did I realize that trứng vịt lộn is not exactly an authentic topping in Hanoi-style bún riêu.
From Cheap Flicks to Local Identity: A Brief History of Vietnamese Horror Films
Horror films have been a part of Vietnamese cinema for a long time, since the heyday of the country’s film industry. But the genre's journey has been challenging. For one, its track record includes ma...
Xuân Phương in Culture
In Nam Định, a Village Goes All out in Festivities to Honor Their Holy Ancestor
Comprising a range of ceremonies and traditional activities reflective of Vietnam’s rice-growing culture, Keo Hành Thiện Pagoda’s annual festival is a momentous occasion for locals to pay respect to t...
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
How to Spot a Traveling Vietnamese at the Airport? Boxes With Sharpied Names.
“If you know, you know.”
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
Chè, Bánh, Chả, Nem: The Curious Lives of Vietnam’s Regional Food Names
Realizing the word that one is using refers to an entirely different object in another region is a situation many can relate to. The last time this happened to me, it almost cost me a bowl of Hanoi’s ...
Is Dã Tràng Vietnam's Cutest Sand Artist or a Folk Symbol of Fruitless Pursuits?
Strolling along Vietnam’s beaches when the tides are low, one might encounter a number of whimsical patterns created by countless sand pellets. These are the works of a tiny species of crustacean call...
Tracing the Roots of Bến Tre's Coconut Candy via My Grandma's Family Tales
Hometown treats encapsulate within them the flavors of memories, reminding us of a land we haven’t visited for a long time. I open the jar of coconut candies from my mother and my hometown, and immedi...
Amid Saigon, a Traditional Lantern Craft Village Stands the Test of Time
Cellophane lanterns, the nostalgic anchors of our past full-moon festivals, are still alive thanks to the nimble fingers of craftspeople at the Phú Bình lantern “village” in Saigon.
Xuân Phương in Culture
This Trung Thu, Learn How to Make Lion Heads From Huế's Lân Artisans
Often seen as the heart of Central Vietnam, Huế is the birthing ground for many traditional crafts. Artisan products from the ancient city often exude its inhabitants' elegance and rustic quality. Amo...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Are We Living in the Final Days of Cô Mía?
They say a person dies twice: once when their heart stops beating and a second time when people stop mentioning their name. If we alter this phrase a bit to include the last time one’s image is seen, ...
This Charming Northern-Style Country House Is Made Entirely of Mooncake
Another Trung Thu season is just around the corner, and bakeries across Vietnam are busy at work churning out thousands of mooncakes to be given out as gifts or relish at home with family and friends....
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
One Nation's Beloved Cá Lóc Is Another Nation's Horror Movie
America has been losing its shit over snakeheads. All summer long my algorithm-led newsfeed has been alerting me to ominous headlines including “‘Horror movie’ snakehead fish that can slither on land ...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Trái Thị: The Fruit of Heavenly Smell and Infernal Taste
If you had to pick a national smell that represents Vietnam, what would it be? There are a host of strong contenders: durian, lotus-scented green tea, fragrant pandan sticky rice, that enticing aroma ...
Thi Nguyễn in Snack Attack
A Tale of Two Fruits: The Colonial History of Durian and Mangosteen
Although both durian and mangosteen are native to Southeast Asia, their reputation — especially from a western point of view — leads two very contrasting fates: the latter is considered a luscious del...
A World of Riveting Medically Inspired Magic in Vanessa Le's YA Debut
Captured by Butchers, the “blackmarket bogey men who deal in rare goods,” Nhika Suonyasan is caged and auctioned off to the city’s elite. A figure in a fox mask attempting to purchase her is outbid by...
In Hanoi, a Family Home Balances Commercial Hustle With Spiritual Haven
If many Vietnamese families often opt to reserve one room in their house plan for ancestor worship, this household in Hanoi decided to dedicate an entire backyard to their family altar.
Xuân Phương in Culture
Meet 90-Year-Old Huỳnh Văn Ba, the Father of Hội An's Foldable Lanterns
In his 90s, Huỳnh Văn Ba’s hair has turned completely silver, but when he was telling me stories about lanterns, his voice and eyes sparkled with a particularly lively hope. Thanks to Ba’s invention —...
Xông Đất and the Art of Not Letting Randos Into Your Home on Mùng Một
Tết permeates all areas of life this time of the year, from TV programs to online memes and highly detailed charts, tables, and infographics that guide people to participate in a popular new year acti...
In the Year of the Dragon, Confessions of a Supposedly 'Auspicious' Dragon Baby
During high school, I learned that babies born in years of the dragon were thought to be “fortunate” and thus, highly sought-after.
Khôi Phạm in Food Culture
This Tết, I'm Finally Learning Our Family Recipe for Candied Coconut 'Flowers'
Tết is the perfect occasion of the year to go ham on the sugar.
When Lịch Bloc Is Gone, What Will Vietnam Use to Keep Discarded Fish Bones?
I have never bought a lịch bloc, or tear-off calendar, for personal use, because every new year, I'm bound to be gifted a brand-new one. In Vietnam, a calendar is often something one purchases as a pr...
Saigon, East of New Orleans: The Surprising Global Roots of Vietnam's Funeral Kèn Tây
Of all the forms of music one hears on the streets of modern-day Saigon, the sounds of the marching bands accompanying funeral processions stand out as absolutely unique.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Crickets Are More Than Just Chirpy Reminders of Our Childhood
Cricket song. You read the words and immediately hear the chirping. That thrilling trill of strummed air. Humans have been hearing that quivering echo since we first came into existence. And over...
In Remembrance of Saigon Street Calls Past
Drowned out by the noises of modernization, sounds that once served as the background to a simpler time have begun to shrink, and eventually become lost in the wheel of progress. Tiếng rao, or street ...
Xuân Phương in Culture
Phan Thiết's Vibrant Whale Worship Festival Reflects Vietnam's Rich Animist Traditions
Whale worship started from a folk belief harbored by fishermen seeking help from the gods to endure the arduous days spent at sea, but over time, it grew to become one of the most prominent spiritual ...
In Gò Vấp, a 'Floating Temple' Stands the Test of Time and River Currents
On an isle amid the Vàm Thuật river in Gò Vấp District, Phù Châu Temple, colloquially known among locals as the “floating temple,” has welcomed religious practitioners looking for a serene quarter in ...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
Vignette: How Bình Định's Nón Ngựa Gave Me Hope for the Tourism Industry
In 1964, when Đỗ Văn Lan was only 14 years old, a group of American soldiers spent six months at his family’s Bình Định home learning how to make nón ngựa. Once he learned that I am American, he told ...
Xuân Phương in Culture
The Hanoi Village Where Making Folding Fans Involves Every Family
One summer day, I made a trek into suburban Hanoi to Thạch Thất District. Walking along the dirt road surrounded by green maturing rice fields, I reached Chàng Sơn Village.
Filmmakers Trần Anh Hùng, Phạm Thiên Ân Win Awards at Cannes Film Festival
At the 76th Cannes International Film Festival, Phạm Thiên Ân's Bên trong vỏ kén vàng (Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell) was awarded the Camera D'or while Vietnamese-born French filmmaker Trần Anh ...
Linh Phạm in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: What a Tea Ceremony Taught Me About Our Lotus Tea Traditions
“The lotus is our national flower, and lotus tea is regarded as the national tea.”
Adrien Jean in Culture
In Phú Nhuận's Communal House, a Kỳ Yên Festival Right by the Train Track
The Kỳ Yên festival is the biggest annual event held at the Phú Nhuận communal house from the 16th to the 18th of the first lunar month.
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 ...
Adrien Jean in Culture
At Phước Hải's Lễ Hội Nghinh Ông, Everything Every Whale All at Once
Phước Hải is a fishing township in the south of Vietnam, a short ride away from Vũng Tàu.
Bamboo Dance, Folk Tunes, and Fiery Guitar: The Spectable Behind Dzung's New Live EP
Following his critically acclaimed latest album "Dzanca," progressive metal guitarist Dzung is gearing up for the release of a special EP that chronicles his full live set at HOZO music festival takin...
Léo-Paul Guyot in In Plain Sight
Go Through Centuries of Ceramic History at Hanoi's Bát Tràng Museum
The Pottery Museum in Làng Gốm Bát Tràng (Bát Tràng Ceramics Village) showcases the cultural heritage of the village through its exhibits of the works of past and present artisans.
The Ethereal Fever Dream Inside MV 'Dung Họa' by Hanoi Indie Duo Limebócx
After years in production, Hanoi indie duo Limebócx’s long-awaited music video for ‘Dung Họa’ was finally released this month, a much-needed treat for fans who have waited years for new music from the...
Adrien Jean in Vietnam
A Visual Homage to the Water Buffalo's Practical and Symbolic Importance in Vietnam
The second animal sign in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, trâu, has symbolic and practical importance in Vietnam.
Local Studio's Animated Short Gives Adorable Crash Course on Vietnam's Spiritualism
Putting up offerings on the altar, burning votive money, and lighting incense: these are just some rituals that every Vietnamese is probably familiar with during Tết or even on special occasions. A lo...
Khôi Phạm in Literature
From Architecture to Folklore: 5 Indie Book Projects for Vietnamese Culture Buffs
In our years of writing about Vietnam, Saigoneer has had the pleasure to meet many passionate, inquisitive individuals whose creative and academic projects inspired us to appreciate the many facets of...
Learning About Life and Death From the Stories of Funeral Directors in Vietnam
Sitting down with Hương Thủy and Đức Thịnh, I was able to listen to a plethora of fascinating anecdotes about Vietnam’s funerary practices.
Adrien Jean in Culture
In Ninh Thuận's Chăm Community, a Joyous Celebration of Katê, the Year's Most Important Festival
The Katê festival is the oldest and most unique festival of the Chăm ethnic minority and has been recognized as a national intangible cultural heritage by Vietnam's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tou...
Votive Dongs Must Be 50% Smaller or Twice Bigger Than Real Dongs, State Bank Says
To help citizens better distinguish between Vietnam dong bills for the living and the dead, the State Bank of Vietnam has put forth a draft law detailing specifications replicas must follow.
Vietnam's Cultural Diversity via 3 Versions of Sọ Dừa in Kinh, Chăm, Raglai Folklore
On Sọ Dừa’s birth certificate, how should one fill in the “ethnic group” field?
Hanoi Is Not Building Dragon-Inspired Longest Structure in the World, Official Says
A 700,000-square-meter dragon-shaped building will remain a futuristic fantasy in the capital's Tây Hồ area, but it might be fun to indulge in its flashy design for a moment. The structure, meant...
Elise Luong in Culture
The Peculiar Gender Dynamics of Hanoi's Male-Dominated Cờ Tướng Scene
On a sunset wander through Hanoi, you may be surprised by the peculiar sight of men haphazardly perched in nooks and crannies playing the ancient game of xiangqi.
Ghosts and Other Myths: How Vietnam Celebrates the 7th Lunar Month
In Vietnamese customs, the lunar month of July contains many special days of worship and celebration, with various traditions.
Khánh Hợi, Incomparable Cải Lương Icon of Northern Vietnam, Passes Away at 100
Earlier this month, Merited Artist (NSƯT) Khánh Hợi passed away in Hanoi at 100 years old. She was a cải lương legend with enthralling roles that shall live on in the heart of the community....
The Legends of Thăng Long Tứ Trấn, the 4 Guardian Temples Protecting Hanoi
In the edict to move Vietnam’s capital to Hanoi, Emperor Lý Thái Tổ described this land as the middle of heaven and earth, the center of the four directions. Such a place would bring peace and prosper...
From Oral Lore to a Mini Encyclopedia of Folk Demons, Ghosts, and Restless Spirits
River entities hiding the bodies of drowned victims, spectral ma lai whose head and guts hover in the air, ma trành spirits luring unassuming victims into the path of tigers, or the ghosts of a family...
An Exploration of H'Mông Fashion Through the Eyes of a Young H'Mông Curator
Combining elements of the traditional and the modern, Hnubflower and her collaborators have brought to life a project to recreate the fashion of many H’Mông communities in provinces across Vietnam.
Hiimhii Used to Struggle at Karaoke, so He Decides to Write His Own Songs
Despite his late entrance in the music scene, Hiimhii and his trusty ukulele has quickly won the hearts of many Vietnamese indie fans with his mellow, contemplative compositions.
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'U Linh Tích Ký' Shows Made-in-Vietnam Animation Prowess, but Is Light on Narrative
Premiered less than 24 hours ago, a made-in-Vietnam animation project has quickly become the talk of the town in the local cybersphere thanks to its high production values and intriguing concept.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
