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.
From Cháo Lòng to Teochew Treats: How Vietnam's Regional Cuisines Embrace Offal
In his essay collection Miếng ngon Hà Nội (Hanoi Delicacies), Vũ Bằng raves about one of his favorite snacks: “Though they’re all inside the pig, each organ is tasty in a completely different way: the...
What a Set of Art Homework From Long Xuyên Teaches Us About 1930s Vietnam
Much like their descendants today, schoolchildren of 1930s Vietnam also took art classes as part of their syllabus. In this rare collection of what was essentially our grandparents’ homework, we can s...
Magical Holidays by the Sea: A Season of Warmth at InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort
There are no carols carried on the wind here, only the hush of waves and the perfume of saltwater.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Origin of the Strange Lights You See Before Landing in Saigon
What are those astonishingly bright lights seen from an airplane window when approaching Saigon at night? I’ve had visitors ask me this on the drive home from the airport, and the question appears on ...
From Goldenhour to Moonlit Magic at INK 360
The journey to INK 360 begins before the first sip of a cocktail. Guests arrive via a golden bubble elevator, its curved glass glowing softly as it rises with a quiet hum. Inside, antic...
'Lẽ Sống' Documentary Celebrates Strength, Resilience of Mekong Delta Women
Sometimes, just surviving is remarkable.
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...
Tim Doling in Vietnam
Revisit 1990s Saigon in 'L’Amant,' the Film Adaptation of Marguerite Duras' Famous Novel
When filming the movie adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ 1984 autobiographical novel The Lover, French director Jean-Jacques Annaud made extensive use of Saigon locations. Here’s a run-down of the local...
Thi Nguyễn in Food Culture
History in a Tin: The Colonial Past of Vietnam Through Popular Canned Food
Whether it is fish placed neatly inside rectangular tins or uniform meat slabs stored in cylindrical cans with colorful packages, eating canned food is a strange experience. Unlike sitting in street f...
Hẻm Gems: An Alternative Cơm Tấm From Long Xuyên for Thịt Kho Trứng Fans
When it comes to cơm tấm, most people are familiar with cơm tấm Sài Gòn, featuring grilled pork ribs as the vedette topping. But since the dish’s creation, and as it gained popularity across the Mekon...
Paul Christiansen in Food Culture
Into the Beguiling Backyard Rice Wine Distilleries of Long An
The highway eases into sand and gravel the way history descends into myth and legend when traveling towards Long An. A mere 27 kilometers outside of Saigon, the province feels a world away: the differ...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Bến Phà Xác Sống' Is the 2nd-Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I'm Sad It's Over.
The day when the Saigoneer team organized a little get-together to watch Bến Phà Xác Sống in the cinema, I was running seriously late.
Ngõ Nooks: Hanoi's Long Waits Jazz Club Dreams a Little Dream of Jazz
Long Waits, a self-proclaimed “modest jazz club,” is the culmination of many dreams that merged and shifted before finally giving Hanoi a modern yet quaint jazz experience.
Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Favorite Features of 2022
In 2021, we decided to expand on the enduring appeal of our food series Hẻm Gems by coming up with new collections of articles zooming in on specific aspects of Vietnamese society and culture. Last ye...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep
Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into acco...
Khôi Phạm in Film & TV
Review: 'Cù Lao Xác Sống' Is the Worst Movie I've Ever Watched. I Love It to Death.
When we entered the auditorium to watch Cù Lao Xác Sống, no theater attendant was there to check our tickets. Perhaps the telling emptiness of the room made them realize they could be doing better thi...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: A Thai Feast on a Hẻm Pavement, With Vietnamese Fusion Twists
While Thailand and Vietnam have long been perpetual rivals in the football arena, at this streetside Hẻm Gem, the two cultures forge a harmonious relationship.
Mang Thít, Vĩnh Long's 'Kingdom of Brick Kilns,' Is on Its Last Legs
Along the rivers and canals of Mang Thít, clouds of smoke from the Mekong Delta’s last brick kilns languidly stream into the air.
Four Designs for New Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge Up for Voting
Throughout the month of March, Hanoians can see and vote on four design options for the new Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge before the city makes a final decision.
Sirens of Ha Long Drops New Album, Dedicates Part of Proceeds to Hanoi Rock City
Hanoi-based punk group Sirens of Ha Long released a new album last month. They have pledged 50% of the Febuary sales to Hanoi Rock City, a venue they describe as having "given Sirens countless memorie...
Vĩnh Long's Rich Architectural Heritage Tells Stories of Taste, Time, and Turbulence
Vĩnh Long is a land of rich historical values located in the Mekong Delta. Here, generations of residents from diverse cultural backgrounds have been living, working, and interacting across key milest...
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon, Go Mô Rứa for a Well-Crafted Huế Culinary Feast?
In the Huế dialect, mô rứa is a phrase one might encounter often in daily conversation. When a Huế resident asks “Mi đi mô rứa?” they might be wondering where you’re heading.
[Video] A Wonderfully Whimsical Wander Around Saigon
Here at Saigoneer, we would argue that you can never have too much whimsy.
PM Calls for Faster Progress on Long Thành International Airport
During a visit to the site of the planned Long Thành International Airport in Dong Nai Province last week, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính expressed frustration with the slow progress of the proje...
Immerse in a Serene Morning at Ngã Năm Floating Market
Floating markets haven’t completely disappeared from Vietnam’s commercial landscape.
Phuc Long Coffee and Tea to Open First US Store in California in July
A Saigon youth staple is venturing beyond Vietnam with an ambitious expansion to the United States.
HCMC Proposes Rail Link Between Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh Airports
This is part of the city's suggestions for the Vietnam Railway Authority's railway development plan for 2021-2030.
How a TikTok Video Reunites a Missing Husband With His Family After 13 Years
The wife had been searching for her husband for 13 years after he had wandered off under the spell of a mental illness.
[Photos] Long Xuyen, an Enterprising Mekong Delta Trading Hub in the 1920s
Founded on the banks of the Hau River, Long Xuyen began as a trading post and has prospered into one of the Mekong Delta’s major cities today.
[Photos] Immerse in the Small-Town Charm of 1960s Vinh Long
Thanks to its tangled snarl of canals, estuaries, streams and rivers, one associates the Mekong Delta with boats.
Construction of Long Thanh Airport Commences This Week
The massive project in Dong Nai Province will relieve pressure on Tan Son Nhat once completed.
Plan for 5 New Rail Lines Linking Saigon to Southern Provinces Approved
Go big or go home.
Ngô Thanh Vân to Produce Movie Based on Historical Comic Series 'Long Thần Tướng'
One of the most prestigious Vietnamese comic projects is slated for a big-screen release.
Michael Tatarski in Hanoi Ngõ Nooks
Ngõ Nooks: Come for the Dim Sum, Stay for the Dim Sum
As the old saying goes, when in Hanoi, do as your colleagues do.
Hanoi Approves Design of New Tu Lien Bridge Over Red River
It will be called the Tứ Liên Bridge and was designed in part by Sun Group.
Saigon Reveals Plans to Spend $17bn on Public Transit Over 10 Years
This is part of an effort to increase public transport usage and reduce private vehicle numbers as traffic and air quality continues to worsen.
Dong Nai Wants to Add More Lanes to HCMC-Long Thanh Expressway
Congestion between Saigon and neighboring provinces has become as clogged as the arteries of the most ardent bột chiên enthusiast.
[Video] The Effortlessly Cool Longboarders Conquering Saigon Sidewalks in Áo Dài
Have you ever seen something so effortlessly kickass?
Is Tourism in Vietnam Reaching a Tipping Point?
Tourism is surging in Hanoi and Vietnam as a whole, but is it too much of a good thing?
Kit 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...
Once Invisible, Saigon's Underground Scene Emerges Into Light
In just a few short decades, underground hip-hop and youth culture has gained a massive following, not only within Saigon and Vietnam, but all around the globe.
