Hem Hem Lights up Saigon With the Electrifying Riffs of Japanese Ska
The cheerful ska tunes combined with insanely energetic and quirky dance moves packed every inch of the indoor space of Indika with heat and pure joy.
Ngõ Nooks: The Quiet Intimacy of Tree Bar, Where Strangers Become Fast Friends
A group of patrons gossip in thick, fast Japanese. They might all know each other or they might just speak to anyone at the bar as if they already know them. The wizened “master” joins in from his per...
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.
Hẻm Gems: A Cafe-Snack Bar Hybrid in Bình Thạnh Offers Portals to Japanese Nostalgia
Bình Thạnh’s Ward 19 is snuggled between Xô Viết Nghệ Tĩnh and Nguyễn Hữu Cảnh, creating a surprisingly quiet area just across from District 1. As a neighborhood, it offers an eclectic mix of local an...
Q&A: Nguyễn Quí Đức on Tadioto, Zone 9, and How He Fell for Hanoi's Charms
Countless are the number of hours Hanoi creatives have spent sipping whisky and contemplating the world at the famous drinking hole that is Tadioto.
A Brief History of Paris by Night, the Anchor of Vietnamese Culture Abroad
If home cuisine could satiate exilic tongues that resist strange flavors, art might condole with nostalgic hearts. Paris by Night is one such therapeutic art, or the hallmark of performing arts for Vi...
Paul Christiansen in Culture
In Đà Nẵng, a Vintage Money Aficionado Forgoes Professorship for Life in the Night Market
What gives one’s life meaning? For some, it’s faith, family or art. For Trần Văn Nam, it’s money, but not in the way you probably imagine.
Saigoneer Podcast: Hannah Hà, Mark Gergis, Jan Hagenkoetter & the Making of 'Magical Nights'
We're hear to deliver a Christmas present from the Saigoneer Podcast!
Saigoneer Podcast: The (Brief) History of 'Day of Phở'; and Weddings or Rooftop Bars?
The last regular episode of the Saigoneer Podcast for 2021 is out now!
Michael Tatarski in Music & Arts
What to Do When You Discover That Your Mom Was a Superstar Singer in 1960s Saigon
In early 1960s Saigon, Phương Tâm was a star singer, performing every day in the city’s busy nightclubs and music venues.
Saigoneer Podcast: Riding on a Motorbike With Someone; Karaoke or Nightclub?
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Phi Nhung, Bolero and Folk Songstress, Passes Away at 51 Due to Covid-19
Over the years, the resurgence in popularity of bolero music in Vietnam has spawned numerous new stars, but Phi Nhung’s place in the genre as a veteran chanteuse can never be replaced.
'Paris by Night' Host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn Announces Retirement Next Year
Come 2022, fans of the variety show Paris by Night will miss the dulcet tones and witty banter from its veteran host Nguyễn Ngọc Ngạn.
Turtle Lake to Become Pedestrian Area, Nguyen Thuong Hien to Turn Into 'Snack Street,' D3 Says
Known among Saigoneers as havens for bánh tráng trộn, two areas in District 3 are being transformed into the district’s first pedestrian-only areas.
[Photos] A Collection of Illusory Saigon Nightscapes From 1938
A rare glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset.
[Photos] The Neon-Lit World in the Mist of Sapa
Is there a more atmospheric place in Vietnam than Sapa on a misty night?
Hanoi Launches Night Tour at Hoa Lo Prison to Attract Domestic Tourists
History buffs from the rest of the country might find the night tour an opportunity to observe the storied historical site from a different perspective.
Karaoke, Nightclubs Become Last Businesses Allowed to Reopen in Vietnam
The moment you've been saving your voice for is finally here.
[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.
Coronavirus Update: 57 Cases, Compulsory Masks and Saigon's Nightlife Closures
Despite tightening restrictions on movement and air travel, Vietnam’s number of Covid-19 cases jumped from 39 last Thursday to 57 by the end of Sunday.
[Photos] From Rain-Soaked Nightscapes to a Serene Hanoian Dawn
Hanoi is known for its frenetic traffic and streets, which during my initial years in the capital led me to dream of escape.
Paul Christiansen in Postcards
Saigon Postcard No. 16: Rainstorm Inspiration
While the rainy season's flooded streets, soaked satchels and delayed appointments can make one curse its arrival, sometimes when the torrent hits the neon storefronts just so, it becomes a source of ...
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tự Do Nightclub
While today’s Dong Khoi Street is peppered with tourist-centric shops and restaurants, just half a century ago, the downtown street was the nightlife hotspot for Saigon’s cool kids to congregate.
