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 fined by the French colonial administration in Hanoi in 1932 for his stark po...
Khôi Phạm in Music & Arts
5 Albums to Put on While Driving Home at 12am Pretending You're in an MV
It’s 12:03am in Saigon. You've just finished a movie at the last screening of the day. The asphalt in the parking lot is coated in a layer of golden light from the streetlight. You walk gingerly to yo...
'The Mountain in the Sea' Is a Meditation on Myths, Monsters, and the Mind
“A myth,” said existentialist psychologist Rollo May, “is a way of making sense in a senseless world.” Humans need myths and legends to survive. And they need us to survive too; it’s how we’ve learned...
Finding Solace in the Placid Water of Trị An Lake as a City Dweller
I took a deep breath, realizing that I was suspended in the midpoint of everything, above the calm, glassy surface of Trị An Lake and beneath the vast, enveloping azure sky that blanketed Mã Đà forest...
Just 12km From Huế, a Hidden Lake Welcomes You to a Night of Stargazing
If you’ve been meaning to embark on a trip to escape from the chaos of daily life but aren’t quite keen to plunge straight into the wilderness, Huế might be the perfect next destination. The city...
Hà Giang's Thôn Khun Is a Soothing Oasis for the World-Weary Traveler
Located in the heart of a valley surrounded by verdant stretches of forest, the little hamlet of Khun retains much of its pristine natural charms. From the enigmatic beauty of the local Bó Mỳ Cave to ...
How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media
Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial ...
'The Shard, the Tissue, an Affair': A Short Story by Andrew Lam
This short story is featured in Volume 2 of In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn, a three-part, bilingual collection of works by more than 20 Vietnamese arti...
Tà Năng, One of Vietnam’s Most Beautiful Trails and Best-Kept Secrets
Whether we choose to participate or not, most of us are fascinated by Vietnam’s motorbike culture.
Michael Tatarski in Loạt Soạt
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
'My Father’s Bàng Tree': A Poem by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
This poem is featured in Volume 1 of In My Ear, Your Voice Still Flickering // Bên tai tôi, giọng người vẫn chờn vờn, a three-part, bilingual collection of works by more than 20 Vietnamese artists and...
Saigoneer Podcast: A Look Back and a Farewell (for Now)
Sad times.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: The Instruction Manual of Phillips H92X Offers Something for Everyone
Engaging plot or strong characters? Fantastic escapism or insightful depictions of the real world? A sweeping epic across generations and nations, or a deep examination of a brief moment in time? What...
Saigoneer Podcast: We Rate 2021; Lunar New Year or Gregorian New Year?
A belated Happy (Gregorian) New Year from the Saigoneer Podcast team!
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!
Saigoneer Podcast: Rating 'Bonjour Vietnam,' Plus Waterbus v. Metro
After a brief Covid-related break, we're back with a new episode!
Saigoneer Podcast: Riding on a Motorbike With Someone; Karaoke or Nightclub?
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Saigoneer Podcast: The Bitexco Tower Opens; Street Names v. Food Names
Another new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available for your listening pleasure.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Demise of the Saigon Tax Center; Old v. New Photos of Vietnam
It's time for the second season of the podcast!
Michael Tatarski in Loạt Soạt
A Wildly Original Intermingling of Tales From Vietnam, Past and Present
In the Saigoneer office — which I haven't actually seen in person for months — a common concern is the prevalence of the war in literature about Vietnam. Even among younger writers, particul...
Saigoneer Podcast: Tourist Attractions & Who They're For; The Debate Over 'Essential' Goods
A new episode of the Saigoneer Podcast is now available!
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Massive Outbreak; Acts of Lockdown Kindness
Take a break from doomscrolling and listen to the first Saigoneer Podcast episode in two months.
Local Website Saigoneer Puts Calendar on Sale in Mid-March, Confuses Readers
In Saigon, the sweltering heat of March and April usually drives city-dwellers to take refuge in air-conditioned coffee shops and seek out refreshing thirst-quenchers like đá me and sugarcane juice — ...
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnamese Christmas Movies and Author Debby Nguyen
Our second-to-last episode of 2020 is here!
Saigoneer Podcast: Street Art in Vietnam; Puppetry Artist Linh Valerie Pham
A new podcast episode is available now!
Michael Tatarski in Travel
Saigoneer Getaways: In Pu Luong, a Verdant Dream Untouched by Development
There are many reasons to be grateful for living in Vietnam during the coronavirus pandemic.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: 'Other Moons' Aims to Amplify Voices of Vietnam's Wartime Writers
Why must we continue talking about war?
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Portraits of Frontline Workers From Inside Quarantine
In Con Đã Về Nhà - I'm Home, Tăng Quang documents his two-week stint in quarantine at Military School Zone 7 in District 12 of Saigon with a combination of paintings and prose.
Saigoneer Podcast: Vietnam's Effort to Increase Fertility Rates; Visual Arts Curator Bill Nguyen
We're now 90 episodes old!
Saigoneer Podcast: The End of the National Social Distancing Order
The Saigoneer Podcast has returned!
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Saigoneer Bookshelf: The Different Dealings of Trauma in 'Birds of Paradise Lost'
“I just can’t get the voices out my head,” Andrew Lam explains of his writing process.
Saigoneer Bookshelf: Finding Hong in Gangster Noir Thriller ‘Dragonfish’
For those of us who have read countless books by Vietnamese authors and members of the diaspora, the novel Dragonfish is not just one more installment of ethnic literature or postwar fiction.
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?
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
'The Mountains Sing,' a Quintessential Vietnamese Novel, Written in Memories
As American bombers roared over the horizon preparing to drop fire and misery, air raid sirens screeched and people throughout Hanoi scrambled to find safety.
Saigoneer Podcast: The Lure of the 'Promised Land' and the Collapse of Mon Hue
We're back after a little break!
Saigoneer Podcast: Victim-Blaming in 2019; the Rising Indie Music Scene
The latest Saigoneer Podcast is available now!
Saigoneer Podcast: Convenience Stores Take Over Saigon; Social Media Literacy
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
Saigoneer Podcast: Mooncakes and 'Rubber and the Making of Vietnam' Author Michitake Aso
The podcast is back after a two-week break!
Saigoneer Podcast: 'The Tale of Kieu,' New Social Networks and Music Writer Thuc Dang
The jam-packed latest episode is online now!
Saigoneer Podcast: Historical What-Ifs and a Street Food Update
We've hit episode 60!
Saigoneer Podcast: The Evolution of Pets in Vietnam; the Significance of 'Ghost Month'
We're back with a new episode!
Saigoneer Podcast: Deciding Where to Study Abroad; a Ride-Hailing App Update
The latest Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Saigoneer Podcast: The Food Authenticity Debate
The latest podcast episode is available now, and we've got a new recording sound!
Saigoneer Podcast: Nhậu Roundtable Special & Laiday Refill Station Co-Founder Quyen Nguyen
The new Saigoneer Podcast episode is available now!
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...
Paul Christiansen in Literature
Meet the Author of the Most Important Vietnamese Novel You've Never Read
When the wind strafes Da Ngan’s window, seedpods shake and rattle like spent bullet casings in the tamarind tree that Americans planted decades ago. They also built the large apartment complex where s...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Contrasting Past & Present
Old bridge. Photo by Khánh Hmoong If you love old Vietnam photos as much as we do, you’ll get a kick out of these which contrast the present and past of some of Vietnam’s most famous sites.
