BackSociety » Development » [Photos] Tracking Saigon’s Development From Its Rooftops

[Photos] Tracking Saigon’s Development From Its Rooftops

Over the past decade, Saigon has transformed almost beyond recognition.

Today, the city's increasingly modern skyline morphs by the month with high-rise apartments, skyscrapers and commercial projects growing like weeds to tower over the modest shophouses and wide colonial structures of the city's past.

As these concrete giants spring up left and right, rooftop bars have also begun to occupy the city's taller buildings, affording new vantage points to accompany the breakneck development. From above, the sprawl of the city becomes all the more apparent, as do the crossroads at which tradition and modernity meet in Saigon's urban landscapes. For better or for worse, the landscape of the southern hub is changing before our eyes.

Saigon's rapidly expanding downtown skyline.

District 1, seen from Nguyen Du Street.

The sparkling new Vietcombank building on Ton Duc Thang Street, District 1.

Looking north from the downtown area into District 3 and Phu Nhuan District.

Nha Be and Binh Chanh Districts remain largely rural yet taller buildings are starting to play a more prominent role in the city's southern skyline.

The sun sets over Districts 3 and 5.

An airplane passes over Phu Nhuan District as it approaches Tan Son Nhat International Airport.

Binh Chanh and Nha Be as well as Districts 7 and 8 appear to be next on the list of rapidly developing Saigon neighborhoods.

Urban density in District 3.

Saigon's iconic Ben Thanh Market stands in contrast to District 1's rapid modernization.

Taller buildings rise above a sea of traditional dwellings in Districts 3 and 5.


Related Articles:

[Photos] Time Stands Still Around Long Bien Bridge

[Photos] Exploring Saigon’s Sun-Deprived Hẻms

[Photos] Saigoneer Getaways: Pastoral Scenes of Pindaya, Myanmar


Related Articles

in Development

5 Buildings That Will Rise Above Saigon in 2016

Though change has always been fast in Saigon, 2015 was a big year for the city's development, as new skyscrapers, shopping malls and infrastructure projects sprouted all over town. While some structur...

in Development

A Vietnam-Laos Railway Could Be on the Horizon

Late last month, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong announced the launch of a feasibility study which will explore the possibility of a railway connecting Vientiane with coastal Vung Ang in...

in Development

As Myanmar Grows, Yangon Balances History With Modern Development

Yangon has one of the most intact historic cityscapes in Southeast Asia, and under the current government administration, new development is rising fast. While deliberating over how to develop, Yangon...

in Development

As New Emission Standard Deadline Approaches, Vietnam May Not Be Ready

Even though Vietnam has already set a deadline to comply with European level 4 exhaust emission standards (Euro 4), whether the new legislation is feasible remains unclear.

in Development

Asia's Megacities Face Development Trade-off

The coupling of massive urban migration with heady economic development is hampering the sustainable progress of East and Southeast Asian megacities.

in Development

Bac Ninh Flush With Samsung Cash, But Is It Sustainable?

Samsung’s investment has transformed Bac Ninh province into Vietnam's second-largest exporting center, dramatically boosting the earnings of the local community. 

Partner Content