Casinos in Vietnam: Boom or Bust?
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- Published on 07 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
As Vietnam continues to hand out investment licenses for massive casino projects, some wonder whether they will help boost tax revenues as the government hopes or become development albatrosses, sitting empty like a Pyongyang 5-star hotel.
Street Signs: Trần Hưng Đạo, Warrior Poet (Part 1)
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- Published on 06 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Trần Hưng Đạo Street is a major thoroughfare, stretching from District 1 to District 5. Let’s take a closer look at the street’s namesake and see why he is one of Vietnam’s most famous historical characters. The picture above should give you a pretty good idea of his general badassery.
The Saigonese
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- Published on 06 August 2013
- Written by Jas Huynh.
When it comes to the city’s moniker, the people here prefer ‘Saigon’ to ‘Ho Chi Minh City’ since ‘Saigon’ evokes greater emotion and connection to the city’s history. As an introduction, may I take the liberty of quoting researcher and Professor Nguyen Dinh Dau’s statement that if there were no Saigon, the innovative and integrated Vietnam we know today wouldn’t exist.
Inspiring Green Building Planned for Da Nang
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- Published on 05 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
We love green design and Vietnam is a great place to put it into practice. While we’ve covered some awesome green residential designs in the past, a planned ABBANK building in Da Nang is taking a slightly different approach to bringing nature back to the city:
Insane Timelapse of Saigon Traffic
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- Published on 05 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
This insane time lapse video, created by Rob Whitworth, is a culmination of 10,000 RAW images and multiple shoots and perfectly captures the energy and spirit of our fair city.
The film won Best Experimental Film at Tiburon International Film Festival 2012 Official selection at: DisOrient Asian American Film Festival of Oregon 2012, Mudfest 2012 and ANIMAYO 2012.
Starbucks Opens Second Store in Saigon
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- Published on 05 August 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Last Thursday, Starbucks opened the doors to their second location in Saigon (and Vietnam), just 6 months after the company arrived in the Vietnamese market.
According to Patricia Marques, general manager of Coffee Concepts Viet Nam, a subsidiary of Hong Kong Maxim's Group which operates Starbucks in Vietnam:
Vietnamese Businessman Buys US Town with Plans to Create Coffee Empire
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- Published on 31 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
In April 2012, Pham Dinh Nguyen, a Vietnamese businessman, bought the town of Buford, Wyoming at auction for US$900,000. If you’re wondering why the sum is so small, 1) it’s in Wyoming and 2) the population of the town is 1. But the town’s non-existent population and middle-of-nowhere location aren’t stopping Nguyen from dreaming big.
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Art Deco
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- Published on 31 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
When the French occupied Vietnam, they brought many elements of their home country with them. Even today, from architecture to food, the colonial footprint can still be seen.
At the height of French influence in the first half of the 20th century, downtown Saigon exemplified this influence as seen in the picture above.
Why You Should go to Future Shorts Tonight
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- Published on 31 July 2013
- Written by Zelda Rudzitsky.
Don's miss out on Future Shorts, tonight at Decibel. Our Arts & Culture contributer, Zelda Rudzitsky, caught the first showing last weekend at Snap Cafe. Here's what she though of this month's lineup:
[Updated] 75% of Pho Noodles in Saigon Found to Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals
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- Published on 31 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
[UPDATE BELOW] On the heels of yesterday’s news that nearly every street drink contains high levels of bacteria and heavy metals, a new report has found that 80% of rice noodles tested contained a banned, cancer-causing chemical.
Saigon Proposes Ban on Shisha
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- Published on 30 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
The Ho Chi Minh City government has submitted a proposal to the Ministry of Health that shisha be banned from businesses to protect the public’s health.
Shisa, a water-based tobacco pipe, traces its roots back to the Persian aristocracies of the 16th century. The practice of smoking shisha has made its way to nearly every corner of the globe and has become popular in bars and cafes across SE Asia.
Old Saigon Picture of the Day
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- Published on 30 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Study: Majority of Street Drinks Contain Harmful Bacteria and Heavy Metals
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- Published on 29 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Fake coffee isn’t the only think you need to worry about when having a drink at a street café in Saigon. A joint report released by Healthplus in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation and Conformation found that nearly all unbolted beverages contain high levels of bacteria, heavy metals and fungi.
Asia's Largest Underground Mall Opens in Hanoi
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- Published on 29 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
On July 26, Owner of Vinagroup, Pham Nhat Vuong, opened the doors to Asia’s largest underground mall, Royal City.
The new megamall, covering 230,000 square meters, has already filled 95% of its retail space (600 shops). In addition to an ice rink, water park and theatres, the mall features a food street with around 200 restaurants.
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
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- Published on 29 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Vietnam to have unmanned military aircraft [VietnamNet Bridge]
Urban Apartheid in Vietnam [New York Times]
Vietnam symphony orchestra to tour Japan [Thanh Nien]
Looking for a Toilet? There's an App for That!
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- Published on 26 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
My grandfather, like George Costanza, used to boast that, given a location in New York City, he could tell you where to find the nearest public restroom. With the emergence of smartphones, numerous developers have released apps to aid those looking for a toilet in an unfamiliar place. Now this concept has been applied to Saigon with the app – Toilet Finder.
Old Songs and Album Covers from Vietnam's Musical 'Golden Era'
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- Published on 26 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Vietnamese pop music in the 60s and 70s was awesome. Inspired by folk, country and rock & roll, scores of local singers created their own, Vietnamese take on these genres with fantastic results.
While obvious events ended this era of Western-influenced music, many albums are still around and can bring us back the the era when Vietnamese pop music was...good!
Big Changes Proposed for Driving Fines
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- Published on 26 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
When news broke that new regulations would fine those driving vehicles not registered in their name, many were confused and unhappy. For Vietnamese, motorbikes are often shared among numerous family members and foreigners sometimes rent their bikes and are lucky to have any paperwork for their bikes. Public outcry has forced the Ministry of Transport to abandon these fines as revealed in the latest draft of the decree.
Silk Painting Exhibition at Phương My
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- Published on 26 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
From the organizer:
‘PAEONIA DREAM: LE HOANG BICH PHUONG’ is the inaugural exhibition launching ‘San Art Productions x Phuong My’ in Ho Chi Minh City – connecting the local cultural community through fashion and contemporary art.
Webinar: How to Setup a Business in Vietnam
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- Published on 25 July 2013
- Written by Brian Letwin
Viewed as the land of opportunity for those coming from countries with sagging economies, It's not uncommon to find foreigners who want to open a business in Vietnam. But with so many regulations and red tape, it's not always clear how to accomplish this.
To this end, we've stumbled upon a webinar hosted by Alberto Vettoretti, Managing Partner at Dezan Shira & Associates, an expert on best business practices in Asia.
