Saigoneer | Stories

What a Mango Flower Looks Like: On the Unexpected Beauty of Fruit Flowers

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 06:28:10 GMT

What does a mango flower look like?

At Saigon's Oldest Ornamental Fish Market, Fish Are Friends, Not Food

Sun, 16 Mar 2025 05:21:04 GMT

It is a street, not a river, that comes to mind when people talk about vibrant fish in Saigon. Located in District 5, Lưu Xuân Tín Street is only approximately 500 meters long, but it is home to dozens of aquarium businesses.

How to Curate the Best Playlist to Listen to While Riding the Saigon Metro

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Photos by Khôi Phạm.) — Mon, 13 Jan 2025 09:19:26 GMT

When you get a new toy, it's only reasonable to take it out to play with as often as possible.

Đi Bão Is Vietnamese Culture at Its Most Jubilant, Raucous, and Fervent

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen.) — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 07:08:53 GMT

Dustbins, tree branches, advertising stands and tarps, leftover Christmas decorations, whatever pot, pan, ladle or utensil left unattended in the family kitchen, and at least one street vendor’s bánh khọt mold: whatever wasn’t bolted down got caught up in the wave of đi bão that filled Saigon’s streets last night.

Life in Saigon's Old Tenements, the Remaining Vertical Villages of Past Decades

khoi@saigoneer.com (Christian Berg. Photos by Christian Berg.) — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 07:19:56 GMT

Is “out with the old, in with the new” the new motto when it comes to Saigon's real estate scene?

A Merry Memory of a Mid-2000s Middle-Class Christmas in Saigon

uyendo@urbanistvietnam.com (Uyên Đỗ.) — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 10:29:51 GMT

As my palm felt the glossy wrapping paper for my Secret Santa gift, I was transported to my early childhood Christmases — filled with warmth, wonder, and the bubbling discomfort of class insecurities.

Watching Snowfall in 'Home Alone' Is My Saigon Christmas Tradition

khoi@saigoneer.com (Khang Nguyễn. Graphic by Dương Trương.) — Thu, 26 Dec 2024 04:50:41 GMT

Christmas is so globally celebrated that even in Saigon, as the coldest time of the year approaches, you can hear Christmas hymms echoing from homes in the alley, and spot houses adorned with Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, regardless of their cultural relevance to Vietnamese culture. For me, one of the activities that truly embodies this global spirit of Christmas is watching Home Alone (1990).

‘Công tử Bạc Liêu’ Asks: ‘What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery?’

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen.) — Thu, 19 Dec 2024 03:39:10 GMT

They say you don’t buy a lottery ticket because you think you’ll win; you buy one so that you can fantasize about winning.

For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life

matatarski@gmail.com (Alden Anderson. Photos by Alden Anderson.) — Tue, 03 Dec 2024 05:04:38 GMT

The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

dana@saigoneer.com (Andy Ip Thiên. Photos by Andy Ip Thiên.) — Fri, 29 Nov 2024 04:14:34 GMT

As a city that is perpetually either sweltering hot or halfway under water, Saigon weather rarely includes cool breezes or overcast mornings. And yet, over the past few weeks, the city has experienced a handful of chilly mornings and soft sunlight, a welcome change from the usual heat and humidity that often appears at sunrise and lasts throughout the day.

Cold War History With a Side of Nem Rán in Prague's Little Hanoi

khoi@saigoneer.com (Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto.) — Wed, 11 Dec 2024 06:59:37 GMT

Across English-speaking countries such as the US and Australia, the Vietnamese diaspora established close-knit “Little Saigon” towns whenever they settled down, founding large markets, starting financial services, and introducing southern fares like gỏi cuốn and bánh mì to the local population. Elsewhere in Europe, however, the Vietnamese community is often known as “Little Hanoi,” due to the regional makeup of the first wave of immigrants. Some, like Prague’s Little Hanoi, have flourished to the point of being a “city within a city,” boasting its own self-sufficient administrative services, schools, and housing.

Saigon's Next Top 5 Congested Streets Are Announced. Here Are the Winners.

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photo by Kevin Lee.) — Thu, 31 Oct 2024 08:10:22 GMT

Local streets are buckling under the pressure of Saigon's ever-increasing population density, here are the city's most frequently jammed roads, according to the municipal Department of Transportation.

How to Spot a Traveling Vietnamese at the Airport? Boxes With Sharpied Names.

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.) — Wed, 16 Oct 2024 09:13:27 GMT

“If you know, you know.”

Into Saigon's Charming Hidden Third Spaces in the Shade of Bridges

uyendo@urbanistvietnam.com (Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Nikolai Sokolov.) — Fri, 08 Nov 2024 07:53:48 GMT

Third place (noun): A space outside of one's home and workplace, where people meet and interact socially.

Century-Old Historic Villa in Đồng Nai Faces Demolition Due to Road Project

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Wed, 25 Sep 2024 08:35:26 GMT

It’s yet another case of new infrastructure versus old heritage building — one of Vietnam’s most common urban planning clashes in recent years.

Food, Art, Heritage and Everything of the Essence in My #SaigonSummer

paul@saigoneer.com (Phạm Thục Khuê. Top graphic by Trường Dĩ.) — Fri, 06 Sep 2024 08:51:18 GMT

“In summer, the song sings itself.”
― William Carlos Williams

With Thriving Coffee Culture, Vietnam Has Half a Million Cafes, Data Shows

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.) — Sun, 25 Aug 2024 02:13:19 GMT

Taking into account global and national chains, small brands, independent cafes and street vendors, a recent report estimates that Vietnam is home to more than 500,000 coffee shops that generate US$1.46 billion in revenue in total.

Vietnamese Staff Member Wins 7-Eleven Japan's Annual Customer Care Contest

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 12 Aug 2024 09:53:09 GMT

A Vietnamese national recently surpassed over 2,000 other contenders to claim the top spot in a customer service contest in Japan.

Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges

uyendo@urbanistvietnam.com (Như Quỳnh. Photos by Alberto Prieto.) — Fri, 02 Aug 2024 05:16:00 GMT

It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.

Huế Becomes 1st City With Dedicated Lanes on Pavements for Bicycles

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 22 Jul 2024 07:59:16 GMT

The growing popularity of biking as a recreational activity in Vietnam has been acknowledged officially by urban planners in Huế.

Letter to the People I Met as We Hid From the Rain Under a Bridge Together

khoi@saigoneer.com (Khôi Phạm. Photos by Alberto Prieto and Pete Walls.) — Thu, 01 Aug 2024 09:32:40 GMT

“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.”
— Vladimir Nabokov.

From 'Freeze' to 'Avcngcrs': Inside the Wacky World of Vietnam's Bootleg Toys

khoi@saigoneer.com (Khang Nguyễn. Photos by Cao Nhân.) — Mon, 01 Jul 2024 08:41:53 GMT

In Vietnam, you can find a Lego set in official Lego stores or any big toy shops at high prices; but if you take a different route, you can find Lego sets being sold by small vendors for much cheaper. But those sets are a little bit different; they are branded as “Lele'' or “Lepin,” or just white Chinese characters on a red square. For decades, these bootleg toys have been a widely popular option for Vietnamese kids.

New Renderings Show Saigon's Plans to Revamp Quách Thị Trang Square

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Fri, 21 Jun 2024 08:34:13 GMT

At an estimated cost of VND157 billion (US$6.17 million), the controversial renovation work on the square in front of Bến Thành Market is set to begin this fall and be completed by April 2025.

Every Morning, I'm Grateful for My Carless Ride to Work on Hoàng Sa Street

khoi@saigoneer.com (Brian Letwin. Photos by Brian Letwin.) — Thu, 28 Mar 2024 08:02:11 GMT

In the decade-plus of Saigoneer’s existence, we’ve had six offices strewn across different parts of Districts 1 and 3. Over that period, my homes have been located in Bình Thạnh and Thảo Điền, requiring significant commuting time.

How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness

uyendo@urbanistvietnam.com (Uyên Đỗ. Top image by Cao Nhân.) — Thu, 20 Mar 2025 04:32:29 GMT

In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.

The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Photos by Alberto Prieto.) — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 04:07:29 GMT

Water has no hometown.

Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Top photo by Alberto Prieto.) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 09:22:33 GMT

There is no way to describe Saigon traffic literally and have it understood by someone who has not experienced it.

In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions

paul@saigoneer.com (Morgan Ommer. Photos by Morgan Ommer..) — Mon, 02 Oct 2023 09:20:25 GMT

The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.

'Engaging With Vietnam' Conference Ruminates on Heritage in Huế

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 03 Jul 2023 03:59:34 GMT

“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14^th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote talks, art installations, music and fashion performances, workshops, curated visits to heritage sites and more.

Vietnam Reports First-Ever Test-Taker Attaining 9.0 for All 4 IELTS Skills

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Fri, 09 Jun 2023 04:56:39 GMT

As more institutions and enterprises in Vietnam adopt IELTS results as an official assessment of students' and employees’ grasp of the English language, high IELTS scores have gradually become a sought-after mark of prestige.

Pride Fest, Cambodia's Most Ambitious LGBT Event to Date, Is Coming This Week

Mon, 22 May 2023 05:20:30 GMT

On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames their energy. She prowls around the raised platform in knee-high boots. Her skin-thin dress flaunts the contours of her body. She circles calmly and seductively to tantalize the hushed audience below. They track her every move in anticipation of what’s to come.

The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen. Photos by Paul Christiansen.) — Mon, 22 May 2023 07:47:58 GMT

One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites.

Summer 2023 Is the Hottest on Record in Vietnam Due to El Niño

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photo by Alberto Prieto.) — Mon, 08 May 2023 05:28:22 GMT

While the past weeks have felt like living in a sauna for Saigoneers, north-central Vietnam provinces experienced even hotter temperatures this summer.

On Finding Flavors of Home in Takadanobaba, Tokyo's 'Vietnam Town'

khoi@saigoneer.com (Oliver Newman. Photos by Oliver Newman.) — Fri, 14 Apr 2023 09:28:34 GMT

A bánh mì stand to the left, signs for Bích Karaoke above an alley across the street, an open shopfront lined with bottles of Chin-Su chili sauce and G7 coffee sachets, a laid back restaurant where waiters dish out steaming bowls of noodles to customers perched on plastic stools.

Plan to Put Canopy Over Treeless Lê Lợi Pavement Sparks Debate

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photo by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.) — Wed, 29 Mar 2023 13:03:41 GMT

Late last week, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture unveiled a proposal to install canopies across Lê Lợi Boulevard’s pavement.

Vignette: For Cafe 81 and the '404 Not Found' Places of Our Lives

paul@saigoneer.com (Paul Christiansen.) — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 04:52:17 GMT

We all have them.

Ở đó ở đây Sài Gòn — A Love-Hate Letter to the Maze of Paradoxes

paul@saigoneer.com (Adrien Jean.) — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 05:34:52 GMT

Editor's note: Adrien Jean is a Saigon-based photographer and a frequent contributor to Saigoneer's Darkroom series. His photos often depict the precise moments in time when the visual elements of our daily life line up just right to evoke a special feeling. In this special photo collection, which contains all of Jean's favorite shots of Saigon, he penned a loving ode, titled 'Love/Hate Letter to Saigon.'

Inside the Sawdust Alley in D8 Where Old Furniture Goes to Get Repurposed

uyendo@urbanistvietnam.com (Uyên Đỗ. Photos by Lê Thái Hoàng Nguyên.) — Tue, 02 Apr 2024 03:34:10 GMT

My lungs began to heave with raspy coughs as I ventured deeper into the alley of 124 Phạm Thế Hiển.

Saigon, Hanoi (Almost) Bottom out World Ranking of Public Bathroom Coverage

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 06 Feb 2023 07:44:34 GMT

Vietnam’s bountiful abundance of street eats and hip cafes might satisfy even the pickiest visitors looking to ingest delicious things at any price range, but even its biggest metropolises would struggle to provide for the most low-maintenance tourists when it comes to public bathrooms.

A Visual Homage to the Water Buffalo's Practical and Symbolic Importance in Vietnam

paul@saigoneer.com (Adrien Jean. Photos by Adrien Jean.) — Wed, 22 Mar 2023 07:34:36 GMT

The second animal sign in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, trâu, has symbolic and practical importance in Vietnam.

In 2022, Vietnam's Domestic Tourism Flourished, but International Arrivals Lagged Behind

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photo by Khôi Phạm.) — Mon, 30 Jan 2023 09:14:08 GMT

The most recent Tết holiday witnessed an outstanding performance by Vietnam’s domestic tourism sector, while international tourism had a year of underwhelming figures.

Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Favorite Features of 2022

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 10:26:06 GMT

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 year was a time for delving deeper into these series.

Saigon's Metro Line 1 Went on Its First Test Run Last Week

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 26 Dec 2022 06:26:00 GMT

Last week, the Saigon Metro project took a major step in realizing many Saigoneers’ long-awaited dream of experiencing their own urban railway line.

Đà Nẵng Cafe Sparks Heated Online Debate for Refusing to Serve Children Under 12

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 19 Dec 2022 08:45:08 GMT

A seemingly innocuous notice by a coffee shop in Đà Nẵng has sparked polarizing responses from netizens across Vietnam.

Votive Dongs Must Be 50% Smaller or Twice Bigger Than Real Dongs, State Bank Says

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photo by Thi Nguyễn.) — Thu, 13 Oct 2022 08:58:09 GMT

To help citizens better distinguish between Vietnam dong bills for the living and the dead, the State Bank of Vietnam has put forth a draft law detailing specifications replicas must follow.

Storm Noru, the Strongest in Recent Years, to Hit Central Vietnam This Week

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Mon, 26 Sep 2022 09:55:02 GMT

Around 370,000 residents are being prepared for evacuation in advance of Storm Noru, which is expected to be one of the worst storms to hit Vietnam in the last 20 years.

Huế Announces Plan to Transform Hồ Thủy Tiên Waterpark Into Public Space

paul@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer. Photos by Alberto Prieto.) — Fri, 23 Sep 2022 07:20:11 GMT

Authorities are planning to turn the long-abandoned Hồ Thủy Tiên Waterpark into a public space with the construction of a walking path, lighting, drainage system and water supply.

A Saigon Restaurant Poisoned Dozens of Stray Cats. What Happened to Those That Survived?

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 06:29:32 GMT

Almost 10 months ago, my life was turned upside down as our household welcomed a new feline member.

Cô Tô Island District Says No to Single-Use Plastics From September

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Tue, 30 Aug 2022 07:28:39 GMT

With insufficient waste management facilities, many island localities in Vietnam face literal barrages of trash.

Bình Dương Gang Drives Car, Steals Mooncakes, Eats Almost Everything Before Arrest

khoi@saigoneer.com (Saigoneer.) — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:40:05 GMT

If you ever feel overwhelmed by mooncake gifts this Trung Thu, remember that there are underprivileged others who might have to resort to driving their car to steal bánh Trung Thu.