in Saigon

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

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.

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

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

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.

in Saigon

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

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. 

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

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

“If you know, you know.”

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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.

Back Stories

in Saigon

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

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...

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

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

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 financ...

in Saigon

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

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....

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

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

“If you know, you know.”

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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....

in Asia

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

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

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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

Khôi Phạm

in Saigon

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

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

in Saigon

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

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

in Vietnam

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

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....

in Hanoi

In Suburban Hanoi, With Summer Comes the Red-Purple Cascade of Mulberries

In suburban Hanoi, this is the season when mulberry branches heavy with bright red fruits dangle in the summer wind.

in Saigon

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

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.

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

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

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, requiri...

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story

Water has no hometown.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis

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

in Hanoi

Sweating for a Good Cause at the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Walk in Hanoi

I learnt of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in my first year living in Hanoi, through friends that had worked for the fantastic organization, or that were regular donors supporting it. This year...