Xuân Phương 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.
After Saigon Police Bust Major Pet Theft Ring, the City Rallies to Help Care for 400 Cats
After an extended investigation, the Hồ Chí Minh City Police Department has busted a major cat theft and distribution ring that operated across multiple southern provinces.
A Visit to Lê Minh Xuân, a Rare Craft Village Making Incense Sticks Amid Saigon
From inside the workshop, artisans carry bundle after bundle of freshly made incense sticks into the courtyard amid the morning mist. A gentle scent of spices linger in the air.
As Thanh Đa Faces Redevelopment, Writer Dạ Ngân Reflects on What Will Be Lost
To me, my trip to Cư xá Thanh Đa in summer 1982 was a serendipitous encounter. It was Saigon’s largest-scale residential complex in the first half of the 1970s, with nearly 4,000 separate units housing about 50,000 inhabitants. Cư xá refers to a residential quarter reserved for gainfully employed citizens, with a vision to establish a model community with a high quality of life. Here, in their three-bedroom apartments, civil servants, professors, doctors, and military leaders ranked major or higher lived in pride of being a part of a cư xá like that.
Uyên Đỗ 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.
Inside the Covid Memorial Park at 1 Lý Thái Tổ, Saigon's Brand-New Green Space
As part of Saigon’s latest initiative to increase green space coverage in the city, a number of abandoned land plots were converted into public parks, including a Covid Memorial Park that’s become a beloved destination for Saigoneers seeking a space to jog, reflect, or just simply touch grass.
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon
All Aboard Bus 146, Home of Plushies, Rubber Chickens and a Side of Humanity
“Cute” doesn’t seem like a fitting descriptor for any mode of public transport, but a bus in Saigon is driving straight into the heart of Saigoneers for being the quintessence of “smotheringly adorable.”
Saigon Set to Make Bus Service Free for All to Cut Congestion, Air Pollution
Saigoneers without private vehicles might be happy to hear that the city is planning to make the municipal bus system free to ride in the near future.
[Video] Hop on Saigon's Shiny New Electric Bus
Tourists in Saigon are now able to enjoy the city’s scenery on four eco-friendly electric buses.
Hanoi's New Code of Conduct Would Publicly Shame Those Who Misbehave
After unveiling a new code of etiquette for civil servants last December, Hanoi is drafting another code for its residents and visitors in hopes of rebranding the capital as a “civilized and polite” d...
Japan to Make 2020 Olympics Medals From Recycled Phones
When athletes stand atop their podiums at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympic Games, their sparkling gold, silver and bronze medals will all share a special ingredient – recycled mobile phones.
Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam Welcomes First E-Visa Visitor
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Vietnam welcomes first e-visa visitor [Tuoi Tre] Binh Thuan okays floating power p...
[Photos] Lam Dong’s Japanese-Inspired Temple Trashed by Tet Visitors
One of Vietnam’s most remote temples has fallen victim to severe vandalism by thoughtless tourists.
Vietnam to Become Cashless Society by 2020
Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue recently greenlit an ambitious policy that encourages Vietnamese to drop cash in favor of electronic payment methods.
Year of the Rooster Roundup: Drinking Up, Crime Down During Tet
Apart from a slew of meaningful traditions such as hosting reunions and visiting family graves, Lunar New Year is also an occasion for ugly habits to resurface, such as drunk-driving, fighting and loo...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Notorious Internet Cable AAG Finally Back Up to Full Speed
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Vietnam’s notorious internet cable AAG finally back up to full speed [VnExpress] P...
Syrian Refugees in Thailand: A Life in Limbo
Instead of heading westward towards Europe – and risk drowning in the Mediterranean during the arduous journey, a slew of Syrian refugees decided to try their luck in Southeast Asia instead. However, ...
Morning News Roundup: Hanoi to Display ‘Fireworks’ on Giant Screens for Lunar New Year
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Hanoi to display ‘fireworks’ on giant screens to see in New Year [VnExpress] Liter...
First-Ever Direct China-UK Freight Train Arrives in London
You can now travel directly from China to the UK by train – well, sort of – if you’re willing to spend the entire trip with socks, clothes and an assortment of other household products.
Saigon, Hanoi Among 10 Most Dynamic Cities in the World
For those Saigoneers stuck in traffic this week as they head to the airport on Tet holiday, just remember this while you're trapped in the gridlock: Saigon is the second most dynamic city in the world...
Saigon Rolls out QR Code Program to Provide Information on Safe Produce
In addition to pork products, Saigon’s veggies are now getting the QR code treatment.
Vietnam Requires Foreign Room-Booking Services to Pay Taxes
In the future, accommodation booking services such as Agoda and Expedia will be required to pay taxes in order to operate in Vietnam.
Morning News Roundup: Trump Takes Office, Kills TPP
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Trump Takes Office, Kills TPP [The Atlantic] Internet firm to spray free wi-fi ove...
Saigon Now Has Its Own Traffic App
On January 19, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Transport launched a mobile application and a website to give users real-time traffic updates around the city.
Pilot Program Allows Vietnamese to Gamble
Starting in mid-March, eligible Vietnamese citizens will be allowed to gamble in local casinos.
Weekend News Roundup: HCMC’s Downtown Flower Show Ready for Opening
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Ho Chi Minh City’s downtown flower show ready for opening [Tuoi Tre] Hanoi will no...
[Photos] Here Are 7 Southeast Asian Birds You Might Never See Again
We’ve written at length about the bleak future of the Mekong River, which is suffering major environmental degradation due to human activity. But it isn’t only the animals living in the waters of the ...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Biggest Network Operators to Waive Roaming Fee
Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Vietnam’s biggest network operators plan to waive roaming fees [VietnamNet] Vietna...
