Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Origin of the Strange Lights You See Before Landing in Saigon

What are those astonishingly bright lights seen from an airplane window when approaching Saigon at night? I’ve had visitors ask me this on the drive home from the airport, and the question appears on Reddit every few months. I remember being befuddled myself the first time I witnessed the patchwork radiance.

in Vietnam

My Mom’s Care Packages Remind Me That Home Can Fit Inside a Box of Food

“What do you guys crave? I’ll send some.”

in Vietnam

New 12,000-Year-Old Skeleton Breaks Record of Oldest Human Remains Found in Vietnam

After analysis, scientists believe that a 12,000-year-old set of human remains found in Ninh Bình belonged to a prehistoric man who died from infection after being struck by a quartz-tipped projectile.

in Saigon

As Saigon Moves Forward, Xích Lô Lag Behind as Nostalgic Remnants of a Past Era

Among Bùi Viện's assortment of xe ôm drivers and street food vendors, Bible-toting religious enthusiasts and other colorful personalities, 66-year-old Nghĩa stands out for his kind eyes and walrus-like mustache.

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

Wipha, Yagi and Luc-Binh: How Are Tropical Storms Named in the Pacific Region?

Wipha was the latest typhoon to batter Vietnam this year, sweeping through northern provinces like Hưng Yên, Ninh Bình, Nghệ An, and Thanh Hóa and causing dangerous floods. It was 2025’s third and probably will not be the last that Vietnam will have to endure this year.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Simple Pleasures of Having Your Hair Washed at the Hairdresser’s

I get my face shaved by sidewalk barbers; stop at every roving laminator I pass to have ticket stubs, photos, and doodles ...

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 Hanoi

Hanoi's Bát Tràng Ceramic Village Turns Historic Craft Into Global Fame

Bát Tràng has been producing ceramics for over 700 years, but it’s the recent decades that interest me most: a period in which this small village has mirrored Vietnam’s rapid economic growth.

Back Stories

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Thu Duc City Online, Long Thanh Compensation and HCMC Covid Testing

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Tourism Ministry to Pursue World Heritage Status for Cat Ba

It would be Vietnam's ninth UNESCO World Heritage Site.

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Hanoi Fireworks Scrapped, Q1 Vaccines and Rice Prices Surge

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Shift to Cargo Shipping Helped VietJet Turn a Profit in 2020

With a profit of VND70 billion (US$3 million), it is one of the only airlines in the world to not reduce its workforce and remain profitable last year. 

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Covid Testing Capacity Lacking, Vingroup Revenue and Bluezone Popular Again

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Vietjet Turns a Profit, Festivals Suspended and Myanmar Coup

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Hanoi

Over 20 Localities, Including Hanoi & Saigon, Close Schools as Covid-19 Precaution

Over the weekend, the increasingly complex development of new COVID-19 outbreaks in Vietnam has prodded education authorities to shut down schools.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories: New Covid Variant Detected, Hanoi Schools Close and Exports up 50%

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Lowy Institute Ranks Vietnam's Pandemic Response Second-Best Globally

As Vietnam confronts a fresh COVID-19 outbreak, it has scored exceptionally well in a new global analysis of pandemic responses.

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Gov. to Pay Women to Have 2 Kids, Stock Market Plunges and New IP Laws

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

What We Know So Far About Vietnam's New 84-Case Covid-19 Wave

Health authorities are moving fast to contain Vietnam’s latest COVID-19 outbreaks — which so far include a total of 84 new cases — in northern provinces.

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Ben Thanh Vendors Go Online, Unlicensed English Centers and Fuel Prices Jump

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Online Ranking Places Hanoi, Saigon Among Cities With Lowest Quality of Life

Do you agree?

in Saigon

Saigon Shelter for Abused Pets Publishes Special Calendar to Raise Funds

Since its formation in 2005, the Sài Gòn Time (SGT) animal shelter has rescued, nurtured and nursed numerous abused pets to health until they find a new home. To promote animal welfare and seek financ...

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Karaoke Noise Feud, Russia Lifts VN Travel Ban and More Airports

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Record Low Hotel Occupancy, Asia’s Tallest Buddha Statue and E-commerce Growth

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Hanoi

As Air Pollution Worsens in Hanoi, Heavy Smog Disrupts Flights at Noi Bai

Dark days for residents of the capital as local air pollution gets thick ahead of Tết.

in Vietnam

Standard Chartered Predicts 7.8% GDP Growth for Vietnam in 2021

It's going to be a good year, according to a recent report.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories: Toyota Recall, Metro Repairs and Cryptocurrency Legal Framework

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Nuclear Power Delayed, Dioxin Cleanup and Another Hanoi Pedestrian Street

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...