in Saigon

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

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.

in Saigon

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

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). 

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

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

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.

in Vietnam

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

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.”

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. 

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Vietnam's English Proficiency Ranking Falls 13 Places in 2020, EF Report Says

Vietnam's English-language proficiency is getting worse, according to a new report.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories: Mercedes Recall, Grab Dominates VN Market and Halong Marathon

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: Ministry Adopts Blockchain, G20 Summit and 5G Hanoi Launch

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: VN Axes Household Registration Books, English Proficiency Drops and AIDS Treatment Success

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

Vietnam Approves $520m Package to Rescue Cash-Strapped Vietnam Airlines

Vietnam Airlines still has to produce a thorough restructuring strategy, but its financial situation will not be as tight as during the worst months of the pandemic.

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Street Arts Festival, Audi Recall and Trade Surplus

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

Vietnam Loses 1.5% of GDP Annually to Natural Disasters: Environment Ministry

2020 will surely go down as one of the costliest years in recent memory.

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Hanoi F1 Talks Resume, Pharmacity to Double in Size and Disasters Cut GDP by 1.5%

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 Asia

World's Largest Trade Bloc Created During Vietnam-Led ASEAN Summit

Vietnam is now part of the world's largest trade bloc.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories: Vietjet and UPS Team-Up, Rap Viet Winner and Forest Coverage Shrinks

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

Into the Storm: A Journey Into Quang Binh's Typhoon-Battered Communities

October was a month of unceasing devastation and pain for central Vietnam. It started with unprecedented downpours; then consecutive typhoons hit; and sudden landslides turned deadly fast. A few weeks...

in Roundups

Morning Stories: New Saigon Airport Approved, Vietnam Exports 1B Facemasks, New Storm En Route

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: A Billion New Trees, 2021 GDP Target and Covid Slashes Tourism Revenue

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

From November, Parents Could Be Fined for Letting Children Drink Alcohol

This is one of a number of new alcohol-related regulations coming into force.

Brian Letwin

in Roundups

Morning Stories: Bamboo Airlines Cleared for US Flights, GDP per capita Rises to $9,000 and New Emission Reduction Target

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: 2021 VN Grand Prix Scrapped, Employers to be Fined for Drunk Staff and Foreign Arrivals to Vietnam Up

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

Storm Etau Threatens South-Central Coast With More Heavy Rain, Flooding

Haven't we been through enough this year?

in Roundups

Weekend Stories: Hanoi's 'Train Street' Quietly Reopens, Remittances Drop and Vietnam Design Contest

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: Vietnam Wins Travel Awards, State Assets Sale and Thu Duc Seeks First Class Status

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 Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City Hall Receives Recognition as National Architectural Monument

The Ho Chi Minh City Hall has been one of the metropolis’ most recognizable landmarks since the period of French rule.