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.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.”

in Saigon

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.

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Weekend News Roundup: Mekong Delta in Desperate Shortage of Fresh Water

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram, and like us on Facebook. Budget train tours to link Ho Chi Minh City with four south-central spots [Tuoi Tre] V...

in Vietnam

Hanoi Baggage Handlers May Soon Wear Body Cameras

Hanoi baggage handlers may soon be required to wear body cameras in an effort to curb theft at Noi Bai International Airport.

in Vietnam

HSBC: Expats Think Vietnam Is Great

Global banking giant HSBC recently released their annual Expat Explorer survey and it turns out foreign residents of Vietnam are very happy with their adopted home.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Ha Noi to Knock Down Strange-Looking Houses

Vietnam's military-run mobile firm launches in Tanzania, invests $736 mln [Reuters] Ha Noi to knock down strange-looking houses [VNS] Vietnam to Ban State-Owned Firms From Investing in Cer...

in Vietnam

Hanoi Kicks Floating Restaurants, Tour Boats Out of West Lake

Say goodbye to those romantic dinners on the murky waters of West Lake.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Labor Productivity 50 Years Behind Thailand's

VN expects to collect more taxes next year [Vietnam News] Vietnam’s labor productivity 50 years behind Thailand's: ministry [Tuoi Tre] Report praises VN for promoting LGBTI people's rights [Vie...

in Asia

Chinese Authorities Can Now See 100% of Beijing

You can now visit Beijing with the full knowledge that, no matter where you go, someone is watching.

in Vietnam

Developer Ordered To Tear Down Top Floors of New Building Near HCM Mausoleum

There's a lot of finger-pointing going on up north these days, as Hanoi officials have ordered a local real estate developer to tear down the top floors of a building near the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Government Proposes Higher Tax On Vehicles

Vietnam to divest $2.5 bln share in top firm Vinamilk [Reuters] Government proposes higher tax on vehicles [Vietnam News] HCM City seeks private funds for projects [Vietnam Plus]

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Public Debt Per Capita Surpasses $1,000

Vietnam's economy to be ranked 17th globally by 2025 [Vietnam Net] Vietnam’s public debt per capita surpasses $1,000 mark [Tuoi Tre] Special economic zone to go up in HCM City [Vietnam Net]

in Asia

Miss Universe Thailand Will Dress Like a Tuk-Tuk

Every country has its own signature costume. In Vietnam, it's the áo dài; in Japan, it's the kimono; in Thailand, apparently, it's a bodysuit shaped like a tuk-tuk.

in Vietnam

VN Officials Are Now Responsible For The Performance Of Job Applicants

From now on, government officials will have to take care when recommending potential employees for jobs in state-run agencies.

in Vietnam

Weekend News Roundup: HCMC Cracks Down On Massage Parlors Providing Sex Services

Southern Hanoi satellite urban area planning announced [SGGP] Vietnam to include doctor wages in hospital fees, upsetting uninsured patients [Tuoi Tre] Japanese airline eyes 10% stake at Vietna...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Three-Kilometer Traffic Jam in Hanoi Lasts Over 2 Hours

This will come as a shock to no one, but Hanoi had another traffic jam yesterday morning.

in Saigon

[Photos] This Colonial-Era Water Tower Is About To Collapse

Following the sudden collapse of a 110-year-old colonial villa in Hanoi a few weeks back, authorities and residents alike are giving Vietnam's historical buildings a closer look.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Illegal Houses On Canals Cause Serious Flooding In Ho Chi Minh City

Illegal houses on canals cause serious flooding in Ho Chi Minh City [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam's 'black gold' fuelling growth but raising health concerns [Channel News Asia] Young forests sold to China...

in Vietnam

Lam Dong Mother Sets Son On Fire For Playing Video Games

It's always a good idea to listen to your parents. Especially when one of them is holding a lit match and a bucket of gasoline.

in Vietnam

You Want Less Traffic Congestion, Learn to Drive Like the Saigonese: Hanoi Official

It's been a tough couple weeks for Vietnam's traffic officials, what with the rain and the flooding and the clashing definitions of the term 'traffic jam'.

in Vietnam

Vietnam Airlines Dropped a Bunch of Dongs on This Commercial, May Get Picked up by ANA

When it comes to marketing campaigns, national carrier Vietnam Airlines (VNA) is putting in some serious work to attract international travelers.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Seeks To Criminalize Truck Overloading

Mekong Delta sugarcane growers enjoy bumper crop, high prices [SGGP] Ha Noi wants illegal construction in building demolished [Vietnam News] Vietnam strong enough to afford TPP: lead negotiator...