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.
Bạc Liêu-94, Cà Mau-69: In Saigon, a Surprising Reminder of Home Lives on License Plates
Once in a while, I bump into a little sliver of my hometown on a random license plate on the street.
Pristine Blue Sky and Memorial Park: Ruminating on What the Covid-19 Pandemic Left Us
Recently, I visited Saigon’s newly inaugurated COVID-19 memorial park . Located at 1 Lý Thái Tổ, Vườn Lài Ward, the park o...
HCMC's Đồng Khởi Among World's Top 20 Most Expensive Retail Streets, Report Says
Saigon’s very own Đồng Khởi has once again made the list of world’s commercial streets with the highest annual rents.
Xuân Phương in Hanoi
Every Bánh Chưng Season, Vietnam’s Lá Dong Capital Comes Alive With Harvest Frenzy
On the patches of sandy soil by the river in Kim An Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi, there’s a tiny village named Tràng Cát, where dong leaves have been embedded in local history, memory, and economy for centuries. Right in local courtyard, these broad green leaves were transformed into bánh chưng, ready for Tết feasts across the country.
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...
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.”
Uyên Đỗ 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.
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.
Food, Art, Heritage and Everything of the Essence in My #SaigonSummer
“In summer, the song sings itself.”― William Carlos Williams
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....
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.
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.
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....
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.
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.
Elise Luong 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...
Morgan Ommer in Vietnam
In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions
The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.
Glide Over Hanoi in the Calmness of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line
In many countries, urban metros are a mundane convenience — so ordinary that their users often take them for granted. But until the birth of Hanoi’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line, residents of Vietnam h...
'Engaging With Vietnam' Conference Ruminates on Heritage in Huế
“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote tal...
Vietnam Reports First-Ever Test-Taker Attaining 9.0 for All 4 IELTS Skills
As more institutions and enterprises in Vietnam adopt IELTS results as an official assessment of students' and employees’ grasp of the English language, high IELTS scores have gradually become a sough...
