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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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...
World's Largest Trade Bloc Created During Vietnam-Led ASEAN Summit
Vietnam is now part of the world's largest trade bloc.
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...
Alberto Prieto 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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
Storm Etau Threatens South-Central Coast With More Heavy Rain, Flooding
Haven't we been through enough this year?
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...
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...
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.
Morning Stories: Tourist Submarines Get Green Light, Storm Goni Changes Course and HCMC Remittances Could Reach US$5.5b
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...
October Natural Disasters Leave 235 Dead or Missing, Cost Vietnam $730m: Report
As October comes to an end, Vietnam’s central region is reckoning with major devastation and fatalities.
Morning Links: 433 VinMart Stores Close, VN Covid Vaccine Advances and Super Typhoon Goni to be Downgraded
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...
Saigon School Forced to Close After Whirlwind Tears Roof off Classrooms
A storm on Saturday tore the roof off Binh Phu High School in District 6 of Saigon, disrupting the class schedules of nearly 2,000 students and requiring extensive repairs.
Morning Stories: Hanoi Metro No.5 Project Assessment, New LG R&D Center and International Flight Protocols
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...
Weekend Stories: New Airline, Japan Opens to Vietnamese, VN Vaccine Progress
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...
