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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Vietnam Considers Raising Taxes on Large Cars
In an effort to alleviate congestion on the country’s roads Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance has proposed levying higher taxes on some cars, while lowering others.
Weekend News Roundup: Rethink On Prostitution: Officials Say Vietnam Needs Legal Red-Light Districts
Vietnam loses $2.5 billion over oil price collapse [Tuoi Tre] Vietnamese website fined for publishing film inspired by horrible massacre [Tuoi Tre] Vietnamese tra fish enters Walmart in US [DTI]
Flying High: VietJet Is Going Public
Privately-owned VietJet Air is looking to take advantage of its recent success by holding a public offering by the end of the year.
Ben Thanh Market Is Getting Fancy Air Conditioned Toilets
The hot and muggy toilets at Ben Thanh Market will soon be a thing of the past as the city has ordered that air conditioners be installed to appease tourists.
Morning News Roundup: HCMC Plans $5.5 Billion For Transport Projects Through 2020
Vietjet's operational safety is now internationally ensured [Tuoi Tre] Vietnamese businesses ‘shy away’ from Thai market [VoV] Asian forex slips as China extends losses, Vietnam devalues curren...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Devalues Dong For Third Time In 2015 On Yuan Fallout
Vietnam spends over $4 billion to import animal feed [Vietnam Net] Experts warn against mass investment in waste incinerators [DTI] Health goods removed from Ha Noi drugstores [Vietnam News]
Saigon-Vung Tau Hydrofoil Service To Resume In November
Hydrofoil service between Saigon and Vung Tau will resume in November with a fleet of new boats.
Phu Quoc Authorities Want to Wipe out Forests, Farmland for Development
Famous for its beautiful (and sometimes polluted) beaches, the island of Phu Quoc has become one of Vietnam’s most popular tourist destinations with arrivals increasing by 20% every year. As a result,...
[Video] Enraged Foreigner Confronts Vietnamese Driver On Hanoi Pedestrian Street
A video of a foreign man scolding a Vietnamese motorbike driver on a Hanoi walking street surfaced on the internet recently, sparking widespread debate on whether or not he was out of line.
Morning News Roundup: Ho Chi Minh City To Set Up Special Economic Zone
Vietnam ranks 12th for at-risk public debt [DTI] Ha Noi to cut jobs in state-funded organisations [Vietnam News] Universities nationwide increase working time to serve students [SGGP]
[Photos] Hanoi Launches 'Friendly' Bicycle Police Force
Nguyen Hue Street’s rollerblading security guards have been getting a ton of press over the past week for their unique mode of transportation. Not to be outdone, last Wednesday, a squad of police in H...
22 Killed, 120 Injured In Blast At Central Bangkok Shrine
A massive explosion tore through a popular Hindu shrine at the Ratchaprasong intersection in Bangkok last night, killing 22 and injuring 120 more.
Former US Consulate Employee Imprisoned For Selling Visas At Up To $70,000
After years of investigation, a former State Department employee has been sentenced to 64 months in prison for his role in selling US visas to Vietnamese citizens who had previously been denied them f...
Morning News Roundup: VN Coffee Growers Near Bankruptcy
Vietnam's $2.6mln stall at Italy expo fixed 2 months after criticism [Thanh Nien] Vietnamese DJ listed among world’s top 50 [Vietnam Net] Vietnam is in top destination of South Korea’s investors&nbs...
Parking Space Prices Hit US$50,000 In Hanoi
High demand and low supply have resulted in astronomical costs for parking spaces in Hanoi, some of which exceed the cost of the cars themselves.
Weekend News Roundup: Government To Pursue $500.8M Museum Despite Funding Problems
Experts criticise uncontrolled Mekong crocodile breeding [Vietnam News] Government to pursue $500.8mln museum despite funding problems, criticisms [Thanh Nien] Foreign coloring books for adults...
Population Explosion: Hanoi Adding 200,000 New Residents Each Year
It’s no secret that the populations of Vietnam’s urban centers are quickly growing, but in Hanoi, this phenomenon is occurring at a rapid pace as the city adds 200,000 new residents each yea...
Morning News Roundup: Craft Beer Explodes In Saigon
Vietnam moves to weaken currency after China devaluation [Asian Correspondent] Craft beer explodes in Saigon [Thanh Nien] Vietnam’s deputy prime minister just got serious about startups [Tech i...
[Video] 44 Dead, 500 Injured In Massive Explosion At Chinese Port
A series of explosions ripped though a port facility Tianjin late Wednesday night, killing 44 and injuring 500.
Morning News Roundup: Foreign Retailers Drive The Rise Of Convenience Stores In Vietnam
Vietnam Widens Dong’s Trading Band After China Devalues Yuan [Bloomberg] Dozens of houses owned by disgraced Vinashin official seized [DTI News] PM welcomes US Supreme Court Justice [...
