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.

in Vietnam

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.”

in Vietnam

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.

in Saigon

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.

in Hanoi

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.

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Hanoi Airport Firm Suspends Staff Member For Throwing Passports At Passenger

City to build tunnel near Cat Lai Port [The Saigon Times] Vietnam, France step up defence ties [Asia One] Fabric of a Trade Deal: U.S. Asks Vietnam to Cut Out Chinese Textiles [Wall S...

in Vietnam

Vietnam Delays Son Doong Cave Cable Car Plans Until 2030

When plans for a US$212 million cable car through some of Vietnam’s most spectacular caves were made public last November, they were met with fierce resistance.

in Vietnam

[Video] Heavy Rains Turn Binh Duong Highway Into A River

After heavy storms last Saturday in Binh Duong Province, drivers on Binh Duong Boulevard found that the street had morphed into a river. The high waters flooded the engines of many vehicles, wreaking ...

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Chinese, Wife Imprisoned In HCMC For Selling Sex Toys, Fake Viagra

Vietnam has chances to supply vaccines for UN agencies with WHO quality certificate [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam’s major blood bank running dry [Thanh Nien] Chinese, wife imprisoned in Vietnam for selling sex...

in Vietnam

Manchester City And Vietnam National Team To Play Friendly In Hanoi Next Month

Manchester City FC, winners of the 2014 Football League Cup Final, will head to Hanoi next month to play a friendly against the Vietnamese national team.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Lychee Season Has Arrived In Vietnam

Lychee season has officially arrived, bringing droves of farmers and buyers to Northern Vietnam.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Scraps Plan For Industrial Park On Phu Quoc Island

Vietnamese Film Week to be held in the US [SGGP] Hanoi handicraft design competition launched [Vietnam Plus] Vietnam to create a strategy for developing cultural industry [Vietnam Plus]

in Vietnam

Vietnam Gears up for 2016 Olympics After Strong Showing at SEA Games

Though Nguyen Thi Anh Vien got most of the attention at the SEA Games for her record breaking performances, many other Vietnamese athletes put on a strong showing, giving spectators a glimpse of what ...

in Vietnam

Weekend News Roundup: Eight Suspected Tanker Hijackers Caught In Vietnam

Vietnam to improve tsunami warning capability [Vietnam Net] MOET still unsure how to produce good teachers [DTI] High school entrance exams over, but worries continue [DTI]

in Saigon

Nguyen Hue Rents Jump 20%, Hurting Struggling Businesses

Now that it has a fancy new pedestrian promenade, landlords that own buildings along Nguyen Hue Street are hiking rents, putting the hurt on business that are just starting to recover from slow sales ...

in Vietnam

Internet Providers Should Compensate Users For Slow Internet: Lawyer

When the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) breaks down, many businesses suffer profit losses as deadlines are missed and workers are unable to complete their tasks. But while local internet providers commise...

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Saigon Buses To Have Onboard Cameras To Fight Sexual Harassment, Theft

Malaysian navy ship pursuing hijacked tanker near Vietnam [Yahoo] Educators make silly mistakes on diplomas [Vietnam Net] Outside source ruled out as cause of frequency interference at Vietnam’...

in Vietnam

Authorities Report Radioactive Leak In Central Vietnam

An inspection of the Phu Yen Bridge and Road Construction Consulting Center revealed a leaky radioactive construction device that officials say could harm those who come in contact with it.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Facebook Now Has 30 Million Monthly Active Users In Vietnam

Hoi An man develops free guidebook app for tourists [Thanh Nien] Vietnam launches 700-ton boat for offshore patrol, rescue [Thanh Nien] Vietnam’s efforts to promote rights for children&nbs...

in Saigon

Saigon’s Abandoned 707 Being Removed From Its Resting Place

After 30 years spent fossilizing in an open field behind the HCMC Aviation Training Center, an antique Boeing 707 is being chopped up and removed from its resting place.

in Vietnam

Surreal Photos Reveal The Magnitude Of Hanoi Super Storm

The effects of the historic storm that hit Hanoi last weekend were on full display on the capital's streets as thousands of downed trees and crushed vehicles littered the cityscape. As epic as these s...

in Saigon

Tan Son Nhat Air Traffic Control Loses Contact With Planes For 18 Minutes

Air traffic officers at Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat Airport had quite a scare yesterday morning when they lost radio contact with incoming aircraft for 18 minutes.

in Saigon

160 Wood Benches Being Added To Nguyen Hue Street

The trees that were cut down last July during construction of the metro station in front of the Saigon Opera House are making a comeback in the form of benches.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnamese Journalist Apologizes For Photoshopped War Picture

Cash-based death commutation unacceptable in Vietnam: judicial official [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam's new luxury tax proposal may raise car prices by 30 pct: industry [Thanh Nien] VN lychees head to France&n...

in Saigon

Hamleys, The World’s Oldest Toy Store To Set Up Shop In Saigon

District 7’s VivoCity will soon be home to Vietnam’s first Hamleys, the world’s oldest toy store.