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.

in Vietnam

Final Merging Plan Brings Vietnam's Locality Number From 63 to 34

After extended working sessions to gather insights from experts and locals, Vietnam’s state government has announced the final version of the country’s administrative map.

in Saigon

Múa Lân Is Officially Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage

In Chợ Lớn, every Tết, amid the aroma of burning joss sticks and an onslaught of red-color decorations is the echoing beats of lion dance instruments. For generations of Saigoneer, the presence of múa lân, or lion dance, is a sign of festivity and celebration.

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.

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Actress May Face Jail Time For Slapping, Insulting Hanoi Cops

A famous Vietnamese actress may be facing jail time for verbally and physically abusing Hanoi police officers in an incident that occurred in February.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roudup: Youths Taking Showers At Ho Chi Minh City Pedestrian Street Fountains

Uh-oh! Youths taking showers at Ho Chi Minh City pedestrian street fountains [Tuoi Tre] Google Vietnam names first nine finalists for doodle drawing contest [Tuoi Tre] Vietcombank buys $1 bln worth ...

in Asia

Oops: Viral Photo Of Nepal Earthquake Victims Was Taken In Vietnam 10 Years Ago

This photo, credited as "Two-year-old sister protected by four-year-old brother in Nepal," has been making the rounds on social media since the Nepal Earthquake. There’s only one problem – the image w...

in Vietnam

Thousand-Year-Old Champa Ruins May Be Paved Over For Highway

A recently uncovered set of Champa relics and structures thought to date back to the 9th century may be paved over for a new US$1.47 billion highway in Quang Nam Province.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Betting On More Casinos

Six-day holiday a windfall for Vietnam’s domestic tourism [Tuoi Tre] 72-yr-old Taiwanese kills his estranged wife in southern Vietnam [Thanh Nien] Ho Chi Minh City to beef up security on walking str...

in Saigon

Saigon’s Immigration Office Relocated To District 3

Starting today, Vietnamese who want to get or renew their passports and foreigners needing visa paperwork will need to visit Saigon’s new immigration office in District 3.

in Vietnam

Vietnam’s Internet Speeds Will Return To Normal This Week

Repairs to the segment of the Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable that connects Vietnam to Hong Kong are expected to be repaired on May 10, three days earlier than expected.

in Vietnam

Weekend News Roundup: Rip-Offs, Trash And Traffic: The Long Holiday Shows Its Ugly Side

Rip-offs, trash and traffic: The long holiday shows its ugly side [Thanh Nien] Vietnam Red Cross team draws flak for leaving Nepal amid crisis [Thanh Nien] Work begins on Phu Quoc 5-star passen...

in Saigon

More Road Closures For Downtown Saigon Ahead Of Tonight's Fireworks Show

There will be only a slight reprieve from road closures today in downtown Saigon with the city announcing that it will block off vehicle traffic to streets near the Bitexco Tower in advance of tonight...

in Vietnam

AAG Cable May Not Be Repaired Until May 13

Despite previous reports that a short circuit on Vietnam’s section of the Asia-America Gateway had been repaired and that internet speeds are back to normal, according to multiple sources, the problem...

in Vietnam

Free WIFI Coming To Saigon, Da Nang And Hue For Upcoming Celebrations

With huge crowds expected in cities around Vietnam for the upcoming holiday, S-wifi will be providing free WIFI service in many hotspots.

in Vietnam

Vingroup Looks To Buy Vietnam’s Biggest Train Stations, Seaports

The Ministry of Transport is weighing a proposal by Vietnamese conglomerate, Vingroup, which wants to buy up Vietnam’s largest train stations and seaports.

in Saigon

It’s Official: The World’s Oldest Woman Lives in Saigon

The World Records Association (WRA) has recognized 122-year-old Saigon resident, Nguyen Thi Tru, as the world’s oldest woman.

in Saigon

Saigon Losing 33% of Its Tap Water Due To Leaky Pipes

It may be hard to tell during the rainy season when Saigon’s streets are flooded with rainwater, but a new study shows that the city loses a great deal of its tap water due to leaky pipes.

in Vietnam

Internet Speeds Back To Normal In Vietnam

According to Vietnamese telecom VNPT, the country’s internet service is back to normal speeds.

in Saigon

Saigon Expands Reunification Day Roadblocks At The Last Minute

Yesterday, city authorities announced that the area that will be cordoned off to vehicle traffic for Reunification Day festivities has been expanded.

in Saigon

Saigon Begins to Move Its Power Lines Underground

Saigon has begun to move its notorious tangled nests of electricity wires underground.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam's Health Ministry Proposes Right-To-Die Law, Again

Three 5,000-year skeletons unearthed in central Vietnam [Vietnam Net] Schools confused about departments’ inconsistent policies [Vietnam Net] Vietnam’s inward investment surge — will it last? [...

in Vietnam

Saigon Flower Shop’s Floral War Photo Exhibition Backfires

A popular Saigon flower shop’s charitable photo exhibition backfired when city authorities shut it down last weekend due to the use of banned material.

in Saigon

Saigon’s City Center To Be Blocked Off For Reunification Day Celebrations

Navigating your way around downtown Saigon will be a tad nightmarish over the next week, as numerous streets will be closed off for the upcoming Reunification Day celebrations.