Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

Đi Bão Is Vietnamese Culture at Its Most Jubilant, Raucous, and Fervent

Dustbins, tree branches, advertising stands and tarps, leftover Christmas decorations, whatever pot, pan, ladle or utensil left unattended in the family kitchen, and at least one street vendor’s bánh khọt mold: whatever wasn’t bolted down got caught up in the wave of đi bão that filled Saigon’s streets last night. 

in Saigon

Life in Saigon's Old Tenements, the Remaining Vertical Villages of Past Decades

Is “out with the old, in with the new” the new motto when it comes to Saigon's real estate scene?

in Saigon

A Merry Memory of a Mid-2000s Middle-Class Christmas in Saigon

As my palm felt the glossy wrapping paper for my Secret Santa gift, I was transported to my early childhood Christmases — filled with warmth, wonder, and the bubbling discomfort of class insecurities.

in Saigon

Watching Snowfall in 'Home Alone' Is My Saigon Christmas Tradition

Christmas is so globally celebrated that even in Saigon, as the coldest time of the year approaches, you can hear Christmas hymms echoing from homes in the alley, and spot houses adorned with Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, regardless of their cultural relevance to Vietnamese culture. For me, one of the activities that truly embodies this global spirit of Christmas is watching Home Alone (1990). 

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

‘Công tử Bạc Liêu’ Asks: ‘What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery?’

They say you don’t buy a lottery ticket because you think you’ll win; you buy one so that you can fantasize about winning.

in Vietnam

For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life

The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”

in Saigon

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

As a city that is perpetually either sweltering hot or halfway under water, Saigon weather rarely includes cool breezes or overcast mornings. And yet, over the past few weeks, the city has experienced a handful of chilly mornings and soft sunlight, a welcome change from the usual heat and humidity that often appears at sunrise and lasts throughout the day.

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 financial services, and introducing southern fares like gỏi cuốn and bánh mì to the local population. Elsewhere in Europe, however, the Vietnamese community is often known as “Little Hanoi,” due to the regional makeup of the first wave of immigrants. Some, like Prague’s Little Hanoi, have flourished to the point of being a “city within a city,” boasting its own self-sufficient administrative services, schools, and housing.

Back Stories

in Stories

Morning Stories Roundup: VNA Resumes Inbound Flights, Hoi An Reopens, Last Covid-19 Patient in Danang Discharged

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...

in Vietnam

Hanoi Aims to End Burning of Straw in 2021 to Reduce Pollution

The burning of straw and other agricultural byproducts is a perennial problem for the capital's air quality.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Flights to Thailand Resume, New Hyundai Factory and HCMC Develops Plan for Underground Spaces

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...

in Vietnam

Covid-19 Could Cost Da Nang Tourism $1.1bn This Year

Life in Da Nang is slowly returning to normal after the third wave of COVID-19 infections, though economic ramifications will remain.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: New Metro Line for Hanoi, VNA Recovery, Companies Eye 2021 Return of Tourists

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...

in Vietnam

Storm Noul Kills 6, Causes Destruction in Central Vietnam Over Weekend

The powerful storm made landfall in Thua Thien-Hue Province last Friday.

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Netflix/Steam Avoiding VN Taxes, Hanoi FC Wins Big and 2021 GDP Targets

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...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Climate Change Impact on Vietnamese Businesses, Record Organ Transplants and AI 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...

in Vietnam

Vietnam May Evacuate 0.5m People Before Powerful Typhoon Noul Hits Tomorrow

Typhoon Noul, the fifth to hit Vietnam this year, is expected to make landfall between Quang Ngai and Quang Binh tomorrow.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Hanoi Reopens Bars and Clubs, Incoming Tropical Storm and Decaying Citadel

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...

in Roundups

Morning News Roundup: 'The Tale of Kieu' held in Paris, New Tien Giang Forests, International Flights Postponed

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...

in Saigon

HCMC Fine Arts Museum Is Sinking Due to Nearby Skyscraper Construction

Saigon’s Fine Arts Museum is facing some serious structural problems that could pose a threat to passersby and visitors.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Week of Heavy Rain, HCMC Going Green and Corporate Income Tax Reduction

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...

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Hue Reopens, Lazada Lawsuit, Improved Bus Services

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...

in Saigon

Saigon to Apply for UNESCO World Heritage Status for Cu Chi Tunnels

The Ministry of Defense, which manages the area, needs to approve the plan first.

in Vietnam

Thua Thien-Hue Culture Department Officials Start Wearing Áo Dài to Work

Áo dài has become synonymous with the image of the Vietnamese woman, but what about its male version?

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Vietnam Proposes Tourism Travel Bubbles Within ASEAN

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...

in Saigon

Hao Si Phuong, Saigon's Century-Old Hẻm, Says No to Photography

Yet another community in Saigon has become disillusioned by internet exposure.

in Stories

Morning Stories Roundup: Foreign Reserve Record, New Venture Debt Fund, Central Highlands Resume

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...

in Vietnam

Public Electric Bus Routes, Run by VinBus, May Be Coming to Hanoi

The routes would utilize electric buses manufactured by VinFast.