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.
Quán Ụt Ụt’s Play On Controversial VietJet Photo “Leak”
It looks like VietJet’s “unofficial” photos of lingerie-clad models that were leaked and went viral late last week have already inspired a parody from one of Saigon’s most popular restaurants.
This Beautiful, Century-Old Saigon Villa May Soon Be Demolished
The gorgeous, century-old villa, which fronts Võ Văn Tần, Bà Huyện Thanh Quan and Nguyễn Thị Diệu Streets in District 3, may not be long for this world, reports Vietnam Net.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Billion-Dollar Highway Cracks After Opening
Vietnam’s billion-dollar highway cracks after opening [Thanh Nien] Vietnamese guests at Paris fashion week [Vietnam Net] Work starts on 9.4 mln USD habour in Dong Nai [Vietnam Plus]
[Video] 'Asia's First' Gold-Dispensing ATMs Launched In Singapore
Singapore is now home to a set of gold-dispensing ATMs, the “first in Asia” according to the company which produced them, reports The Straights Times. The 2 machines were launched on Wednesday morning...
Saigon’s Tax Center to Close Today, 5 Days Earlier Than Planned
You have about 2 hours to say your last goodbyes to the interior of Saigon’s historic Tax Center.
Illegal Road Blamed For Train Derailment In Nam Dinh
Last Friday morning, a train derailed in the northern province of Nam Dinh when it slammed into an idle truck. Railway officials told Thanh Nien that the vehicle had been parked on an illegal road tha...
Morning News Roundup: HCMC To Set Up Radiation Response Team
Ho Chi Minh City to set up radiation response team [Tuoi Tre] Over 1.3 million travelers visit grave of General Vo Nguyen Giap [SGGP] Vietnamese Goods Week opens in Paris [Nhan Dan]
Broken Undersea Internet Cable To Be Repaired Ahead Of Schedule
Repairs to the broken Asia America Gateway (AAG) cable will be completed on October 1, 5 days ahead of schedule thanks to “mild weather,” reports Thanh Nien.
The Curious Case Of The Immortal Apple
When Hanoi woman, Đặng Thi Thọ, bought an apple to place on her family’s shrine during Tết this year, she was surprised to find it unspoiled 9 months after purchase, reports VN Express.
71 Years After His Death, Alexandre Yersin Gets Vietnamese Citizenship
One of the most respected foreigners in the annals of Vietnamese history, Alexandre Yersin, has posthumously been awarded “honorary Vietnamese citizenship.”
Morning News Roundup: HCMC Remittance Expected At US$5 Billion
$40mln hospital with helipad debuts in southern Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] A Vietnam-Italy Fashion Council founded [DTI] Vietnam still plagued by sex-selective abortions [Thanh Nien]
Brian Letwin in Asia
How Saigon’s Floating Hotel Ended up in North Korea
There was a time, not too long ago, when Saigon wasn’t full of tourists and backpackers. In the late 1980s, Vietnam had just opened its doors to the west and was rushing to renovate its decrepit colon...
FPT Blames “Below-Standard” Design For Constant AAG Breaks
Some blame sharks while others conjure up Chinese conspiracy theories, but FPT officials fault “below-standard technical design” for the regular breaks in the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable which wa...
American Coach Of Saigon Heat Dies After Accident
Jason Rabedeaux, coach of the Saigon Heat, Vietnam’s first professional basketball team, passed away on Monday, just a day after his team took fourth place at the Asian Basketball League Championship....
Morning News Roundup: Schools In HCMC To Provide Free Wifi
Schools in HCMC provided free internet access [SGGP] Vietnam’s longest expressway opens, cutting Hanoi-Lao Cai travel time in half [Tuoi Tre] HCM City: Activities held in response to Clean Up the Wo...
Foreigner Killed After Driving Motorbike Into Wall In HCMC
On Sunday morning, a foreign man was killed at the intersection of Điện Biên Phủ and Đinh Tiên Hoàng Streets in District 1, reports Thanh Nien.
Leaked Photos From Racy VietJet Photo Shoot Cause Online Firestorm
Last Thursday, images from an alleged VietJet Air promotional photo shoot featuring a number of lingerie-clad models were leaked online. The album of racy photos quickly went viral, causing an Interne...
Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam Expelled 9,700 Chinese Boats In Past Decade
Vietnam expelled 9,700 Chinese boats in past decade [Thanh Nien] Vietnam lags behind 5 ASEAN countries in creative productivity: ADB [Tuoi Tre] Da Nang visitors get free postcards [Vietnam Plus...
7 Gunmen Arrested After Failed Rooster Robbery In Binh Thuan
A rooster robbery gone wrong resulted in gunshots and a police chase in the Southern province of Binh Thuan on Thursday night, reports Thanh Nien.
Chinese City Creates Special Lane for Cell Phone Addicts
It may not be an issue in Saigon since it’s anything but a walking city, however those of us who have lived in pedestrian-friendly metropolises are all too familiar with the scourge of zombie-like cel...
