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.

in Saigon

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.”

in Saigon

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.

in Vietnam

Bạc Liêu-94, Cà Mau-69: In Saigon, a Surprising Reminder of Home Lives on License Plates

Once in a while, I bump into a little sliver of my hometown on a random license plate on the street.

in Saigon

Pristine Blue Sky and Memorial Park: Ruminating on What the Covid-19 Pandemic Left Us

Recently, I visited Saigon’s newly inaugurated COVID-19 memorial park . Located at 1 Lý Thái Tổ, Vườn Lài Ward, the park o...

in Saigon

HCMC's Đồng Khởi Among World's Top 20 Most Expensive Retail Streets, Report Says

Saigon’s very own Đồng Khởi has once again made the list of world’s commercial streets with the highest annual rents.

Xuân Phương

in Hanoi

Every Bánh Chưng Season, Vietnam’s Lá Dong Capital Comes Alive With Harvest Frenzy

On the patches of sandy soil by the river in Kim An Commune, Thanh Oai District, Hanoi, there’s a tiny village named Tràng Cát, where dong leaves have been embedded in local history, memory, and economy for centuries. Right in local courtyard, these broad green leaves were transformed into bánh chưng, ready for Tết feasts across the country.

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Respected Chef, Shane Brierly Killed In Road Accident

Longtime Vietnam expat chef, Shane Brierly, died last Thursday night in a traffic accident on Phu Quoc Island, shocking many of his friends, Twitter followers and those who knew him as a first-rate ch...

in Vietnam

16 Dead In Hanoi Helicopter Crash

According to VNExpress, early this morning, a helicopter crashed in Village 11, Thạch Hoà, Thạch Thất District, Hanoi, injuring many people.

in Asia

Weekend News Roundup: Vietnam To Become Electronics Production Capital Of The World

Police detain 6 in $37.7mn gambling ring in central Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam anxious as fate of China-detained fishermen remains unknown [Thanh Nien] Need for childcare in HCM City reach...

in Vietnam

80% Of Vietnam's Ad Agencies Now In Foreign Hands

According to a report by Thanh Nien, wholly Vietnamese advertising agencies will soon be a thing of the past as foreign companies are snatching them up in droves. Industry insiders say tht 80% of...

in Vietnam

25% Of Flights In Vietnam Have Been Delayed Or Canceled This Year

For frequent Vietnamese flyers, it probably comes as little surprise that 25% of the country’s flights have been either delayed or canceled this year, up from 16% from last year.

in Asia

[Photos] Abandoned Bangkok Mall Becomes Urban Koi Pond

In Bangkok, there is an abandoned mall that looks like a scene from a post-apocalyptic future where nature has begun to slowly reclaim the world's urban jungles. Think I Am Legend without the diseased...

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: 241,400 People With A Degree Jobless In Vietnam

Rampant piracy eats up Vietnam's digital content market [Thanh Nien] 241,400 people with a degree jobless in Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam preparing documents to sue China: premier [Tuoi...

in Vietnam

Foreign Teachers Distressed By New Work Permit Rules

Well, we saw this coming. Foreign teachers are facing problems securing the proper paperwork to teach in Vietnam now that Circular 03/2014 has gone into effect.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Farmer Shoots To Fame Thanks To Bizarre Song Covers

Hue greets visitor 1,000,000 this year [VNS] Vietnam farmer shoots to fame thanks to bizarre song covers [Tuoi Tre] One-fifth of university graduates unemployed [VietNamNet]

in Vietnam

[Photos] Heavy Rain Turns Hanoi Streets Into Rivers

The capital may be making preparations for impending super storms, but the rainy season is already wrecking havoc in Hanoi.

in Vietnam

Here's A Rundown Of The New Laws That Went Into Effect Yesterday

Yesterday a plethora of new laws dealing with everything from helmet standards to property administration went into effect.

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: Explosion Splits Vietnam Hub Road Into Parts In Heavy Rain

Vietnamese economy has yet to recover from difficulties [Nhan Dan] International tourists spend $102 per day in Vietnam: report [Tuoi Tre] Casino developers dream of capitalizing on Chines...

in Saigon

Saigon’s Flower Street To Be Relocated For 2015

To accommodate renovations to Nguyen Hue Street, Saigon’s popular “Flower Street” will be moved to Ham Nghi Street next year.

in Asia

Morning News Roundup: Laos Hydropower Plant Threatens Vietnam’s Mekong

Five laws to take effect from July [SGGP] Da Nang tourism plummets after anti-China protests [eturbonews] Japan to help Vietnam with high-quality agro production chain [Tuoi Tre]

in Vietnam

Vietnam: Cheapest Place In The World To Buy A Beer

Not only is Vietnam one of Asia’s leading beer consumers, (and a country whose women supposedly out-drink Russian men) but also the cheapest place to consume the popular alcoholic beverage.

in Asia

In Singapore, You Can Buy A Maid At The Mall

Well, this is a trend we hope never hits Vietnam’s developing mall culture. In Singapore, there are shopping complexes full of galleries with names like “Budget Maid” and Homekeeper.” Here, one can pu...

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Wunderkind Offered 7 Scholarships To Top American Unis

Nguyen Sieu, a 19-year-old Hanoi boy, is one smart cookie. He has been offered university scholarships from seven top U.S. schools: Vassar College, Tufts University, Oberlin College, Franklin and Mars...

in Vietnam

Vietnam’s Sleeper Bus Nightmare

While many bus companies advertise “five star” service on their “luxury” sleeper busses, many firms double their capacity by installing extra seats, making trips miserable for passengers.

in Vietnam

Weekend News Roundup: Vietjet Air Answering For Its Flight That Went Astray

Roundup: Vietnam's capital stock market bounces on upward trend [Global Post] Vietnam to license numerous billion-dollar FDI projects by year-end [Tuoi Tre] U.S. Catfish Program Could Stym...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Morning News Roundup: With A Boost From Bill Gates, Vietnam's Entrepreneurs Put Profits Into Philanthropy

Ban on teaching English to pre-school children raises controversy [VietNamNet] Minister vows to fix damaged roads [VNS] Vietnam, Laos open new border gate [Thanh Nien]