
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.

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.

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.

Morning News Roundup: Taiwanese Investigated for Allegedly ‘Selling’ Visas to Vietnamese Students
Vietnam jet deal boosts Asian role in global aviation [Daily Times] Seven kids die on measles outbreak in Vietnam [Xinhuanet] Spainish coach wants to take Vietnam futsal to top four Asia&n...

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Cashes in on Cave Adventures
In Vietnam, genetically modified organisms find fertile ground to grow [Thanh Nien] Vietnam province culls ducks as bird flu threat re-emerges [Thanh Nien] Vietnam jet deal boosts Asian ro...

Get Ready to Pay More for Alcohol and Cigarettes in Vietnam
Get ready to shell out more cash for your alcohol and cigarettes. In an effort to cut consumption and generate tax revenue, the Ministry of Finance has proposed increases to the special consumption t...

Morning News Roundup: “Đờn Ca Tài Tử” Receives UNESCO Certificate
Australia sends first buffalo shipment to Vietnam [VoV] 9 Vietnam private bank executives charged in massive scam [Thanh Nien] Vinamilk's 2013 gross profit jumps 16 pct [Reuters] Hyd...

Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Seeks to Downsize Government
Vietnam seeks to downsize government [Thanh Nien] HCM City needs $600mil for transport infrastructure [Vietnam Net] Vietnam City Hoi An To Pedal Towards Eco-city Status [Bernama]

Video: Real Virtuality #1
Richie.vn and friends just released a video with a bit of social commentary about the role of mobile devices in Saigon and what often happens when groups of friends get together (everyone just playing...

Weekend News Roundup: Passengers Refuse to Disembark After Cruise Liner Skips Stop in Vietnam
Exports will save Vietnam’s steel industry [Vietnam Net] War on bear bile farms in Vietnam continues [Express.co.uk] Vietnam manufacturing in best health in 33 months [Thanh Nien]

Morning News Roundup: Business Back to Normal as Holiday Winds Down
Business back to normal as holiday winds down [VNS] Vietnam carrier poised to close $6.1 bln Airbus deal [Tuoi Tre] Murder charges sought for brutal babysitter in southern Vietnam [Th...

Morning News Roundup: Over 160 Die From Traffic Accidents During Tet Holidays
Over 160 die from traffic accidents during Tet holidays [SGGP] Foreign firms to show off GMO corn in Vietnam [Thanh Nien] Czech botanists find new kind of vanilla in Vietnam [Prague M...

Morning News Roundup: Highway, Railway Traffic Paralyzed as Truck Plunges Off Mountain Pass
Highway, railway traffic paralyzed as truck plunges off mountain pass [Tuoi Tre] City invests over US$40 million in industrial zones [SGGP] Vietnam city to examine visitors for new bird fl...

Morning News Roundup: ‘Jungle Men’ Adapt to New Life, Preparing for Tet
Modern rural market facilities prove expensive for vendors [VNS] Road Construction Slow Due to Lack of Funding [SGGP] Foreign capital into real estate is increasing [Vietnam Net]

Weekend News Roundup: Organic Food Favorability Brings Great Opportunities to Vietnam’s Rice
Fireworks to sparkle nationwide on Lunar New Year’s Eve [Tuoi Tre] Research on ancient ceramics wins int't award [VNS] VietJet Air Expands Fleet To Meet Rising Demand [Bernama]

Dairy Queen Opens First HCMC Locations
While McDonalds’ entry into the Vietnamese market has been getting a ton of press, another American fast food chain just made its Vietnam debut – Dairy Queen.

Morning News Roundup: In Vietnam, Hundreds of Thousands of Workers Get No Tet Bonus
Vietnam’s state companies get fat on privileges [Thanh Nien] Five Hospitals to be Expanded in HCMC, Hanoi [SGGP] Vietnam’s Middle Class the Fastest Growing in Southeast Asia [Vi...

Farewell, Cold Weather: Saigon Set to Warm up Before Tet
If you’re tired of getting out of the shower cold and shivering we’ve got some good news - Saigon is set to warm up with the arrival of Tet.

Morning News Roundup: Rescue Teams Sent to Stop Oil Spill Threat in Saigon River
Rescue teams sent to stop oil spill threat in Saigon River [Vietnam Net] Vietnam hots up for Muslim travellers [TTG] Vietnam bonds up on banks' liquidity, low inflation [Reuters]

[Updated] Hydrofoil Goes up in Flames on Saigon River. Operators Were Warned About Safety Risks
[Update Below] Yesterday afternoon a hydrofoil traveling from Saigon to Vung Tau caught fire near Phu My Hung. Even with unclear evacuation instructions, the boat’s 80 passengers were able to safely e...

Morning News Roundup: Efforts on to Prevent Oil Spill After Hydrofoil Accident
Vietnam reports first bird flu death in nine months [Global Post] Vietnam wins $3.75 billion int'l court case [Vietnam Net] 4 arrested for Samsung factory riot in Vietnam [Thanh Nien]...

Morning News Roundup: 30 Get Death in Largest-Ever Heroin Trial in Vietnam
Ministry wants ban on natural forest exploitation [SGGP] Gold US dollar bills for sale on Saigon streets [Tuoi Tre] Privatization has its pitfalls in Vietnam [Thanh Nien]

Weekend News Roundup: 2 Get Death for Killing, Dismembering Gay Partner in Southern Vietnam
Vietnam to revise laws to cope with runaway foreign investors [Vietnam Net] Nuclear safety concerns in Vietnam could delay Japanese project [Asahi] Vietnam on Alert for H7N9 Virus [SG...

