Huế Becomes 1st City With Dedicated Lanes on Pavements for Bicycles
The growing popularity of biking as a recreational activity in Vietnam has been acknowledged officially by urban planners in Huế.
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.
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.
From 'Freeze' to 'Avcngcrs': Inside the Wacky World of Vietnam's Bootleg Toys
In Vietnam, you can find a Lego set in official Lego stores or any big toy shops at high prices; but if you take a different route, you can find Lego sets being sold by small vendors for much cheaper. But those sets are a little bit different; they are branded as “Lele'' or “Lepin,” or just white Chinese characters on a red square. For decades, these bootleg toys have been a widely popular option for Vietnamese kids.
New Renderings Show Saigon's Plans to Revamp Quách Thị Trang Square
At an estimated cost of VND157 billion (US$6.17 million), the controversial renovation work on the square in front of Bến Thành Market is set to begin this fall and be completed by April 2025.
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.
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Every Morning, I'm Grateful for My Carless Ride to Work on Hoàng Sa Street
In the decade-plus of Saigoneer’s existence, we’ve had six offices strewn across different parts of Districts 1 and 3. Over that period, my homes have been located in Bình Thạnh and Thảo Điền, requiring significant commuting time.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story
Water has no hometown.
Yesterday's Flooding Breaks Record for HCMC. Today May be Even Worse.
If you were caught in waist-deep water yesterday, you weren’t the only one. The floodwaters reached 1.64 meters, breaking the previous record. But the worst might not yet be over.
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
Chinese woman caught with 2.2 kg of drugs at airport [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam gives green light to genetically modified crops [Vietnam Net] Vietnam's economy regaining growth momentum ...
Morning News Roundup: Vegetable Prices Jump After Storm Nari
Government decrees support for atomic energy studies [Nhan Dan] Oil refinery projects erected all across Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam cyber crime rising in 2013 - Vietnam Economic Times ...
Typhoon Nari Leaves Path of Death and Destruction Across SE Asia
As Typhoon Nari swept through SE Asia this week, it left a path of death and destruction from the Philippines to Laos. Thousands of homes were destroyed, dozens of lives were lost and it may have even...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Video: Girl Causes Accident, Brushes it off Like a Boss
Even though drivers in Vietnam seem to have mastered driving the wrong way on one way streets, this tactic can still result in accidents. Especially when the offender drives in the middle of the road....
Morning News Roundup: Vietnamese Want City, Airport, Avenue Named After Gen. Giap
Half of Vietnam’s industrial sewage dumped into rivers untreated [Thanh Nien] Vietnamese want city, airport, avenue named after Gen. Giap [Tuoi Tre] Vinalines former head guilty of c...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam's Chief Warns Against Growing Economic Divide, Again
Vietnam Vows Dong and Interest-Rate Stability for Growth [Bloomberg] US alliance says Vietnam software piracy decreasing [Thanh Nien] Dogs in Vietnam: Not just for dinner anymore [Reu...
Typhoon Nari Devastating Central Vietnam
After wreaking havoc on the Philippines where it killed 13 people, Typhoon Nari made landfall this morning in central Vietnam, causing massive flooding, power outages and destruction of property.
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Mass Evacuations in Vietnam for Typhoon Nari
Vietnam Vows to Boost Political Trust With China During Li Visit [Business Week] Sustainable tourism in Vietnam inspires film [ABC] Killer drunk drivers stalk Vietnam roads [Thanh Nie...
Brian Letwin in Stories
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
At Least 21 Dead in Vietnam Firework Factory Blast [Farsnews] Japan slow to realize nuclear plant export to Vietnam [Global Post] High cholesterol might become top killer in Vietnam&...
A Look into the World of HCMC Sex Shops
Even though sex toys and unregistered aphrodisiacs are awesome illegal in HCMC, many sex shops stock these items and are seeing their profits soar. After all, it’s hard to run a business selling condo...
Video: iPhone Thievery
Crime is on the rise in HCMC. The city may be installing video cameras and increasing the number of security personnel, but these won't solve the problem on their own. Thieves are conniving and thrive...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Vietnamese Manufacture Unmanned Aircraft, Submarines, Battleships
Railway planned to link Vietnam metro with new airport [Thanh Nien] Vietnam-Japan trade turnover at US$16.3 billion in first 8 months [SGGP] Foreign banks lend $100 mln to Vingroup&n...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Vietnam Seizes Nearly 2 Tons of Elephant Tusks Smuggled From Malaysia, Labeled as Sea Shells
General Vo Nguyen Giap to be laid to rest at Dragon Cap [SGGP] A new phase of poverty reduction [VoV] Two hospitals violate regulations, suffer great losses [Tuoi Tre]
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
98-Year-Old to Continue his Hunt for $100 Billion Treasure
98-year-old Tran Van Tiep of Ho Chi Minh City has been given permission to continue his hunt for Japanese treasure he believes is buried at Tau Mountain in Binh Thuan Province.
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: EVN Posts Massive Losses Over Non-Core Investments
Vietnam Government Clarifies its 'Buy-Local' Policy [FutureGov] Toxic waste continues to flood into Viet Nam [Vietnam Net] Refinery investment to double [VNS] City prepares supply of...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
South Korean Man Found Dead in HCMC Apartment
In what's becoming a seemingly weekly occurrence, another foreign national has died in Saigon. Korean Kim Tea Sik was found dead in his HCMC apartment yesterday morning. Sik's naked body was discover...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Foreign Ship Spills Oil into Reef Off Vietnam
Vietnam, Myanmar agree upon visa exemption [VoV] Vietnam workers indifferent to minimum wage hike, employers fret [Thanh Nien] Thousands pay respects to Vietnam's General Giap [France...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Vietnamese Hero, General Vo Nguyen Giap, Dead at 102
It's been all over the news this weekend but in case you missed it, General Vo Nguyen Giap, who ousted both the French and Americans from Vietnam died in Hanoi last Friday at the age of 102. Late...
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap dies [Tuoi Tre] Efficiency Needs to Play a Bigger Role in Vietnam’s Fast-Growing Cities [GreenTechMedia] MetLife Expands Asian Growth Ambitions To Vietnam...
