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.
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.
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...
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.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
Loneliness Too Waits for the Bus
We are all in this, but not together.
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Hue's Refurbished Airport Reopens
As Saigon waits for its new, massive airport, some of Vietnam’s smaller cities are focusing on renovations rather than starting from scratch. Hue’s Phu Bai airport, which was reopened yesterday a...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Foreigner Dies After Jumping Off Roof of Ford Dealership
Last week an unidentified foreigner snuck into the Ford showroom on Cao Thang Street in District 1 and jumped to his death in what authorities are calling a suicide.
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
- Vietnam students give history a modern twist [Thanh Nien] - The most famous family run economic groups in Vietnam [VietnamNet] - Foreigner commits suicide by jumping off a...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Vietnam Achieves 2013 Foreign Investment Goal
- 5 missing after car swept away in Vietnam flash flood [Tuoi Tre] - Vietnam achieves 2013 foreign investment goal [Thanh Nien] - Vietnam’s 1st ao dai museum to open in HCMC...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Vinashin to Lay Off 14,000 Workers
- Mass evacuations ordered as storm nears [VoV] - Prehistoric traces found in Thai Nguyen [VNS] - Big names set to draw crowds at motor show [VNS] - 11 Vietnamese...
Brian Letwin in Asia
Map: More Than Half of the World's Population Lives Within This Circle
It’s well-known that Asia is the world’s population center (thanks, China and India!) with 51% of the global population. But this fact is slightly mind-blowing when illustrated visually. Reddit user, ...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Police to Fine Parents Blocking Traffic Outside of Schools
Packs of parents, idling on motorbikes, waiting for their children to finish their school days, are a common sight in cities across Vietnam. Hundreds of parents jockey for position, yelling and waving...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Severe Power Shortage to Hit Next Dry Season
- Vietnam vehicle sales up 20% in August [Justauto] - Forests destroyed to grow rubber [VietnamNet] - Authorities fail to tackle pollution woes [VietnamNet]
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
[Updated] Nha Trang Effectively Bans Motorbike Rentals for Foreigners
[Update Below] On August 21st, the Khanh Hoa Province Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism issued a decision to ban tourist companies from renting motorbikes to foreigners who don’t have Vietname...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Hundreds Confess to Killing Dog Thieves in Bac Giang
In an act of solidarity with their fellow villagers, hundreds have signed a petition confessing to the murder of 2 suspected dog thieves who were caught and beaten to death on August 27 in the Hiep Ho...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: 1 Dead, 7 Missing at Ship Collision Offshore Vietnam
- Tax incentives likely for tech-savvy enterprises [VNS] - Vietnam wants US contributions to Asian security, development [VoV] - Japan investment in Vietnam metr...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
- Vietnam up in FIFA rankings [VietnamNet] - Vietnam's auto import continues to slide in August [East Day] - Vietnam’s rice productivity may reduce 10% on climate chan...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Vietnam Airports to Cut Fees by Half to Attract Foreign Carriers
- Vietnam airports to cut fees by half to attract foreign carriers [Thanh Nien] - Deal between Tony Blair and Vietnam gov’t not yet finalized [Thanh Nien] - Hue specialties ...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Bill Gates Posts Picture of Vietnam Wires on Facebook, Sparks Fly
American billionaire, Bill Gates, recently took to Facebook to express his concerns about rising electricity demands in developing countries. To illustrate this, he used a picture of tangled electrica...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Bill: Job-Seeking Foreigners Must Have Work Permit Before Entering Vietnam
Vietnam seems to be overhauling their immigration policies this week. In addition to yesterday’s news that foreigners working in Vietnam without a work permit will be deported, Tuoi Tre is reporting t...
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Crime on the Rise in HCMC
- Vietnam lifts radiation inspection on Japanese food imports [Global Post] - Vietnam’s farm produce exports remain precarious [VietnamNet] - Will threat to pull out of Viet...
Brian Letwin in Asia
China's $1.9 Billion Mooncake Industry
Vietnam might consume a lot of mooncakes during the mid-autumn festival, but it has nothing on China. The country of over one billion has more than 10,000 mooncake manufacturers which produce over 28...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Slideshow: Gang of Taxi Drivers Destroys Truck Driver After Accident Near Tan Son Nhat
Yesterday at 11:30, a battle royal occurred near Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat airport between a truck driver and gaggle (we’re pretty sure this is the technical term) of taxi drivers.
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Decree: Foreign Workers Without Work Permits to be Deported
Following in the footsteps of other ASEAN nations like Malaysia, a new government decree, set to go into effect on November 1st, includes provisions for deporting foreign workers in Vietnam who d...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
5 Arrested in Massive Saigon Nike Theft
Vietnam may be the land of Nike but the company’s pricey shoes make them a prime target for thievery. Earlier this week, A Ho Chi Minh City court sentenced five men to up to 15 years in prison for ste...
