in Asia

Pride Fest, Cambodia's Most Ambitious LGBT Event to Date, Is Coming This Week

On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames their energy. She prowls around the raised platform in knee-high boots. Her skin-thin dress flaunts the contours of her body. She circles calmly and seductively to tantalize the hushed audience below. They track her every move in anticipation of what’s to come.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm

One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites. 

in Vietnam

Summer 2023 Is the Hottest on Record in Vietnam Due to El Niño

While the past weeks have felt like living in a sauna for Saigoneers, north-central Vietnam provinces experienced even hotter temperatures this summer.

in Asia

On Finding Flavors of Home in Takadanobaba, Tokyo's 'Vietnam Town'

A bánh mì stand to the left, signs for Bích Karaoke above an alley across the street, an open shopfront lined with bottles of Chin-Su chili sauce and G7 coffee sachets, a laid back restaurant where waiters dish out steaming bowls of noodles to customers perched on plastic stools.

in Saigon

Plan to Put Canopy Over Treeless Lê Lợi Pavement Sparks Debate

Late last week, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Planning and Architecture unveiled a proposal to install canopies across Lê Lợi Boulevard’s pavement.

in Vietnam

In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions

The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Vignette: For Cafe 81 and the '404 Not Found' Places of Our Lives

We all have them.

Back Stories

Brian Letwin

in Roundups

Morning Links: Vietnam is Ready for Mobile Banking

Here's what's making news this morning: - VietJet Air plans to open a Thai subsidiary (Bangkok Post) - Intel hesitant to expand in Vietnam due to power risks (Tuoi Tre) - The unemployment rate is g...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Why Vietnamese are Boycotting Coca-Cola

When Coca Cola announced a $300 million expansion plan for Vietnam last October, the company faced greater scrutiny of its local operations. Investigators found that by reporting losses since 2010, an...

Brian Letwin

in Roundups

Morning Links: Another Rare Plant Faces Extinction in Vietnam

Here's the latest and greatest Vietnam news: - Rich Vietnamese are into eating endangered species. (VietnamNetBridge) - According to a recent survey, energy security is a growing public concern...

Brian Letwin

in Roundups

Morning Links: Criticism and Confusion over Recently Announced TV Laws

Here are your morning links: - Current business environment uninviting for foreign graduates (Vietnamnetbridge) - Criticism and confusion over recently announced TV laws (ThanhNien) - Vietnam ...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Chinese DIY Projects: A Fine Line Between Ingenuity and Hilarity

Whether it's building the world's tallest building or shadily acquiring a Russian aircraft carrier, the Chinese government, while facing many shortcomings, dreams big. But what about its people? Surel...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Painting Fetches Record Price at Christie’s

Nguyen Phan Chanh’s painting, entitled “La Marchand de Riz,” set a new record for Vietnamese art at Christie’s International in Hong Kong this past Saturday. Originally valued at $75 due to a case of...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Starbucks CEO Says Company Will Open Hundreds of Stores in Vietnam

On the heels of a successful launch in Vietnam, Starbucks CEO, Howard Schultz, announced that the American coffee chain will open hundreds of stores in the country. Before opening its 2-story flagshi...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

China to Build the World's Tallest Building - In Only 7 Months

The Chinese economy may be slowing down, but that’s not stopping Hunan developers from breaking ground on the tallest building in the world – Sky City. The project will not only be taller than the Bur...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Incredible and Edible Japanese Latte Art

You know when you go to the café, and the barista draws a fancy leaf or heart in the foam of your cappuccino and you’re all like, “wow, that’s artistic!”? Well, after viewing the slideshow below, that...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

[UPDATE] Broken Wire Leaves Southern Vietnam Powerless

Tuoi Tre is reporting that a section of the 500 KV wire that connects the power grid between north and south, “fell apart,” cutting power to 22 provinces in southern Vietnam. While power has returned ...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

“Little PSY” Stirs Cultural Tensions Between Vietnam and Korea

As “Gangnam Style” continues to pulsate from speakers all over the world, controversy surrounding Hwang Min-woo, or “little PSY,” has engulfed the Vietnamese and Korean online communities. Woo, seen p...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Lotteria Announces the Ramen Burger

Lotteria, the Korean version of McDonalds (in Vietnam at least), has joined the likes to Taco Bell and KFC in offering a dish that certainly qualifies as ‘thinking outside of the box.’ Here’s a break...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Actress Gets Airline Crew into Hot Water

As the rest of the country goes about its daily routine, Vietnamese celebrities continue to make headlines. This time, it’s actress, Ly Nha Ky, whose celebrity status served as a golden ticket to the ...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Arsenal Confirms Vietnam Pre-Season Game

Arsenal Football Club has announced that it will become the first ever Premier League team to play a match in Vietnam, with the first-team squad visiting Hanoi in July as part of the Club’s pre-season...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Rumors of Highlands Plant That Provides 100% Effective Birth Control

Put away the condoms and birth control pills. According to Tuoi Tre, there is an ethnic minority group (Van Kieu) in the central highlands that uses a special leaf, anăng, in place of typical contrace...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Budweiser to Set up Production Facilities in Vietnam

The past decade has seen a plethora of international brands enter Vietnam’s fertile consumer market. As Vietnam’s average income has risen, brands from Pizza Hut to Starbucks have taken advantage of t...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Saigon Opens ‘Smile School’ for Traffic Police

Saigon’s traffic police just underwent rigorous training sessions to help them gain knowledge on "cultural behavior and moral behavior of traffic police officers" while on duty. The program, chai...

Brian Letwin

in Asia

Korean Schoolgirls Blame Manga Comics After Destroying Classroom

Koreans sure love their video games and manga comics. They have penetrated the psyche of the country’s children to the point where kids are shipped off to video game addiction camps. Every now and the...

Brian Letwin

in Vietnam

Hanoi Man Arrested with 53 King Cobras in His Car

While snakes are awesome, the idea of being with one in closed quarters is less than appealing. Well, one Hanoi man felt differently and was arrested transporting 53 of them in his car. Did we mention...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Saigon's New CNG Busses to be Produced in Vietnam

Locally-produced CNG (compressed natural gas) busses may be an increasingly common sight over the next 12 months. On April 18, Duong Hong Thanh, deputy director of the City Department of Transport, a...