in Saigon

A Merry Memory of a Mid-2000s Middle-Class Christmas in Saigon

As my palm felt the glossy wrapping paper for my Secret Santa gift, I was transported to my early childhood Christmases — filled with warmth, wonder, and the bubbling discomfort of class insecurities.

in Saigon

Watching Snowfall in 'Home Alone' Is My Saigon Christmas Tradition

Christmas is so globally celebrated that even in Saigon, as the coldest time of the year approaches, you can hear Christmas hymms echoing from homes in the alley, and spot houses adorned with Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, regardless of their cultural relevance to Vietnamese culture. For me, one of the activities that truly embodies this global spirit of Christmas is watching Home Alone (1990). 

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

‘Công tử Bạc Liêu’ Asks: ‘What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery?’

They say you don’t buy a lottery ticket because you think you’ll win; you buy one so that you can fantasize about winning.

in Vietnam

For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life

The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”

in Saigon

The Calming Quietude of an Early Morning Stroll Through D1

As a city that is perpetually either sweltering hot or halfway under water, Saigon weather rarely includes cool breezes or overcast mornings. And yet, over the past few weeks, the city has experienced a handful of chilly mornings and soft sunlight, a welcome change from the usual heat and humidity that often appears at sunrise and lasts throughout the day.

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

Cold War History With a Side of Nem Rán in Prague's Little Hanoi

Across English-speaking countries such as the US and Australia, the Vietnamese diaspora established close-knit “Little Saigon” towns whenever they settled down, founding large markets, starting financial services, and introducing southern fares like gỏi cuốn and bánh mì to the local population. Elsewhere in Europe, however, the Vietnamese community is often known as “Little Hanoi,” due to the regional makeup of the first wave of immigrants. Some, like Prague’s Little Hanoi, have flourished to the point of being a “city within a city,” boasting its own self-sufficient administrative services, schools, and housing.

in Saigon

Saigon's Next Top 5 Congested Streets Are Announced. Here Are the Winners.

Local streets are buckling under the pressure of Saigon's ever-increasing population density, here are the city's most frequently jammed roads, according to the municipal Department of Transportation. 

Back Stories

in Vietnam

Taxis, Ride-Hailing Cars Must Switch to Yellow License Plate, New Policy Says

In the future, car drivers for ride-hailing apps will have to get a new license plate in a whole new color.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Runway Repairs, Pawnshop Fire, and Gold Price Hike

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

[Photos] Inside a Ben Thanh Devoid of Tourists, Forlorn Kiosks and Mass Closures

Plump mangosteens, cheap iPhở shirts, freshly ground coffee, and paper cut-outs of city landmarks — there was a time when the northern gate of Ben Thanh Market was lined door-to-door with dynamic shop...

in Vietnam

Foreign Students With Online-Only Courses May Need to Leave the US, ICE Says

A notice from the US' Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency announced that if a university shifts to online-only education in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, non-citizen students would n...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Blood Donations, 5G Tests, and New Health Minister

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Saigon Announces Large Natural Eco Park for Thu Thiem

Will this major green space project come to fruition in Thu Thiem?

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Vietnam Confirms 14 Imported Covid-19 Cases From Bangladesh

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Leaked Tests, Diphtheria Death, and Saigon Metro

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Bird Nest Farms, Cost of Pandemic, and WB Aids

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Inflation Control, Retail Industry, and Vinasun Losses

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Over 30m Workers in Vietnam Impacted by Pandemic: Labor Ministry

While Vietnam has thus far avoided serious public health impacts from the coronavirus pandemic, it has not escaped the economic ravages of the global emergency.

in Vietnam

Vietnam Makes Preparations to Fly Patient 91 Back to UK on July 12

With steadily improving health, the British pilot might be able get home in less than two weeks.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Elevated Road, Unemployment, and Central Vietnam Bushfires

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Saigon

Japanese Brand Muji Announces Pop-up Store in Saigon

Following in the footsteps of fast-fashion clothing brand Uniqlo, MUJI will be the next major Japanese retailer to launch in Saigon in the near future.

in Vietnam

To Evade Quarantine, They Tried to Swim From China to Vietnam

Border guards found two separate groups of four Vietnamese people attempting to enter Vietnam from China last week, after which all eight individuals were quarantined.

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: Tan Son Nhat Runway to Close for Maintenance

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Weekend Stories Roundup: Open-Top Buses, Áo Dài Festival, and Cashew Export

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Roundups

Morning Stories Roundup: New Textbooks, Canceled Bus Routes, and Repatriation

Stay connected with Saigoneer on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook. Each morning, we select some of the most important stories from Saigon, the rest of Vietnam and beyond, and digest them...

in Vietnam

Vietnam Proposes New Driver's License Class for Teenage Drivers

The draft amendment would require all drivers aged 16–18 to have a license to operate motorized scooters with an engine capacity of up to 50cc and electric scooters that travel no more than 50 ki...

in Hanoi

Tay Ho Alley Grapples With Trash Problem Caused by Photo-Seeking Visitors

Just the latest example of people ruining the very the beauty of a spot that drew them for its beauty.