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.
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.
As Metro Line 1 Nears Completion, Saigon Moves Forward With Plans for Line 3A
The 20-kilometer-long Metro Line 3A would run from Ben Thanh Station in District 1 to Tan Kien Ward in Binh Chanh District.
Morning Stories Roundup: Vietnam Premier Targets 5% GDP Growth in 2020 Despite COVID-19 Pandemic
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...
5m Workers Impacted by Coronavirus Outbreak in Q1, Statistics Office Says
As time goes by, the massive economic impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic is becoming more clear.
Vietnam Wants You to Get Married Before 30, Bear 2 Children
In a move that will surely put a smile on the face of Vietnamese moms everywhere, the government recently announced an initiative to encourage local couples to tie the knot and start popping out child...
Morning Stories Roundup: School Fees, Techcombank, and Metro Line
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...
Hanoi Visitor Numbers Down 92% Over Holiday Weekend Compared to 2019
The recent national holiday weekend saw Hanoi's visitor numbers plummet in the face of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Morning Stories Roundup: Post-Holiday Congestion, Volcanic Rocks, and Relapses
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...
Work Begins on Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho Intersection Upgrade
A major project is underway to relieve congestion at a notorious traffic hotspot in Saigon.
Vietnam Mulls Allowing Personalized License Plate Number, for a Fee
For a fee, and possibly through participation in an online auction, drivers would be able to select their own license plate numbers, rather than have them randomly assigned.
Weekend Stories Roundup: Face Mask Export, 1 COVID-19 Case, and Vaccine Tests
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...
Saigon Announces Design Contest for D2's $64m Opera House Project
The massive 1,700-seat theater is estimated to cost VND1.5 trillion (US$64 million).
Morning Stories Roundup: Fish Farmers, VAT Reduction, and Baby on Train
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...
Hanoi to Spend $6.4m on My Dinh Upgrades to Prepare for SEA Games
The VND150 billion (US$6.4 million) upgrade will include replacing the grass and repairing the broken track.
It's Official: Saigon Public Schools to Reopen Starting From Next Week
Masks have played a prominent role in Vietnam's fight against the spread of COVID-19, and will continue to do so moving into the new normal.
Morning Stories Roundup: Pork Imports, Positive Retests, and Lychees
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...
Restaurants, Cafes, Tourist Sites Among Places That Can Reopen, PM Says
Vietnam has transitioned into a new period in the COVID-19 epidemic with reduced threats of infection and a slowly reopening economy.
First Floor of Opera House Metro Station Completed Ahead of Schedule
At long last, visible progress on the underground section of Saigon's first metro line has appeared.
Weekend Stories Roundup: Hail in HCMC, Flight Refunds, and Apple Rumors
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...
Hoan Kiem Lake Embankment Undergoes 4-Month Renovation
On Monday, workers began placing 2.5-meter-high concrete blocks around a section of the lake to create a 40-meter embankment.
11 Nests of Rare Sea Turtles Found in Thailand Amid Lockdown
When the cat's away, the mice will play; or in this case, during pandemic lockdown, animals will reclaim the spaces once bustling with human activity.