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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...

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....

in Saigon

Into Saigon's Charming Hidden Third Spaces in the Shade of Bridges

Third place (noun): A space outside of one's home and workplace, where people meet and interact socially.

in Saigon

Food, Art, Heritage and Everything of the Essence in My #SaigonSummer

“In summer, the song sings itself.”― William Carlos Williams

in Saigon

Into the Infernal Heat of One of Saigon's Last Remaining Forges

It's no exaggeration to say that working in a forge is akin to being in a fiery sauna.

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.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.

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, requiri...

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story

Water has no hometown.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis

There is no way to describe Saigon traffic literally and have it understood by someone who has not experienced it.

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 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.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

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

We all have them.

in Saigon

Ở đó ở đây Sài Gòn — A Love-Hate Letter to the Maze of Paradoxes

Editor's note: Adrien Jean is a Saigon-based photographer and a frequent contributor to Saigoneer's Darkroom series. His photos often depict the precise moments in time when the visual elements of our...

in Saigon

Inside the Sawdust Alley in D8 Where Old Furniture Goes to Get Repurposed

My lungs began to heave with raspy coughs as I ventured deeper into the alley of 124 Phạm Thế Hiển.

in Saigon

Saigon's Metro Line 1 Went on Its First Test Run Last Week

Last week, the Saigon Metro project took a major step in realizing many Saigoneers’ long-awaited dream of experiencing their own urban railway line.

in Saigon

A Saigon Restaurant Poisoned Dozens of Stray Cats. What Happened to Those That Survived?

Almost 10 months ago, my life was turned upside down as our household welcomed a new feline member.

in Saigon

Saigon Extends Notre-Dame Cathedral Renovation by 4 Years to 2027

Originally scheduled for completion in 2020 and then delayed once to 2023, repairs to the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica of Saigon's roof, windows, flooring, exterior and core wooden structure are...

in Saigon

Nearly 50% of Produce Sampled at Saigon Wholesale Markets Contains Pesticide Residues

Nearly 50% samples of fruits and vegetables gathered from Saigon wholesale markets were found to contain pesticide residues, while significant amounts of seafood tested positive for dangerous metals a...