in Development

Saigon Metro Line 1 Announces July Launch Date, Free Rides in Phase 1

Will 2024 be the auspicious year when our legs could finally step on the metro platform for the first time?

in Health

Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Charting the Flow of the Nhiêu Lộc Canal From Start to Historical Start

When I fall in love with an album, I seek out the artist's first mixtapes and demos. When I come to admire a poet, I hunt down their early poems and chapbooks. I even linger over the old highlight reels of my favorite football players' college games. Understanding where something starts allows me appreciate it more. So it is with the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè Canal.

Khôi Phạm

in Society

Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?

You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspects of the country could invite honest opinions that some of us might not be prepared to hear. Deep down, more than anybody else, we know that our air quality is subpar and our urban cleanliness leaves much to be desired, but our food is the one thing every Vietnamese can trust to make us proud. What easier way to foster diplomacy than to center the conversation around deliciousness?

in Architecture

In Hanoi, a Family Home Balances Commercial Hustle With Spiritual Haven

If many Vietnamese families often opt to reserve one room in their house plan for ancestor worship, this household in Hanoi decided to dedicate an entire backyard to their family altar.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

An Homage to the Mekong Delta and Its Bag-Wearing Fruits

Rats, mice, mosquitos, snakes, centipedes, caterpillars, snails, beetles and slugs: the more fertile a region is, the more pests inhabit it.

in Tech

Grindr Once Again Names Vietnam Amongst Nations With Highest Percentage of Bottoms

Started by Spotify, Unwrapped has become one of tech companies’ favorite marketing campaigns in recent years; LinkedIn, Duolingo, and even Vietnam’s own Zalo are amongst some revelers of this trend in recent years. Last year, gay dating app Grindr continued the tradition with their own annual insights, and Vietnam managed to claim a spot in the roundup.

in Environment

On the 12th Day of Christmas Saigoneer Gave to Me: 12 Birdcalls From Across Vietnam

Almost everywhere we go in the world, birdsong abounds.

Back Society

in Health

Mekong Delta Grapples With Severe Doctor Shortage

The Mekong Delta region is facing a serious doctor shortage which threatens to become even more severe by 2020.

in Society

[Photos] Families Struggle to Get Ahead in Saigon's Cambodian Neighborhood

Along Vo Van Kiet Street not far from District 6’s Lo Gom Bridge, a small community of Cambodian residents lives in squalid conditions, eking out a modest living from their makeshift houses by the riv...

in Development

Hanoi Is Getting a Shiny New Horse Racing Track

After almost two decades of discussion, Hanoi’s horse racing complex is becoming a reality.

in Development

Officials Consider Another Tan Son Nhat Expansion as Overcrowding Becomes Dire

Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat is in dire need of an expansion due to overcrowding issues in the terminal, on the tarmac and even on the roads surrounding the international airport.

in Sports

Vietnam Sports Officials Accused of Attending Olympics in Place of Doctors, Coaches

While Vietnam is still basking in the glory of its first-ever gold medal – not to mention the other hardware picked up by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh – some aren't happy with the count...

in Development

After 2 Years, Da Nang May Abandon US$104m Government Building

It seems Vietnam’s sweltering weather has claimed yet another casualty: Da Nang's US$104 million administrative building.

in Society

The Strict Stipulations Behind Takashimaya's Top-Notch Service

Along with a slew of foreign brands and mouthwatering Japanese pastries, Saigon’s new Takashimaya department store has also brought its unique brand of hospitality to the southern hub in hopes of wowi...

in Development

Vietnam: The Other, Other Asian Tiger

As we enter the final quarter of the year, it’s safe to say 2016 hasn’t exactly been the economic success Vietnam had hoped.

in Tech

A Brief History of Vietnam's Pokemon GO Adventures

Exactly one week after Niantic unleashed Pokemon GO on Vietnam, the country’s love for the colorful pocket monsters has shown no sign of waning. If anything, the Pokemon craze has only grown stronger ...

in Sports

Swimmer Joseph Schooling Beats Michael Phelps to Win Singapore’s First-Ever Olympic Gold

We’re barely halfway through the 2016 Summer Olympics, and already athletes in Rio have left a considerable mark on the history books. In addition to Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won the co...

in Architecture

[Photos] Step Inside Da Lat's Hobbit-Like 'Uncle's House'

This Da Lat abode perfectly blends modern and traditional elements to bring its owners closer to nature.

in Tech

[UPDATED] Apple Finalizing Plans to Open $1bn Data Center in Da Nang

[UPDATE] On August 11, Chairman Huynh Duc Tho of the Da Nang People's Committee informed reporters that Apple, Inc. has not confirmed plans to construct a US$1 billion data center in the central city,...

in Tech

2 More Weeks for AAG Repairs, Hanoi to Get Free WiFi Network

In the ongoing saga of Vietnam’s temperamental WiFi connection, we’ve got good news and bad news.

in Architecture

[Photos] Past and Present Mingle in Hanoi’s ‘Attic Apartment’

When it comes to the scores of cramped and aging homes in urban Vietnam, local architects have a knack for transforming these unusual spaces into not only liveable but trendy and functional housing.

in Society

[Video] The Story of San Francisco’s Suu the Street Sweeper

When she first arrived in the United States, single mother Suu Ngo spoke no English.

in Society

[Infographic] Here's How to Get Fined While Driving a Motorbike

With an ever-changing set of traffic laws and penalties, it can be hard to keep up with Saigon's rules of the road.

in Development

For Japanese Retailers, Saigon Center Opening a Sign of Good Things to Come

Across the street from a colorful, decades-old Hindu temple, motorbikes pour into the parking garage of the newly opened Saigon Center. Spiraling five floors below ground, the downtown shopping m...

in Society

Saigon’s Book Street Is Popular, Even With Declining Sales

Since its opening in January, Saigon’s downtown book street has seen plenty of visitors but fewer sales than expected.

in Architecture

[Illustrations] Japanese Architect Sketches Tokyo Metro Stations and the Chaos Above Them

In the dozens of digital renderings which envision a city’s future, you’ll find soaring skylines and innovative architecture but very little personality.

in Development

Laos’ Third Mekong River Dam Spells Danger for the Delta

Laos is preparing to begin construction on its third hydropower dam along the Mekong River.