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 Development

Say Goodbye to the Iconic Statue in Front of Ben Thanh Market

The statue of General Trần Nguyên Hãn that has stood in front of Bến Thành Market for decades is in the process of being permanently removed from the location to accommodate a new metro station.

in Tech

Vietnamese Jeweler Begins To Ship 24k Gold Plated iPads

Some Vietnamese spend months of their salary on iPhones and iPads for a lift in status. But some go a step further, paying more than the value of the actual product to have it dipped in gold.

in Health

Vietnam Ranks First in Southeast Asia for Diabetes

Add diabetes to smoking and drinking on the list of major threats to Vietnam’s public health.

in Tech

Made In Vietnam: La Dalat

Known once as “the pearl of the orient,” Saigon was Indochina’s hub of modern industry and entertainment. This environment spawned the “La Dalat,” one of the first cars to be produced in Vietnam.

in Development

[Photos] HCMC Begins To Chop Down Old Trees On Tôn Đức Thắng

The chopping down of the beautiful old trees on Tôn Đức Thắng Street has begun.

in Health

Hanoi “Running Short” Of Clean Water

According to two water companies that serve the city, Hanoi is facing some serious water shortages.

in Tech

Hackers Tap Into Private Vietnamese CCTV Cameras, Put Feeds Online

In a reminder to avoid passwords like “admin” and “12345,” a group of hackers tapped into almost 1,000 Vietnamese private CCTV cameras and put them on the web for all to see.

in Development

Future Saigon: Vietcombank Tower

The next big addition to Saigon’s skyline, the Vietcombank Tower, is nearly complete after years of construction.

in Tech

VNCam App Taps Into Street Cams So You Can Beat The Traffic

If you’re planning to hit the streets of Saigon or Hanoi during rush hour, VNCam, a new traffic tracking app, should be of great assistance.

in Architecture

[Video] New Film Highlights The Father Of Modern Cambodian Architecture

Vietnam and Cambodia have a shared colonial past and have both endured the peaks and valleys of development and war. For both, the 1960s and 70s were periods of modernist architectural innovation, esp...

in Development

Petition Against Son Doong Cable Car Has Over 10,000 Signatures

After news broke that a $220 million cable car would be built through portions of Son Doong Cave, the response was overwhelming negative. Many were stunned that a plan, meant to lure troves of tourist...

in Tech

Uber Launches In Hanoi

The battle of the taxi apps is set to grow fierce in Hanoi with the arrival of Uber.

in Tech

Apple Set To Officially Enter Vietnamese Market

Instead of opening an official store in Vietnam, Apple has opted to partner with a local retailer to distribute their products in the country.

in Health

Vietnamese Smokers Spend $1bn per Year on Cigarettes

Vietnam boasts 16 million smokers who pay VND22 trillion ($1.05 billion) per year to feed their deadly habit. But the actual cost of smoking is compounded by a nearly equal cost in treatment for commo...

in Development

Facing Delay, HCMC Pushes To Build Thủ Thiêm Bridge 2 In 2015

The main prerequisite for the large-scale development of Thủ Thiêm is infrastructure - roads, tunnels and bridges that serve as arteries into the new urban area.

in Tech

GrabTaxi Launches GrabBike, Bringing Xe Ôms Into the Digital Age

With companies such as EasyTaxi, GrabTaxi and Uber, it’s never been easier to summon a car or cab in Saigon. However, xe ôms have been left out of the digital transportation revolution. That is, of co...

in Development

[Photos] Behind The Blue Walls: A Look At The Progress Of Saigon’s Pedestrian Promenade

Reddit user, WeAllWantToBeHappy, recently visited a number of spots around District 1 to see what was going on behind the large blue walls where a new pedestrian promenade is currently under construct...

in Development

A Goodbye To Steam At Thái Nguyên Steel Works

Wednesday 22 October 2014 was officially the last day of steam locomotive operations at Thái Nguyên Steel Works. Tim Doling takes a look at the history of this extraordinary industrial plant, which ow...

in Development

Authorities Consider Preserving Elements Of Tax Center Following Public Outcry

When news broke in August that Saigon’s historic Tax Center was to be demolished, many experts and locals took to public forums to call for the preservation of certain elements of the building.

in Development

Future Saigon: Masteri Thao Dien

To take advantage of the Thao Dien stop on the city’s first metro line, developers are planning to build Masteri, a sprawling mixed-use project which will be integrated with the neighborhood’s above g...