Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
To Appreciate Tao Đàn More, Study the Park's Past, Present, and Future
Shallow shrub and fern roots tussle to send shoots, tendrils and stalks up and outwards, sprawling across uneven ground and grasping at patches of light. A musky, funky, fetid soil stink emanates from...
With Unchecked Destruction, Saigon's Heritage Shophouse Architecture Is in Danger
The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.
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....
Century-Old Historic Villa in Đồng Nai Faces Demolition Due to Road Project
It’s yet another case of new infrastructure versus old heritage building — one of Vietnam’s most common urban planning clashes in recent years.
A New Company Headquarters Brings a Green Respite to Industrial Đồng Nai
Hammocks, koi ponds and mature trees are not typically associated with industrial parks.
Paul Christiansen in Ton-sur-Ton
Easybadwork's Free Spirits Are Rooted in Nature and the Underground
A sparrow swooping across a special-edition can of Coca-Cola, the illustrations featured in the artworks of Ngọt's Grammy-nominated album boxset, or perhaps even the tattoo on a stranger you pass on t...
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.
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 ree...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk
Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trappe...
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush an...
Khôi Phạm in Snack Attack
For the Love of Our Cooling, Affordable and Ubiquitous Trà Đá
In Saigon, trà đá vendors don’t exist, simply because every single eatery is in itself a trà đá vendor.
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
An Ode to Saigon’s Chò Nâu Trees
It’s too cold for chò nâu to grow where I’m from, but we still gave it an English name: dipterocarp.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep
Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into acco...
Michael Tatarski in Tech
How Going Digital Could Help Vietnam's Farmers Take Their Produce to the Next Level
In this digital age, farming, especially in developing countries like Vietnam, has maintained a general perception of being an analog, hands-on practice.
Hanoi Is Not Building Dragon-Inspired Longest Structure in the World, Official Says
A 700,000-square-meter dragon-shaped building will remain a futuristic fantasy in the capital's Tây Hồ area, but it might be fun to indulge in its flashy design for a moment. The structure, meant...
Linh Pham in Culture
Banana Island Is a Peaceful Oasis Amid Hanoi, but for How Much Longer?
As the xe ôm is about to reach the halfway point of Long Biên Bridge, I tell him to stop.
In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil
In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.
Saigon Plans to Add 10ha of Public Parks by End of 2022
The additional parks are part of a goal to have 3–4 square meters of green space per Saigon resident by 2030.
At Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge's Launch, Exuberance and Selfies Galore
After seven years under construction, the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge officially opened for traffic at 5pm, April 28. This was a much-anticipated project for Saigoneers, with over VND3.1 trillion in investment...
[Photos] Look Back at Hanoi's Nội Bài Airport in 1995
In February, 1995, Yuichi Kobayashi, a Japanese businessman, came to Vietnam with a mission to set up a factory here.
5 Biggest Cities Told to Restrict Motorbikes From 2030
Will motorbikes in downtown Saigon be a thing of the past in eight years?
Hanoi Demolishes Colonial-Era Factory to Make Room for Office Complex
A French-built factory at 61 Trần Phú, Hanoi is being destroyed to make way for a multi-purpose building.
In Thailand, Selling Unripe Sầu Riêng Could Land You in Jail
Harvesting durians before they are ripe in Thailand can land a first-time offender in jail for up to three years, while recidivists face even stricter sentences.
Enormous 'City Within a City' Planned for An Phú, Thủ Đức City
It will feature a wide range of building styles and features.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
New Flowering Plant Species Confirmed in Central Vietnam Nature Reserve
If you discovered a new plant, what would you call it?
Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc Propels the Architecture Discourse Into the Age of Social Media
Architecture Excursions - Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc is a grassroots media project founded by a group of young Vietnamese who share a simple goal: to shed light on Vietnam’s vast and often undiscussed architec...
Vietnam to Build Nuclear Research Reactor With Help From Russia
With assistance from Russia, Vietnam will build a 10-megawatt nuclear reactor for researching medical treatments that could be the first step in eventually reviving moribund plans to build nuclear pow...
Saigon's Infamous 'Ghost Tower' Has a New Developer
Saigon's most notorious ghost tower appears to have a new lease on life.
Hanoi Looks Into Banning Motorcycles in City Center From 2025
Authorities are researching a plan to ban motorcycles in the city center from 2025 onward.
[Photos] Dilapidated and Abandoned, Hồ Tây's 'Floating Castles' Are Finally Dismantled
After almost five years of rotting in abandonment, a few of the cruise boats on West Lake are finally being dismantled.
Hanoi to Name 2 New Streets After Literary Couple Lưu Quang Vũ-Xuân Quỳnh
The Hanoi People’s Council has proposed naming two streets in Cầu Giấy District after Lưu Quang Vũ and Xuân Quỳnh, two of the most prominent poets in Vietnam's literary world.
Hanoi to Spend VND500bn in New Plan to Renovate Old Apartment Buildings
Between 2021 and 2025, Hanoi plans to spend VND500 billion (US$28.1 million) on inspecting and assessing the quality of old apartment buildings in the city.
[Photos] In Quang Ninh, a Dilapidated Park Receives New Lease on Life
The 1990s Quang Ninh Park was nearly abandoned in need of a revamp to attract local exercisers and loafers alike.
HCMC Proposes Rail Link Between Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh Airports
This is part of the city's suggestions for the Vietnam Railway Authority's railway development plan for 2021-2030.
Saigon's Only Bonsai School Grooms Budding Artisans on a Century-Old Craft
Bonsai has often been regarded as an activity for the elderly, but the local bonsai community is experiencing an unprecedented renewal thanks to the participation of an unexpected demographic: young p...
Bamboo Airways Will Start Daily Flights to the US This September
Starting in September, the upstart airline will offer non-stop services from Saigon to San Francisco and Los Angeles.
After Backlash, Mitsubishi Pulls out of Binh Thuan Coal-Fired Power Plant Project
Global companies face growing pressure to stop backing thermal power.
Shift to Cargo Shipping Helped VietJet Turn a Profit in 2020
With a profit of VND70 billion (US$3 million), it is one of the only airlines in the world to not reduce its workforce and remain profitable last year.
Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai Finish Repairing Runways Ahead of Tet Travel Season
Yay!
[Images] Here's What Hồ Con Rùa Might Look Like as a Pedestrian Area
Extended sheltered walkways, public seats, flowerbeds, and more — here are some new features of the plan to revamp Turtle Lake into a pedestrian-friendly neighborhood.
Plans to Build Hotel Complex on Da Lat's Đồi Dinh Opposed by Experts
Da Lat authorities are moving forward with a master plan to redesign the city’s central area, but the project has been controversial from the start.
Saigon Announces Large Natural Eco Park for Thu Thiem
Will this major green space project come to fruition in Thu Thiem?
VietJet Plane Skids Off Runway, Causing Massive Delays at Tan Son Nhat
In the middle of a bout of stormy weather on Sunday, an airplane at Tan Son Nhat International Airport skidded off the runway at landing, causing massive delays to all flights to and from Saigon.
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of 1930 Hanoi
Now that the age of drones has dawned upon us, cityscapes are easily captured from above.
PM Endorses Plan to Merge 3 Saigon Districts Into New 'Silicon Valley' Town
The ambitious initiative is part of the city's desire to create the so-called "Vietnam's Silicon Valley."
No New Airlines in Vietnam for Now, Aviation Authority Says
Aviation authorities will temporarily stop considering the licensing of new airlines while focusing on helping existing airlines recover in the wake of the COVID-19 epidemic.
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...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon Hẻm Gems
Hẻm Gems: In Saigon's Greenest Cafe, a Rabbit, Cotton and Succulents Galore
On a windy autumn day of 2019, I did what any existentially precarious millennial would eventually do some time in their 20s: I bought a houseplant.
Plan for Tan Son Nhat Airport 3rd Terminal Submitted for Approval
The total budget of the project is US$478 million.
HCMC to Submit Proposal to Keep More Yearly Income for Internal Use
Currently, Saigon is allowed to keep 18% of its yearly revenue. The rest of the money goes to the state budget managed by the Central Committee.
Saigon Announces Plan for 150-Hectare Multi-Purpose Park in D12
The park will be located in Thanh Xuan and Thoi An wards.
[Photos] In Quang Ngai’s Red Roof House, a Vegetable Garden Grows Right Above
The house was built for a middle-aged couple in their 50s who have been living in the area for most of their lives.
JICA Suggests Urban Railway Could Help Reduce Air Pollution in Saigon, Hanoi
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is helping authorities to develop a measuring, reporting and verification system for Vietnam’s urban railway systems.
Saigon Pilots Park-and-Ride Scheme at Ham Nghi Central Bus Terminal
Authorities hope the parking facility will increase convenience for bus riders.
Current Public Transport Satisfies Less Than 10% of Saigon's Mobility Demand
The city is scrambling for ways to provide more and better public transportation options as traffic continues to worsen.
Paul Christiansen in Culture
The Harrowing History of Vietnam's Rubber Plantations
"Oh it’s easy to go to the rubber and hard to return, / Men leave their corpses, women depart as ghosts."
Chris Humphrey in Postcards
Hanoi Postcard No. 6: Hoa Sữa by Any Other Name Would Still Smell as Caustic
The fragrance of hoa sữa, or milk flower, is so deeply embedded in the mythology of Hanoi’s autumnal days that singers, poets and authors alike have all sung its praises.
More Than Just an Identity, Saigon's Modernist Architecture Reflects Past Optimism for a New Era
The last 30 years have seen unprecedented economic development in Ho Chi Minh City. Since Doi Moi relaxed foreign investment laws back in 1986, the city has welcomed change with open arms and increasi...
Minibuses That Run in Hẻms Might Be the Latest Transport Pilot Program in Saigon
Will there be room in Saigon’s hẻm system to fit small buses?
[Video] Raising a New Generation of Bamboo Lovers
Bamboo is booming. All over the world, people are rediscovering the plant’s massive potential and technological innovation has enabled its use in pretty much any product you can think of. But how woul...
Ben Thanh Bus Terminal to Be Demolished, Moved to Ham Nghi Next Week
Saigon’s Ben Thanh bus terminal is the next city landmark slated for demolition in order to make way for District 1’s metro construction.
Brian Letwin in Development
[UPDATED]Plan to Move Saigon's Electrical Wires Underground Facing Major Delays
[Update Below] In an effort to clear Saigon’s skies, in 2009, city authorities signed off on a plan to move messy electrical wires underground. But the project, scheduled to be completed by 2015, is f...
Brian Letwin in Asia
Thai Monks Traveling on Private Jet Cause Uproar
Three Thai monks have landed in hot water after footage of the trio flying on a private jet, wearing sunglasses and earphones and carrying Louis Vuitton bags emerged on YouTube. The video has caused ...
Brian Letwin in Music & Arts
Downed US Plane in Binh Phuoc
Earlier this year, Quinn Ryan Mattingly made his way through Binh Phuoc Province. Eventually reaching Phuoc Long, he stumbled upon some interesting history, a downed US plane, slowly decomposing in th...
Brian Letwin in Development
How Saigon Plans to Avoid the 'Car Age'
“A developed city is not one in which the poor get around by car but one in which the rich get around by public transit” - Enrique Peñalosa, former mayor of Bogotá. It seems like every time I’m stall...
