
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 recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.
Amidst shifting social currents, industrialized landscapes, and a fast-paced world, how does a community preserve its heritage, rewrite histories, and confront colonial legacies? In this long-term col...
It was 13 years ago when Christine Ha auditioned for and eventually won the third season of MasterChef US. Then a grad student from Texas, Christine’s victory was a watershed moment in the history of ...
Dustbins, tree branches, advertising stands and tarps, leftover Christmas decorations, whatever pot, pan, ladle or utensil left unattended in the family kitchen, and at least one street vendor’s bánh ...
On Son Island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Le Trung Tin scatters fish feed into his ponds, where dozens of snakehead fish leap through the surface in synchronised bursts. “I taught them how to do that,”...
Christmas celebration in Vietnam is something else altogether.
In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the loca...
I pride myself on being a child of Hanoi, but only after nearly 20 years, did I realize that trứng vịt lộn is not exactly an authentic topping in Hanoi-style bún riêu.
Wellness is a word deeply entrenched in the hospitality industry with many resorts using it as a core element of their branding and services. But some resorts take it a step further. When implemented ...
A whiff of the ocean hits you before you even step foot onto the street. In this curious corner between Quang Trung and Nhà Chung, a new form of restaurant exemplifies the vitality and variety of Hano...
Strolling along Vietnam’s beaches when the tides are low, one might encounter a number of whimsical patterns created by countless sand pellets. These are the works of a tiny species of crustacean call...
It started with tamarind, and ended with crab.
Taking into account global and national chains, small brands, independent cafes and street vendors, a recent report estimates that Vietnam is home to more than 500,000 coffee shops that generate US$1....
How does an artist turn haunting memories into powerful artworks that speak for himself and on behalf of countless lives? Mahdi Abdullah’s paintings serve as social commentary on the realities that th...
Sunny Southeast Asia has made significant strides in solar energy, with solar farm capacity exceeding 20GW across ASEAN countries. Despite this rapid growth and ambitious renewable goals, nations in t...
“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.”— Vladimir Nabokov.
As the cicadas begin to sing in the tamarind canopies along Pasteur Street after the first monsoon rain, vivid scenes from my formative years flash by in my mind. My cheeks became flushed and my eyes ...
A delightfully bizarre place, Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà leprosy colony deserves exploration in full, but clustered in a grove of trees on its outskirts in Nhân Ái Park stands a particularly peculiar assembla...
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...
Of all the forms of music one hears on the streets of modern-day Saigon, the sounds of the marching bands accompanying funeral processions stand out as absolutely unique.
It’s safe to say that one of the most authentic culinary experiences one could have in Vietnam is to sit on a stool, in an eatery that feels very much like someone’s house, and slurp on a bowl of pipi...
A few years ago, my family’s Christmas Eve tradition of making gỏi cuốn was swapped out for a special competition, one that would decisively end a longstanding rivalry: who, out of the aunts and uncle...
Đà Nẵng does not feel like a surf town. The gaudy beachside nightclubs are a far cry from the bohemian vibes of Hawaii or San Diego, and the coastline is more synonymous with basket boats than surfboa...
In April this year, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high wate...
When I used to live in Hanoi, I always knew that if an eatery only opens for half a day, the food is probably certified, at least by the locals, to be not only good, but excellent. There is something ...
On the way to Phú Thọ Indoor Sports Stadium in District 11, make a turn off 666/74 Ba Tháng Hai, go all the way to the far corner, and you’ll discover Triển Chiêu Quán’s bright yellow sign. Park under...
Not being a picky eater was somewhat of a personal point of pride for me growing up. I have my family to thank for this, as their immense patience and open-mindedness have encouraged me to explore as ...
Once upon a time, deep in the distant kingdom of District 7, there was a miến lươn place.
Whale worship started from a folk belief harbored by fishermen seeking help from the gods to endure the arduous days spent at sea, but over time, it grew to become one of the most prominent spiritual ...
If it weren’t for shrimps, developing taste buds would have been an outrageous waste of evolutionary time and resources. Truly, without the potential for boiled, grilled, fried, baked or even raw shri...
Whether on the slow train carving its way through the Shan Hills near Kalaw, the Mandalay to Yangon Express, or the 4am train to Hsipaw that crosses the great Goteik Viaduct, traversing Myanmar on gri...
“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote tal...
On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames thei...
Many of the images conjured by the word leprosy (bệnh phong) can be unsettling to some. Yet, the misunderstood disease exposes the capacity for human care and empathy. Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà lep...
A beautiful coastline, stunning rolling mountainscapes, and multiple historic vestiges are not the only merits of Quy Nhơn City.
You’ve probably never had bánh khọt like this before.
Phước Hải is a fishing township in the south of Vietnam, a short ride away from Vũng Tàu.
Of all seafood in Vietnam, ghẹ (blue crab) is among the most expensive. Even at wholesale markets, these crustaceans can fetch from VND300,000 to 400,000 a kilogram and any buffet deal that boasts the...
As hot as it gets, Hanoi’s scorching summer is no match for delightful fish rolls and refreshing sour soup.
The most recent Tết holiday witnessed an outstanding performance by Vietnam’s domestic tourism sector, while international tourism had a year of underwhelming figures.
Editor's note: This essay by Alex Tran won 1st place in the Editor's Choice category of Saigoneer's first-ever essay writing competition, "2 Years of Memories," in collaboration with Urbanist Travel. ...
Sometimes, for descendants of Central Vietnam, a bowl of steaming bún chả cá can even sooth the pain and misery of a storm-battered rainy season.
When my mother, a native of Singapore’s oft-visited Chinatown, described a pork offal soup stall with meatballs that “tasted suspiciously like that vermicelli dish we had in Huế back in 2013,” I knew ...
“Singing bowls are not inanimate objects; they have their thoughts as well. When we play, it can seem like we are talking with them … It is important to pour in your positive thoughts when you play – ...
The secret is the sauce. And the sauce is a secret. The owners of Đà Nẵng’s Bánh Xèo Bà Dưỡng refuse to reveal the recipe for the rich, meaty, and multi-faceted sauce that falls somewhere between hex ...
Around 370,000 residents are being prepared for evacuation in advance of Storm Noru, which is expected to be one of the worst storms to hit Vietnam in the last 20 years.
On Quán Thánh Street, a lovely couple enhances their hometown’s specialty, bánh đa cua, with a fishy touch. Adding fried fish to bánh đa cua is a rather uncommon combination, but it helps their r...
Út Hà Quán looks nothing like the kind of traditional Hanoi street food eatery that makes it to glossy magazines and world-famous food channels. There’s no grumpy grandma, no mold on the walls an...
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...
The most straightforward definition by which to explain ayam penyet to the Vietnamese layperson is perhaps “cơm gà Indo.” It’s technically not wrong: the dish has rice and chicken, and originates from...
I live in Đà Lạt, so the most direct route to the coast brings me to Phan Rang, which is where I often go for the beach and seafood.
While Thailand and Vietnam have long been perpetual rivals in the football arena, at this streetside Hẻm Gem, the two cultures forge a harmonious relationship.
Vietnam’s penchant for mì gói has propelled us to the top position among the world’s instant noodle consumers.
The world's finest luxury resorts offer familiar degrees of indulgent accommodations accompanied by local touches. Properties like Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai, Hoi An serve as an example of how ho...
Hanoi has more than half of Vietnam's registered captive bears, which makes the capital the biggest, and the last, hot spot of bear bile farming in the country.
In Vietnam, the dynamic between football and đi bão is not much different from monsoon rain and garden mushrooms.
The closing ceremony, which took place last night, May 23, officially marked the end of this year’s Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games).
After a gold medal in men’s football last night, Vietnam ended the SEA Games 2021 with a historic medal haul and successfully defended our reign in both men’s and women’s football.
In a rare moment of levity, a SEA Games proposal tied everything up in a neat bow after a medal-packed day for Vietnam.
When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?
If there is a restaurant in Hanoi that embodies the proverb “good wine needs no bush,” it’s Ốc cô Nhung. Though in this case, instead of wine, it is snails.
Maybe Suboi can eat a plate of cơm tấm during her next performance.
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.
Saigon's latest hottest club is literally the entire city.
All aboard!
The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), set to take place in two months, have faced a number of hurdles since it was announced years ago.
If you say so.
Bánh canh, at times described as Vietnamese udon or even “mouse-tail noodles,” is a great mystery on its own. Etymologically speaking, bánh canh translates to “soup-cake,” and these thick, cylindrical...
A group of American investors expressed interests in to building a Disneyland in Saigon, a Universal Studios in Hanoi and a SeaWorld in Khánh Hòa Province.
“He was a bold man that first ate an oyster,” satirist Jonathan Swift wrote in the 1700s. Famously fearful of the now-prized bivalves, Swift eventually grew to appreciate their briny, ocean-forward es...
From food to games to gift-giving, Tết is filled with unique traditions. Many of the activities and rituals associated with the Lunar New Year developed over centuries, including during eras of auster...
Vietnam’s internet is inconsistent, but very affordable when compared with regional peers, according to experts at the recent Vietnam Internet Day 2021 conference.
Some of Vietnam’s most esteemed resorts have undergone dramatic transformations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and over the last 18 months, the nation’s most prestigious travel destinations hav...
Insects, pterosaurs, birds, and bats: flight evolved on Earth independently four times, so why do you think it’s so unlikely that you’ll find love again?
Over 70% of Vietnamese under the age of 15 experience verbal or physical abuse, according to a new UNICEF report.
A faux pas relating to the national anthem before a football match yesterday has angered millions of Vietnamese fans.
Nguyễn Thúc Thùy Tiên has become the first Vietnam representative to win the crown at Miss Grand International.
Every year, Vietnam braces for dozens of tropical storms coming from the East Sea. Localities along the coast in central Vietnam have to bear devastating destruction caused by Mother Earth whenever se...
It has been a disruptive two years for Vietnamese students due to lockdown regulations, so it’s unsurprising that many are struggling with their mental well-being.
A new Saigoneer Podcast episode is out now!
Citing a desire to spend more time with her family and a drop in her performance, Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên reportedly reached the decision after returning from the Tokyo Olympics this past summer.&nbs...
Vaccine passports may soon become part of a “new normal” as more Vietnamese are getting their two shots.
Chong Kneas floating village, only 15 kilometers south of Siem Reap, is one of hundreds that line Tonle Sap Lake. Tens of thousands of families live in these clustered homes, around 40% of whom are Vi...
Devastating news for children.
Oh, rain.
It's been an eventful visit to Hanoi for United States Vice President Kamala Harris.
The global pandemic has undone decades of economic improvement in some nations.
In the days before our lives were disrupted again by the pandemic, I was fortunate enough to visit the remote beauty that is Phu Quoc and its many ivory beaches. On my trip, I also had the opportunity...
Get ready for a change to your phone screen.
She will become the first sitting US Vice President to visit Vietnam.
While some Southeast Asian cities were completely unrecognizable from their current self in 1979, Singapore at that time was already on its way to becoming the region's most developed location.
Despite early containment success, Southeast Asian countries facing the Delta variant are channeling resources to healthcare instead of sports.
Are Vietnamese children spending less time on active recreations and more at home?
The popular raw pork snack contains a natural bacteria that kills other bacteria which could help reduce global food waste and protect lives.
Before the days of mega-malls and the Skytrain, Bangkok was still plenty busy.
In a year marked by social isolation, Vietnam’s alcohol consumption increased considerably, though it’s not difficult to figure out why.
Vietnam's commercial center draws more people from elsewhere in the country than any other province or city.
One of the joys of Saigon's F&B scene recently has been the expansion of international cuisine beyond the city center.
As I gaze at the glorious eight-dish Malaysian banquet on our table at Makiucha, perfectly spaced by our photographer, popping with colors and wafting off aromas of rich spices, it becomes apparent to...
In case you hadn't figured it out from last night's huge storm.