Hanoi's Soviet-Style Khu Gia Binh and Life Amid Vietnam's Growing Pains
Hanoi is often known in Vietnam as the land of a millennium-old civilization, a living archive of past Vietnam life. Each tiny alley within the capital can evoke a strong sense of nostalgia in visitor...
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...
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....
Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition
In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many...
Rare Black-and-White Album Depicts a Historic Flooding in 1952 Hanoi
The extreme weather patterns in recent years might make you worry that Vietnam’s drainage network is buckling under the pressure of rapid urbanization, but looking at these rare photos taken of a floo...
Waste-to-Energy Plants Might Be the Remedy for Vietnam's Struggling Landfills
Lam Van Quyet lives three kilometers from the Tây Bắc waste facility in Ho Chi Minh City, but he knows exactly what time the garbage trucks arrive there.
New Proposal Plans Metro Line Linking Long Thành Airport, Thủ Thiêm
Let the paperwork begin!
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
How to Spot a Traveling Vietnamese at the Airport? Boxes With Sharpied Names.
“If you know, you know.”
5 Iconic Buildings in Saigon That Showcase Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
Take a stroll along any random street in downtown Saigon, one is bound to bump into a hodgepodge of architectural styles. Sleek but boring international-style skyscrapers, tranquil Buddhist pagodas, a...
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.
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.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
In Awe of the Mekong Delta's Majestic Sluice Gates
A row of impenetrable watchtowers tasked with inflicting ruthless law and order upon a dystopian borderland seething with marauders, bandits and brigands? No. Sluice gates.
Paul Christiansen in Architecture
The Pedestrian Bridge That Teaches You the Values of Patience
“We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.”
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?
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 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...
As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding
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...
Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
The Tumultuous Tale of Three Ga Sài Gòn Locations, From 1885 Until Now
Travelers arriving by train in Hồ Chí Minh City sometimes express surprise that the main Saigon Railway Station is located in Hòa Hưng, some distance from the central business district. In fact, this ...
A Brief History of the Vietnam Railways Building Before Its 110th Birthday
The iconic Bến Thành Market is not the only Saigon landmark that has endured for more than a century. The Vietnam Railways building at 138 Hàm Nghi, given its inauguration in 1914, is pushing the 110-...
Glide Over Hanoi in the Calmness of the Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line
In many countries, urban metros are a mundane convenience — so ordinary that their users often take them for granted. But until the birth of Hanoi’s Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line, residents of Vietnam h...
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadli...
A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool
Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace (Cung Văn hoá Lao động) at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai is today one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s most popular spor...
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.
Chris Humphrey in Society
The Rustic Beauty of Hanoi's Red River Brick Factories
Living in a city as culturally rich and absorbing as Hanoi, it’s not unusual to discover new secrets in a place you thought you knew completely. The depth of the capital really is astounding. And yet,...
The History of Hanoi's Lost Tramway Network
When they first drew up plans for a citywide tramway network in 1894, it seemed as though the Hanoi authorities would follow Saigon’s example by opting for steam traction. Yet, by the time government ...
Tân Định Market, D1's Nearly 100-Year-Old Trading Hub
Originally known as the marché de Phu-Hoa, Tân Định Market at 1 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu in District 1 is one of the city’s most historic markets, but it was the opening of the stylish French market building of...
From Vauban Citadel to Modernist Icon: The History of Turtle Lake
The area of Công Trường Quốc Tế and Turtle Lake (Hồ Con Rùa) has been through many changes both in design and function throughout the history of Saigon. First, it housed a gate for a Nguyễn-dynasty ci...
The Mekong Delta Loses Sand Too Fast Due to Extraction, It's Time for a Sand Budget.
Many people will be familiar with the dread when your income no longer covers your expenses; when you’ve exhausted your savings and are sinking ever deeper into debt. In the Mekong Delta, a similar do...
Huế Announces Plan to Transform Hồ Thủy Tiên Waterpark Into Public Space
Authorities are planning to turn the long-abandoned Hồ Thủy Tiên Waterpark into a public space with the construction of a walking path, lighting, drainage system and water supply.
Officials Announce (Yet Another) Plan to Restore Historic Đà Lạt-Tháp Chàm Railway
The 84-km railway line connecting Đà Lạt and Tháp Chàm (Phan Rang) was built between 1908 and 1932 and abandoned in 1976.
Hanoi Unveils Design for New Floating Opera House Near West Lake
Hanoi is planning to build a 13,000 square-meter floating theater near West Lake with a capacity of around 3,500 seats.
Without State Subsidies, Hanoi Metro Records $2.3m in Losses in 2021
Pre-subsidies, Vietnam's first operational metro route — Hanoi's Cát Linh-Hà Đông Metro Line — recorded VND54 billion (US$2.32 million) in losses in 2021.
New Mộc Châu Bridge Enters Guinness Records as World's Longest Glass Bridge
This dizzying bridge is not for the faint-hearted.
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...
Hanoi Envisions 6 More Metro Lines for City Center by 2050
Earlier this week, Hanoi unveiled a general plan for the underground development of the city center which includes adding six metro lines and 81 underground stations.
New Proposal to Move Tôn Đức Thắng Underground to Make Room for Walking Plaza
It's ambitious, to say the least.
After Initial Success, Saigon's Public Bike Scheme to Expand to 4 More Districts, Hanoi
Pedal power!
A Mythic Vietnam Through the Brushstrokes of Architecture and History
“A steady country is one with a wealth of history and a steady generation is one that can understand and respect the heritage that their forefathers left behind,” Vũ says of his exhibition “Kỳ Ẩn Việt...
Saigon to Launch Investigation Into Rampant Sexual Harassment on Buses
In response to many online accounts from young Saigoneers recounting their traumatic experiences on local buses, the city has announced that it would launch an investigation into the matter.
FLC Group to Help Build $5bn Railway From Vientiane to Hà Tĩnh
All aboard!
Construction Department Requests $2.2m to Repair, Renovate Hồ Con Rùa
The plan calls for water-proofing the lake, fixing cracked walkways and adding a sprinkler system, as well as ornamental flowers and artistic lighting.
After Years of Delay, Operating Company of Saigon's 1st Metro Line Is Broke
Years of delay, which has been further compounded by the extended pandemic, have depleted the funding for Saigon Metro's operator.
Digital Artist Transports Us Back to Hanoi Tramway’s Halcyon Days
Many Hanoians have seen historical photos of the capital’s lost tramway network, which was inaugurated in 1901. What began as a state-of-the-art electric tramway eventually fell into disrepair in the ...
Saigon's Bạch Đằng Park to Get Trees, Restrooms, Parking Space After Complaints
After a few months under renovation, District 1’s Bạch Đằng Wharf was unveiled as a brand-new park just before Tết last month.
Four Designs for New Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge Up for Voting
Throughout the month of March, Hanoians can see and vote on four design options for the new Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge before the city makes a final decision.
Adorable Metro Illustrations Take Viewers on a Joyride Through Saigon
As fans of Vietnam’s busiest city, graphic designers An Nguyễn and Học Nguyễn launched a mock communication campaign to create prospective visual branding for the upcoming Ho Chi Minh City Metro. The ...
After Thủ Đức, Củ Chi Might Become Saigon's Next 'City Within a City'
Two years ago, three districts in Saigon were merged to become Thủ Đức City, Saigon’s first municipal city. Experts and city officials are deliberating a decision to give Củ Chi District a similar upg...
PM Calls for Faster Progress on Long Thành International Airport
During a visit to the site of the planned Long Thành International Airport in Dong Nai Province last week, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính expressed frustration with the slow progress of the proje...
Vietnam Says No to Proposal to Import 37 Used Train Cars From Japan
Even though the plan to repurpose secondhand trains from Japan might be cost-effective, state officials deem them too old to be imported.
Public Bike Service Finally Launches in Saigon After Week of Delay
After an unexplained delay, Saigon's first public bike rental system launched today.
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.
Transport Ministry Hopes to Begin Building Hanoi-Saigon High-Speed Rail in 2028
We'll believe it when we see it.
What Happened to the Saigon Tax Center's Moroccan Mosaic Staircase?
Exactly five years ago this week, construction workers began tearing apart the Saigon Tax Center building to make way for a new development project.
New Bridge Project Sparks Controversy Over 'Confusing' Indochina Design
Tran Hung Dao Bridge, an upcoming project across the Red River, has recently received mixed reviews around its Indochina-inspired design.
Major Upgrade Approved for Con Dao Airport
Yay?
D1 Proposes VND32.5bn Revamp Project of Me Linh Square Park
The VND32.5 billion (US$1.4 million) effort will focus on repairing the Trần Hưng Đạo Statue, planting ornamental trees and performing road repairs.
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.
Hanoi Puts Finishing Touches to Get First Metro Line Running by End of April
Fingers crossed!
Da Lat Is Getting First-Ever Traffic Lights to Help With Congestion
Wild times in Da Lat.
Metro Contractor to Restore Le Loi Boulevard's Surface This Year
Will Saigoneers see the return of Le Loi Boulevard this year?
Saigon Invites Independent Consultant to Inspect Defect on Metro Line
The saga of Saigon's first metro line continues.
Ambitious Expressway, Drainage Tunnel Proposed Along To Lich River
The To Lich River could become a crucial urban artery of Hanoi should the proposal is approved.
Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line Completion Delayed to 2022
Who could've seen this coming?
How Saigon Moved 2,200km of Electrical Wires Underground in a Decade
So famous they've adorned T-shirts, Saigon's tangles of electrical wires are disappearing.
Cột Cờ Thủ Ngữ: Overlooked Saigon Landmark Gets a Makeover
Flanked by a busy road and overshadowed by an unfinished skyscraper, you'd be forgiven if you rarely noticed the Signal Mast (Cột cờ Thủ Ngữ) where Ton Duc Thang and Vo Van Kiet streets intermingle.&n...
Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai Finish Repairing Runways Ahead of Tet Travel Season
Yay!
Construction of Long Thanh Airport Commences This Week
The massive project in Dong Nai Province will relieve pressure on Tan Son Nhat once completed.
Hanoi Begins Full-Scale Test Runs of Cat Linh-Ha Dong Metro Line This Weekend
At last, some progress.
81% of Saigoneers Plan to Use Metro Line 1 When It's Finished, Survey Shows
Do you plan to use the metro lines in these cities?
Hanoi's Second Metro Line Welcomes First Train From France
The train cars arrived in Hai Phong after being shipped from France.
Want to Learn About Saigon History? Scan These New QR Codes on Street Signs.
Saigoneers interested in finding out more about the history of their hometown now have a new avenue to expand their knowledge.
First Saigon Metro Train Arrives From Japan for Test Runs
Much excite!
Hanoi Is Considering Building a Second Airport to the South
To accommodate the capital’s rising demand for air travel, Hanoi officials are considering building a second airport.
