From countless development projects to Vietnam's new foreign property ownership laws, the loss of Hanoi's trees to the never-ending saga that is travel at Tan Son Nhat, there was plenty to talk about in this year's headlines. Check out Vietnam's biggest news stories of 2015:
Nguyen Hue Becomes a Walking Street
Photo by Lee Starnes.
Now a regular fixture of the Saigon social scene on weekends and holidays, it's easy to forget that the pedestrian-only version of Nguyen Hue is less than a year old. City officials inaugurated the promenade earlier this year on Reunification Day, unveiling the brand-new statue of Ho Chi Minh the following month and adding free street-wide Wi-Fi shortly thereafter. Though much discussion preceded the arrival of the walking street – not to mention several other suggested locations – the public seems to be happy with the finished product, if Nguyen Hue's weekend crowds are any indication.
Flooding Leaves Saigon Underwater
Photo by Alberto Prieto.
This year's feisty weather patterns did a number on Saigon, with torrential downpours flooding the city and thoroughly interrupting traffic. Perhaps the worst of the worst was September's deluge, which waterlogged motorbike engines and left drivers stranded across town. But even when the skies finally cleared, the floods did not: in some neighborhoods, stagnant rainwater remained for days, forcing local residents to move their possessions to higher ground.
The Saigon Post Office Gets a Makeover...Twice
Photo by Lee Starnes.
At the very start of 2015, Saigon's Post Office received a brand-new, bright yellow paint job, to which the public promptly replied: "No." In January, the historic building was covered in an offensive shade of yellow which did not, according to historians, resemble the original pale yellow favored by French colonists during the early 20th century. Post office officials soon found themselves in hot water, as everyone from foreign tourists to Saigon's famed last letter writer to the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association voice their disapproval. A second makeover was later arranged and the Saigon landmark restored to a more aesthetically pleasing color.
Saigon Says Goodbye to Its Abandoned 707
Photo via Zing.
Though few people knew about the antique Boeing 707 parked in an open field at the HCMC Aviation Training Center, Saigon said goodbye to its abandoned aircraft in June under orders from the National Defense Department. Workers moved the plane from its 30-year resting place, taking it apart piece by piece. Prior to living in the junkyard, the Boeing 707 had belonged to pre-1975 carrier Air Vietnam. It later wound up in Hong Kong for a while before eventually returning to Vietnam after the war, where it was only flown by French-trained Huynh Minh Bon, the sole qualified pilot in Vietnam at the time.
Hanoi's Wavy Metro Tracks Raise Questions
Photo via Dan Tri.
As the northern and southern hubs race to finish their respective metro systems, Hanoi currently seems to be in the lead, unveiling its new metro cars to the public last month. But speed doesn't necessarily equal quality: while construction in the capital has been notably faster than in Saigon, the end results are raising questions among local residents. Hanoi's metro tracks seem to have a slight, er, wave to them. Though leaders of the project insist that this wave is meant to reduce energy consumption for trains arriving and leaving each station, some remain unconvinced, citing similar projects elsewhere in the world which do not bear the distinct curve of Hanoi's above-ground subway tracks.
