BackStories » Vietnam

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree

What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the e...

in Hanoi

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...

in Saigon

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....

in Architecture

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...

in Hanoi

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...

in Environment

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.

in Development

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.”

in Architecture

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...

in Saigon

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.

in Vietnam

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.”

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?

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...

in Environment

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.

in Saigon

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 ...

in Saigon

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-...

in Hanoi

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...

in Vietnam

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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,...

in Vietnam

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 ...

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Environment

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...

in Vietnam

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.

in Travel

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.

in Development

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. 

in Hanoi

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.

in Travel

New Mộc Châu Bridge Enters Guinness Records as World's Longest Glass Bridge

This dizzying bridge is not for the faint-hearted.

in Saigon

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.

in Development

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...

in Vietnam

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. 

in Saigon

New Proposal to Move Tôn Đức Thắng Underground to Make Room for Walking Plaza

It's ambitious, to say the least.

in Saigon

After Initial Success, Saigon's Public Bike Scheme to Expand to 4 More Districts, Hanoi

Pedal power!

in Music & Arts

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...

in Saigon

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.

in Development

FLC Group to Help Build $5bn Railway From Vientiane to Hà Tĩnh

All aboard!

in Saigon

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.

in Development

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.

in Music & Arts

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 ...

in Saigon

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.

in Development

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.

in Music & Arts

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 ...

in Saigon

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...

in Development

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...

in Vietnam

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.

in Saigon

Public Bike Service Finally Launches in Saigon After Week of Delay

After an unexplained delay, Saigon's first public bike rental system launched today.

in Hanoi

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.

in Hanoi

[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.

in Development

Transport Ministry Hopes to Begin Building Hanoi-Saigon High-Speed Rail in 2028

We'll believe it when we see it. 

in Development

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. 

in Development

Major Upgrade Approved for Con Dao Airport

Yay?

in Saigon

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 T​rần Hưng Đạo Statue, planting ornamental trees and performing road repairs.  

in Development

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.

in Development

Hanoi Puts Finishing Touches to Get First Metro Line Running by End of April

Fingers crossed!

in Vietnam

Da Lat Is Getting First-Ever Traffic Lights to Help With Congestion

Wild times in Da Lat.

in Saigon

Metro Contractor to Restore Le Loi Boulevard's Surface This Year

Will Saigoneers see the return of Le Loi Boulevard this year?

in Saigon

Saigon Invites Independent Consultant to Inspect Defect on Metro Line

The saga of Saigon's first metro line continues.

in Development

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.

in Saigon

Ben Thanh-Suoi Tien Metro Line Completion Delayed to 2022

Who could've seen this coming?

in Development

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.

in Saigon

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...

in Vietnam

Tan Son Nhat, Noi Bai Finish Repairing Runways Ahead of Tet Travel Season

Yay!

in Development

Construction of Long Thanh Airport Commences This Week

The massive project in Dong Nai Province will relieve pressure on Tan Son Nhat once completed.

in Hanoi

Hanoi Begins Full-Scale Test Runs of Cat Linh-Ha Dong Metro Line This Weekend

At last, some progress.

in Development

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?

in Hanoi

Hanoi's Second Metro Line Welcomes First Train From France

The train cars arrived in Hai Phong after being shipped from France.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

First Saigon Metro Train Arrives From Japan for Test Runs

Much excite!

in Development

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.

in Health

Saigon to Open New 1,000-Bed Oncology Hospital With Helipad Next Month

After years of delay, the second campus of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital will finally open its doors to patients next month.

in Saigon

The Mystical Origins of Saigon's Notorious Octagonal Prison, Khám Chí Hòa

Chi Hoa Prison (Khám Chí Hòa) is a seven-hectare facility located in Saigon's District 10.

in Development

Hanoi Gears up to Start Building Metro Line 5 in 2022

The proposed route would cover 39 kilometers.

in Development

Vietnam Plans Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway to Improve Mekong Delta Traffic

The 130-kilometer-long highway would connect the two Mekong Delta cities by 2025.

in Development

Hanoi Proposes More Runways, Terminals in Future Noi Bai Expansions

If the plan comes to fruition, Noi Bai would get two new runways and multiple new terminals in the future.

in Saigon

Large Sinkhole Appears in Go Vap During Thunderstorm Last Night

Driving in the rain in Saigon exposes residents to a range of dangers, now including one that’s right beneath their wheels.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 25: Child's Play

Who builds Saigon's bridges?

in Saigon

New Eastern Bus Station to Partially Open This Month

The first phase of the massive Mien Dong Bus Station will open on August 15.

in Saigon

The Delay Continues for Saigon's Parking Lot Project Under Tao Đàn Park

Ten years after it was first approved, construction of the parking lot below District 1's Tao Đàn Park has again been delayed.

in Development

Hanoi Approves Design of New Tu Lien Bridge Over Red River

It will be called the Tứ Liên Bridge and was designed in part by Sun Group.

in Saigon

Saigon Approves Plan to Charge Cars Fee to Enter Downtown

To improve downtown Saigon’s traffic situation, city authorities are planning to boost public transportation while imposing more hurdles on private vehicles entering the area.

in Travel

Con Dao to Reclaim Sea for $99m Proposed Extension of Airport Runway

Ba Ria-Vung Tau provincial authorities have identified a runway extension of Con Dao's airport as a key development project for the region's development.

in Saigon

Saigon Reveals Plans to Spend $17bn on Public Transit Over 10 Years

This is part of an effort to increase public transport usage and reduce private vehicle numbers as traffic and air quality continues to worsen.

in Development

New Renderings Show Expanse of Ben Thanh Metro Interchange, Plaza

A new set of renderings conjures up a future in which Ben Thanh Station is a both a transportation and commercial hub for city dwellers.

Paul Christiansen

in Postcards

Saigon Postcard No. 24: A Slice of New Saigon

Saigon is a cake with many bakers.

in Environment

Hanoi to Deploy Water Trucks to Keep Dust, Summer Heat at Bay

Hanoi authorities are planning to re-deploy water trucks to city streets to keep dust and heat at bay in the sweltering summer months.

in Hanoi

Hanoi Officials Hope First Metro Line Opens by October

The Cat Linh - Ha Dong metro line has been beset by years of financial and technical delays.

in Saigon

Saigon Begins Redesigning Park Project in Front of Opera House

When complete, the 1,300-square-meter area will feature trees, vegetation, grass and pathways for communal use.

in Development

Hanoi Officials Reject $50m Request From Chinese Metro Contractor

Hanoi officials have refused to pay the Chinese metro contractors their demand of US$50 million in advance to perform a test run on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line in Hanoi.

in Travel

Hai Phong to Open New Cable Car Route Connecting Cat Ba, Cat Hai Islands

On June 6, the northern city of Hai Phong will welcome a cable car line connecting Dong Bai Commune on Cat Hai island and Phu Long Commune on Cat Ba island.

in Saigon

Tan Son Nhat to Close One Runway for Repairs Starting Next Month

One of the two runways at Saigon's international airport will be shut for six months so needed repairs can be performed, while a new terminal will be unveiled in three years. 

in Development

Hanoi's Metro Line 3 Faces Delay Due to Site Clearance Hold-Up

The above-ground section of Hanoi’s Metro Line 3 (Nhon-Hanoi Train Station) is essentially finished, though some site clearance issues might drag out the completion date.

in Saigon

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."

in Hanoi

Hanoi Commences Project to Build Sewer System Below To Lich River

An underground sewer is being constructed beneath the To Lich River to lead wastewater to a treatment plant project.