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Insights, Polished History Lessons Await in Hanoi's Massive, Brutalist Military Museum

When I pitched a review of Hanoi’s massive new Vietnam Military History Museum to the Saigoneer editorial staff, I expected to find the museum somewhat boring. After all, although I am a historian, I am not really that interested in military stuff, and I’d been to the original location on Điện Biên Phủ Street several times — how could this new museum improve on the old one? What could this new museum say that the old one didn’t? What could I learn here that I haven’t already learned at Saigon’s War Remnants Museum and Hồ Chí Minh Campaign Museum, at Điện Biên Phủ’s war museum, at Hải Phòng’s naval museum, and at the countless other shrines to Vietnamese martial prowess across the country? Quite a lot, it turns out.

Paul Christiansen

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Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om

I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefu...

Paul Christiansen

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Art, Flowers Bloom at Huế’s Hidden Museum, Lebadang Memory Space

People often think that art is distant and difficult to appreciate, but a garden is different; everyone knows how to admire a flower.

Brian Letwin

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The Quiet Calm of Hiding From the Heat Under Phan Rang's Grapevines

The punishing mid-day sun dictates the pace of life in the corridor between Phan Rang and Cam Ranh, where locals escape to their living rooms or hammocks, and tourists seek the cooling breeze of the beach, seafood restaurants or resort pools. Perhaps one of the most underrated ways to take refuge from the heat is to duck into one of the nearby grape vineyards where winding vines create a natural oasis.

Paul Christiansen

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The Curious Case of Quy Hoà Leprosy Colony's Park of Busts

A delightfully bizarre place, Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà leprosy colony deserves exploration in full , but clustered in a grove of...

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On Japan’s Shonan Coastline, a Wintry Vista of Mount Fuji

It was my first trip to Zushi Beach and the sun was beginning to set. 

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Finding Solace in the Placid Water of Trị An Lake as a City Dweller

I took a deep breath, realizing that I was suspended in the midpoint of everything, above the calm, glassy surface of Trị An Lake and beneath the vast, enveloping azure sky that blanketed Mã Đà forest.

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Vietnam Should Extend Visa Exemptions to Australia, Canada, Among Others: Tourism Association

To increase tourism, the HCMC Tourism Association has proposed visitors from more nations be allowed to enter the country without a visa.

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Hanoi Makes TripAdvisor's List of Top 15 Global Destinations

On a new list of the world's top 15 destinations created by TripAdvisor, Hanoi ranks number 12. 

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[Photos] Exploring Hanoi's Eerie 'Skeleton Cave'

Halfway between Hanoi and Ba Vi National Park lies Thay Pagoda, a Buddhist temple technically within the city limits. It’s a beautiful building in its own right, but what’s more fascinating is Ca...

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The Sapa-Fansipan Mountain Railway Is Officially in Operation

Whether you're excited about it or not, the mountain railway is finally here after 18 months of construction. 

Khoi Pham

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[Video] Under Muted Tones, Vietnam's Northern Landmarks Are No Less Striking

For those of us who are stuck working behind a desk all day, at times watching beautifully put together travel features might be our only reprieve from the humdrum of daily routines.

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In Bangkok's Sunday Market 'Baan Yuan,' Flavors of Vietnam Abound

A stroll down the start of Soi Samsen 13 was utterly uninteresting at the beginning: it first appeared to be a typical Thai soi (alley) filled with SUVs and shuttered shops on a typical Sunday morning...

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[Photos] Kahtein Festival: The Joy of Giving in Myanmar’s Shan State

Nestled in the luscious green hills of Myanmar's Shan State and peppered with Buddhist temples, the sleepy town of Hsipaw is perhaps not the most obvious location for a bustling street party.

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VietJet Will Open Flight Route to Brisbane, Australia in 2019

This move follows the launch of flights to India.

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A Pilgrimage to the Grave of Vo Thi Sau on Con Dao Island

“Every time they had a chance to go by the grave, they would put a stone on it, burn an incense stick or stick a flower they had picked up from the roadside on the grave to show their respect and ador...

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Hoi An Establishes Curfew, Noise Limit to Curtail Rowdy Nightlife

Local authorities are fed up with the rowdy nightlife that's invaded downtown Hoi An.

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Saigoneer Getaways: Indulging Your Inner Castaway on Con Dao

Knowing the time of the tides is important here. The shallow waters around the 16 islands which make up the Con Dao Archipelago some 240 kilometers south of Saigon make for impressive golden beaches a...

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Every Holiday Season, Da Lat Chokes Under Tourism Pressures

It would take from three to five years for the problem to get worse, according to the director of the Da Lat Department of Construction.

Michael Tatarski

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[Photos] A Pre-Tet Trip to Sa Dec, the Mekong Delta's Flower Capital

Sa Dec, a small Mekong Delta city four hours away from Saigon, turns into a vibrant flower kingdom in the weeks leading up to Tet.

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Quang Binh Plans to Build World’s Longest Zip Line Over Cave Kingdom

The 3.5-kilometer-long zip line will be part of a large tourism service complex in Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, which is home to world-famous Son Doong cave.

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Muji's First Hotel in China Is Where Your Minimalist Dream Comes True

Popular Japanese minimalist homeware brand Muji opened its first hotel on January 18th in Shenzhen, China.

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[Video] The Beauty of Vietnam Seen With Fresh Eyes

Claire Imler’s new video Vietnam lets viewers experience what it's like to see the country for the first time: from grass brooms swishing warm rain across a tile floor; charcoal flames caressing ...

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Amid Tourism Boom, Hoi An Places Stricter Regulations on Homestays

Hoi An Town authorities have issued new regulations requiring all homestays be operated by residents who are not married to foreigners.

Michael Tatarski

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[Photos] Hue's Abandoned Waterpark Is a Post-Apocalyptic Beauty

Just south of Hue sits the Ho Thuy Tien Waterpark. Once a sign of aspirational middle-class family entertainment, it now sits abandoned, creating an eerie, graffiti-splashed destination in its own rig...

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VNA Plans to Establish More Routes to the US, China, Australia, Europe This Year

2018 will see a boom in Vietnam’s aviation industry.

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Vietnam Welcomes Record Number of Foreign Tourists in 2017: GSO

Last year was a good year for Vietnam's tourism industry.