Khôi Phạm

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Bask in the Morning Sun in the Green Heart of Huế Along the Hương River

As tourists, it's in our built-in compass to seek out novelties and excitements, if anything, to remind us that our daily humdrum is not everything, and there exists a world out there with multitudes to explore.

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Chùa Một Cột in Thailand Reminds Me of the Familiar in an Unfamiliar Land

On my last full day in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was on a mission to catch the sunset, although the cloudy and gloomy sky didn’t give me much hope. Instead, I randomly stumbled upon a gate with signs written in Vietnamese. Out of curiosity, I decided to walk in, and the farther I walked, the more clearly I spotted a familiar image from afar: a one-pillar pagoda standing right on the edge of the reservoir.

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Bạch Nam Hải’s Documentary Photo Series Captures Sapa's 7 Years of Transformation

From the town to the depths of the misty mountains of Sapa, Bạch Nam Hải embarked on a documentary photographic journey, capturing the essence of local life, the intimate connections between people and nature, and the contrast between the natural landscape and rapid urban development fueled by tourism expansion.

Chris Humphrey

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'Living Hanoi' Series by Joseph Gobin Delves Into the Capital's Eccentricities

Is there a photographic format more suitable for capturing Hanoi's abundantly complex and alluring culture than the crystalline clarity of medium format film?

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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.

Back Travel

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Welcome to Urbanist Travel

Michael Tatarski

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Saigoneer Getaways: In Pu Luong, a Verdant Dream Untouched by Development

There are many reasons to be grateful for living in Vietnam during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Vietnam Resumes Limited Flights to Japan, but Not Vice Versa

After service between Hanoi and Tokyo begins on September 18, flights to and from South Korea, China, Taiwan, Laos and Cambodia are expected to follow.

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[Photos] Inside the Dust-Covered World of Ninh Van's Traditional Stone Carvers

It's a rare treat to see generations of skill in person.

Adrien Jean

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[Photos] A Sweltering Day on a Ninh Thuan Salt Field

Ever wonder where your salt comes from?

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With No Foreign Visitors, Vietnam's Travel Sector Courts Domestic Tourists, but Is It Enough?

As the country slowly opens for tourism, are companies and people adequately prepared?

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[Photos] Visions of a Dynamic Vietnam Through My Deaf Eyes

Vietnam inspired me to take photographs of places, people, cultures and landscapes that I've never seen before.

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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.

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Vietnamese Influencer Sparks Outrage for Sitting on Coral Reefs in Phu Quoc

Maritime tourism in Vietnam is developing fast, but for a lot of domestic tourists, conservation education in the country is lagging behind.

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Pivoting to Domestic Tourism, Hanoi Hopes to Attract 11m Visitors This Year

With international visitors nowhere in sight, officials and tourism operators in Hanoi are fully focusing on the domestic travel market.

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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.

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Japan Might Reopen for Vietnamese Visitors With Negative Covid-19 Tests

Vietnam's successful containment of the coronavirus outbreak may mean its people will be able to travel abroad sooner, rather than later.

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Vietnam Extends E-Visa Scheme to 80 Countries; Borders Remain Closed

Starting July 1, citizens from 80 countries and territories will be eligible for electronic visas for future Vietnam visits, though this does not mean that foreign visitors will be allowed into the co...

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Hue's Infamous Abandoned Water Park Might Get a Makeover Soon

After years in limbo, Hue is making plans to transform the derelict Ho Thuy Tien Amusement Park into a more useful site.

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[Photos] Urbanist Travel Getaways: The Stillness of Kyoto's Fushimi Inari Taisha at Night

If you visited Kyoto but didn’t snap a snazzy shot of the seemingly infinite row of torii gates, did you really visit Kyoto? Or at least, that’s what common travel conventions seem to suggest.

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Airlines in Vietnam Prepare to Resume Domestic Flights on Thursday

The two airlines plan to begin offering more domestic routes from April 16, following the scheduled ending of the national social distancing campaign.

Adrien Jean

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[Photos] In Yangon's Forsaken Amusement Park, Nature Finds Home in Decrepit Artifacts

Yangon Amusement Park was built in 1997 by the former military junta as a flashy distraction from their violent dictatorship.

Chris Humphrey

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[Photos] Dangerous, Adorable, Bizarre: A Look at Japan's Time-Honored Art of Making Mochi

Frenetic, dangerous, absolutely bizarre… the time-honored art of pounding mochi, a simple Japanese glutinous rice desert, is as entertaining as it is ngon vãi chưởng.

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[Photos] In a H'Mong Village, Harvest Time Is When Perseverance Pays Off

Tending to a crop takes dedication. Workers are subjected to early mornings, sore bodies and weary minds. However, after all the trials and tribulations, harvest time — the world over — is usually a t...

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[Photos] For Vietnam's H’Mong Communities, Life Tilts on a Precipice

On a small goat path beneath the high peaks of the Ma Pi Leng Pass, a group of H'Mong ladies walked uphill with more than 10 kilograms of wood and grass on their backs.