Old Saigon Building of the Week: 141 Võ Văn Tần
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- Published on 29 January 2014
- Written by Tim Doling.
The colonial villa at 141 Võ Văn Tần, next door to the Estar office building, is the house where acclaimed French writer Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) spent her last year in Sài Gòn.
Facebook Gets Official in Vietnam
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- Published on 29 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
In a bid to increase its ad revenue, Facebook has partnered with a local advertising firm to make some money off of Vietnam’s 20 million Facebook users.
Morning News Roundup: Highway, Railway Traffic Paralyzed as Truck Plunges Off Mountain Pass
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- Published on 29 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Highway, railway traffic paralyzed as truck plunges off mountain pass [Tuoi Tre]
City invests over US$40 million in industrial zones [SGGP]
Vietnam city to examine visitors for new bird flu virus [Thanh Nien]
Vietnamese Dishes with French Origins
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- Published on 28 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Though the French occupiers are long gone, elements of their culture still exist in both Vietnamese language and society. One of the most obvious examples of this is Vietnamese cuisine which has a number of dishes that can be traced back to their French origins. Theculturetrip.com recently published a list of these dishes and provided a bit of background as well.
Artist Spotlight: Landon Nguyen
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- Published on 28 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
18-year-old Saigon native, Landon Nguyen is an aspiring artist living in California. Though he has been a creative-type all his life, it wasn’t till he moved to the US that he realized his artistic potential. Nguyen has ambitions to one day become a creative director of an international cultural magazine that, “engages in world affairs and bridges the gaps of global diversity” to inspire creativity and show the importance of art in daily life in Vietnam.
Saigon House Nominated for Archdaily's 'House of the Year' Award
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- Published on 28 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Green and sustainable buildings are still in their infancy in Vietnam. However the trend is becoming more popular and slowly but surely, Vietnamese architects are entering this arena with great success. Local sustainable architecture pioneers, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, are responsible for some of the country’s most beautiful green designs and have been nominated for Archdaily’s ‘House of the Year Award’ for one of their projects in Binh Thanh which we’ve featured in the past.
New Site Lets you Search Vietnamese Plane, Train and Ferry Tickets in English
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- Published on 28 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
As a foreigner in Saigon, you don’t need to know much Vietnamese to get by. But when it comes to travel, especially by modes that don’t include wings, things can get pretty complicated. Enter Baolau.vn, a new site which lets you search and purchase plane, train and ferry tickets online and in English.
Morning News Roundup: ‘Jungle Men’ Adapt to New Life, Preparing for Tet
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- Published on 28 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Modern rural market facilities prove expensive for vendors [VNS]
Road Construction Slow Due to Lack of Funding [SGGP]
Foreign capital into real estate is increasing [Vietnam Net]
Slideshow: A Look Inside Saigon's New Public Toilets
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- Published on 27 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Last Saturday Saigon’s first batch of high-end public toilets (4-5 stars, whatever that means) were opened at Tao Dan Park, 23/9 Park and Le Van Tam Park in District 1.
The facilities are part of a pilot program organized by the HCMC People’s Committee and Transport Department which calls for 11 of these toilets to be constructed.
Weekend News Roundup: Organic Food Favorability Brings Great Opportunities to Vietnam’s Rice
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- Published on 27 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Fireworks to sparkle nationwide on Lunar New Year’s Eve [Tuoi Tre]
Research on ancient ceramics wins int't award [VNS]
10 Old Pictures of Art Deco Buildings in Saigon
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- Published on 24 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures which, some argue, are necessary to accommodate Saigon's massive growth.
Dairy Queen Opens First HCMC Locations
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- Published on 24 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
While McDonalds’ entry into the Vietnamese market has been getting a ton of press, another American fast food chain just made its Vietnam debut – Dairy Queen.
Morning News Roundup: In Vietnam, Hundreds of Thousands of Workers Get No Tet Bonus
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- Published on 24 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam’s state companies get fat on privileges [Thanh Nien]
Five Hospitals to be Expanded in HCMC, Hanoi [SGGP]
Vietnam’s Middle Class the Fastest Growing in Southeast Asia [Vietnam Briefing]
Farewell, Cold Weather: Saigon Set to Warm up Before Tet
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- Published on 23 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
If you’re tired of getting out of the shower cold and shivering we’ve got some good news - Saigon is set to warm up with the arrival of Tet.
Tết Tây
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- Published on 23 January 2014
- Written by Anthony Morreale.
Western New Year passed us by, towing an old sensation in its wake. It was a strange celebration, or if not completely strange then slightly out of joint. The Ball was stationary, and around its would be equator white faced clocks were placed at regular intervals, each one marking a time zone and a city therein.
Morning News Roundup: Rescue Teams Sent to Stop Oil Spill Threat in Saigon River
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- Published on 23 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Rescue teams sent to stop oil spill threat in Saigon River [Vietnam Net]
Vietnam hots up for Muslim travellers [TTG]
Vietnam bonds up on banks' liquidity, low inflation [Reuters]
Audio: Vietnam's Reggae Revelation
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- Published on 22 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
It may be played on repeat in tourist bars across Vietnam (and much of SE Asia) but reggae music has yet get traction in the local market. Hanoi-based journalist, Marianne Brown recently talked to artists such as JGKid who are looking to change this trend and put a Vietnamese stamp on the most prolific music genre to come out of Caribbean in the past 50 years.
[Updated] Hydrofoil Goes up in Flames on Saigon River. Operators Were Warned About Safety Risks
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- Published on 22 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
[Update Below] Yesterday afternoon a hydrofoil traveling from Saigon to Vung Tau caught fire near Phu My Hung. Even with unclear evacuation instructions, the boat’s 80 passengers were able to safely escape without any serious injuries. Prior to the accident, experts had warned about lack of safety standards on the Soviet-era boats.
National Geographic: Phu Quoc a Top-3 Winter Destination
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- Published on 22 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Another week, another set of subjective travel ratings, this time from National Geographic Traveler Magazine. The publication just released their 2014 list of “Best Winter Trips” in which Phu Quoc ranked 3rd after Paris, France and Whitefish, Montana (really?).
Morning News Roundup: Efforts on to Prevent Oil Spill After Hydrofoil Accident
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- Published on 22 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam reports first bird flu death in nine months [Global Post]
Vietnam wins $3.75 billion int'l court case [Vietnam Net]
4 arrested for Samsung factory riot in Vietnam [Thanh Nien]
