Chemical Explosion Blamed for the Death of 4 HCMC Students
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- Published on 13 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Well, this isn’t the news we like to see as Vietnam gears up for the Tet holiday. Last weekend, 4 students were killed when a blast tore through their District 10 house. Based on witness interviews, police suspect the group was using illegal chemicals to make firecrackers for the upcoming Lunar New Year.
Report: Cu Chi Tunnels Threatened by Erosion
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- Published on 13 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
One of Saigon’s most popular tourist attractions, the Cu Chi Tunnels, are under threat of erosion, according to a government statement.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Entrepreneur to Test his Submarine Next Week
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- Published on 13 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam to get IAEA help in building nuke plants [First Post]
VIETNAM: Textile and garment exports soared 19% in 2013 [Just Style]
Vietnam entrepreneur to test his submarine next week [Vietnam Net]
[Video] Saigon: Future Megacity
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- Published on 10 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
With Saigon's population rapidly expanding, a new set of challanges, both social and environmental have arisen. The city's growing pains have been well-documented and many argue that serious measures must be taken to address them in an efficent and timely manner.
As is the case with many infastructure and developement projects across Vietnam, foreign organizations are often the first to raise and address these issues. One such organization, the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, just released a video that highlights the challenges facing a growing Saigon while offering up some solutions.
Phởnny Business: 13 Vietnamese Restaurants That Use Puns
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- Published on 10 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Some Vietnamese are taking advantange of the American love for puns to attract business to their phở restaurants. Buzzfeed recently published a set of photos showing how many California phở shops are putting a verbal twist on this Vietnamese staple with phởnominal results.
10 Sketches of Indochina From the 19th Century
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- Published on 10 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Though already in existence, cameras were not the main tool used by the French to make visual records of their holdings in Indochina during the 19th century. In their infancy during this time, their fragile and expensive nature made cameras a rarity, especially when traversing Vietnam's dense jungles, winding rivers and treacherous mountains. Instead, sketches, like the ones in the slideshow below, were used to capture images of the region
Morning News Roundup: Workers Building Samsung Factory Riot in Vietnam
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- Published on 10 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam becomes world’s No1 pepper exporter [VoV]
Workers building Samsung factory riot in Vietnam [Washington Post]
55 corruption cases detected in Vietnam in 2013 [Global Times]
Trend: Vietnamese Factories are Slowly Going Green
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- Published on 09 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Mike Ives of The New York Times published a piece earlier this week on the growing trend of green factories in Asia, using Intel’s chip factory in HCMC as its focal point. According to the article, companies are going above and beyond local environmental laws in order to create energy efficiency that will lower operating costs.
Epic Road Trip: Ha Giang to Ca Mau
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- Published on 09 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
If you’re like us, slaves to the internet and our computer overlords, it can be easy to forget that Saigon is an urban bubble. In a reminder that there’s a whole other Vietnam out there, 4 friends – Chris Lusher (British), Trong Tung (Vietnamese), Bachir Sareh (French) and Morgan Ommer (German) spent months on their motorbikes, traveling 5,400km from Vietnam’s most northern point, Ha Giang to its southern tip, Ca Mau to raise money for charity.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam's Richest Families Earn Money from Property, Finance Sectors
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- Published on 09 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Over 400 Vietnam state-owned firms dissolved or bankrupt in 2013 [Jakarta Post]
Vietnam upholds life sentence for Malaysian woman for drug smuggling [Thanh Nien]
Minister urges preventive measures against forest fires [VNS]
The History of The Nguyễn Văn Hảo Building, Saigon's Art Deco Flatiron
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- Published on 08 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
The Nguyễn Văn Hảo building is perhaps Saigon's best example of art deco flatirons. Standing just across from Ben Thanh market, many of us pass it each day with no knowledge of its history. We've again enlisted the help of historian, Tim Doling, to give us some background on this beautiful building.
Saigon to Add High-End Public Toilets
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- Published on 08 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
In what can only be described as exciting news, city authorities have launched a pilot program to add ‘5-star’ public toilets to the busy streets of Saigon.
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam's Disgraced Vinalines Boss Says Senior Official Tipped Him Off to Arrest
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- Published on 08 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam's disgraced Vinalines boss says senior gov't official tipped him off to arrest [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam Raises Foreign Bank Ownership Caps to Aid System [Bloomberg]
Vietnam develops “wi-fi cities” [Vietnam Net]
Vietnamese Airlines Order Hundreds of New Planes but There’s Nowhere to Park Them
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- Published on 07 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Jetstar have all placed ambitious orders for hundreds of new planes to upgrade and expand their aging fleets. But with the expansion of Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat still years away, some wonder exactly where the airlines plan to park their planes.
Beer Paradise: Vietnamese Beer Ranked Cheapest in the World
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- Published on 07 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Thrillist, using crowd-sourced data from cost of living site, Numbeo, just published a list of the countries with the world’s cheapest beer. Somewhat surprisingly, our fair Vietnam took the crown with the average beer priced at $0.76. But things make a bit more sense when you realize that notoriously cheap bia hoi is included in the math.
Vietnamese Teachers Told to Monitor Students via Facebook
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- Published on 07 January 2014
- Written by Peter Cornish.
In what is being seen as a bizarre move, Vietnamese teachers are being instructed to join Facebook and other social networks in order to ‘manage’ their students more effectively.
Morning News Roundup: Chinese Tourists Caught Parading Illegal Map Through Vietnam
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- Published on 07 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Chinese tourists caught parading illegal map through Vietnam [Thanh Nien]
$188 mln swindle case by bank staff now on trial [Tuoi Tre]
First Hospital Opens In HCM City Hi-Tech Medical Complex [Bernama]
Saigon's Cầu Mống and the Remnants of Gustave Eiffel's Work in Vietnam
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- Published on 06 January 2014
- Written by Tim Doling. Top photo by Kevin Lee.
Many people will be familiar with the spurious claims that French civil engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) was responsible for two of Vietnam’s most iconic buildings, the Long Biên Bridge (Pont Doumer) in Hà Nội and the Central Post Office in Hồ Chí Minh City. The prevalence of such claims makes it all the more strange that so few visitors to Hồ Chí Minh City are given the chance to visit the Pont des Messageries maritimes, which in truth is Eiffel’s only major surviving work in Việt Nam.
Hanoi Man, High on Meth, Cuts Off Sister’s Foot With Fruit Knife
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- Published on 06 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
Here’s another good reason to stay away from methamphetamines – they may lead you to cut off a family member’s limb.
Hanoi police arrested Tran Thanh Duy last week for severing the leg of his sister, Tran Thi Dung with a fruit knife as she suffered a seizure.
After Massive Auto Tax Breaks, Will Saigon Become a Parking Lot?
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- Published on 06 January 2014
- Written by Saigoneer.
It looks like Saigon won’t be able to avoid the 'car age' after all. Under new import rules for 2014, autos produced by ASEAN neighbors will receive a 50 – 60% tax reduction and many fear that Vietnam’s cities will be filled with cars before major public transportation projects are complete.
