Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story

Water has no hometown.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis

There is no way to describe Saigon traffic literally and have it understood by someone who has not experienced it.

in Hanoi

Sweating for a Good Cause at the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Walk in Hanoi

I learnt of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in my first year living in Hanoi, through friends that had worked for the fantastic organization, or that were regular donors supporting it. This year, I was super excited to see their “Blue Dragon Marathon Walk” annual fundraiser announced, with the main Hanoian event looping around Thống Nhất Park's lake. Embracing the opportunity to contribute, I put my hand up for a 10K walk and enticed friends and family from around the world to send donations to the wander-for-a-cause.

in Vietnam

In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions

The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.

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 had enjoyed no such air-conditioned, traffic-immune method of transportation.

in Vietnam

'Engaging With Vietnam' Conference Ruminates on Heritage in Huế

“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote talks, art installations, music and fashion performances, workshops, curated visits to heritage sites and more.

Back Stories

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story

Water has no hometown.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Our Toxic Relationship With Saigon Traffic: A Diagnosis

There is no way to describe Saigon traffic literally and have it understood by someone who has not experienced it.

in Hanoi

Sweating for a Good Cause at the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation Walk in Hanoi

I learnt of the Blue Dragon Children’s Foundation in my first year living in Hanoi, through friends that had worked for the fantastic organization, or that were regular donors supporting it. This year...

in Vietnam

In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions

The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.

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

'Engaging With Vietnam' Conference Ruminates on Heritage in Huế

“Living with Heritage, (Re)Creating Heritage: Vietnam and the World” is the title of the 14th Engaging with Vietnam conference, a series of activities including academic panel discussions, keynote tal...

in Vietnam

Vietnam Reports First-Ever Test-Taker Attaining 9.0 for All 4 IELTS Skills

As more institutions and enterprises in Vietnam adopt IELTS results as an official assessment of students' and employees’ grasp of the English language, high IELTS scores have gradually become a sough...

in Asia

Pride Fest, Cambodia's Most Ambitious LGBT Event to Date, Is Coming This Week

On a steamy evening in downtown Phnom Penh, Rebecca Chan takes the stage. The crowd — mostly Cambodian millennials and Gen Z's — is riled up from previous performances, but Chan’s composure tames thei...

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

The Simple Pleasures of Kite-Flying in Thủ Thiêm

One of the most elegant means to observe the textured heft and untethered strength of otherwise-invisible wind — there is plenty one could say about the poetry of flying kites. 

in Vietnam

Summer 2023 Is the Hottest on Record in Vietnam Due to El Niño

While the past weeks have felt like living in a sauna for Saigoneers, north-central Vietnam provinces experienced even hotter temperatures this summer.

in Asia

On Finding Flavors of Home in Takadanobaba, Tokyo's 'Vietnam Town'

A bánh mì stand to the left, signs for Bích Karaoke above an alley across the street, an open shopfront lined with bottles of Chin-Su chili sauce and G7 coffee sachets, a laid back restaurant where wa...

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.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Vignette: For Cafe 81 and the '404 Not Found' Places of Our Lives

We all have them.

in Saigon

Ở đó ở đây Sài Gòn — A Love-Hate Letter to the Maze of Paradoxes

Editor's note: Adrien Jean is a Saigon-based photographer and a frequent contributor to Saigoneer's Darkroom series. His photos often depict the precise moments in time when the visual elements of our...

in Saigon

Inside the Sawdust Heaven in D8 Where Old Furniture Goes to Get Reincarnated

My lungs began to heave with raspy coughs as I ventured deeper into the alley of 124 Phạm Thế Hiển.

in Vietnam

Saigon, Hanoi (Almost) Bottom out World Ranking of Public Bathroom Coverage

Vietnam’s bountiful abundance of street eats and hip cafes might satisfy even the pickiest visitors looking to ingest delicious things at any price range, but even its biggest metropolises would strug...

in Vietnam

A Visual Homage to the Water Buffalo's Practical and Symbolic Importance in Vietnam

The second animal sign in the 12-year cycle of the Vietnamese zodiac, trâu, has symbolic and practical importance in Vietnam.

in Vietnam

In 2022, Vietnam's Domestic Tourism Flourished, but International Arrivals Lagged Behind

The most recent Tết holiday witnessed an outstanding performance by Vietnam’s domestic tourism sector, while international tourism had a year of underwhelming figures.

in Stories

Year in Review: Saigoneer's Picks for Favorite Features of 2022

In 2021, we decided to expand on the enduring appeal of our food series Hẻm Gems by coming up with new collections of articles zooming in on specific aspects of Vietnamese society and culture. Last ye...

in Saigon

Saigon's Metro Line 1 Went on Its First Test Run Last Week

Last week, the Saigon Metro project took a major step in realizing many Saigoneers’ long-awaited dream of experiencing their own urban railway line.