
I Keep My Connection to My Family's Hanoi Tết Traditions in a Tiny Quất Tree
I am not a plant person. So when even I notice the abundance of vườn kiểng — a place selling a myriad of plants — it must mean that Saigoneers truly love buying plants. Some of my friends, who are also Hanoians, asked me one day to visit these vườn kiểng and look for Tết plants: “Let’s celebrate Tết the way northerners do, you know?” And somehow, being amongst the plants brought me right back to Quảng Bá Flower Market in Tây Hồ.

How to Curate the Best Playlist to Listen to While Riding the Saigon Metro
When you get a new toy, it's only reasonable to take it out to play with as often as possible.

Đi Bão Is Vietnamese Culture at Its Most Jubilant, Raucous, and Fervent
Dustbins, tree branches, advertising stands and tarps, leftover Christmas decorations, whatever pot, pan, ladle or utensil left unattended in the family kitchen, and at least one street vendor’s bánh khọt mold: whatever wasn’t bolted down got caught up in the wave of đi bão that filled Saigon’s streets last night.

Life in Saigon's Old Tenements, the Remaining Vertical Villages of Past Decades
Is “out with the old, in with the new” the new motto when it comes to Saigon's real estate scene?

A Merry Memory of a Mid-2000s Middle-Class Christmas in Saigon
As my palm felt the glossy wrapping paper for my Secret Santa gift, I was transported to my early childhood Christmases — filled with warmth, wonder, and the bubbling discomfort of class insecurities.

Watching Snowfall in 'Home Alone' Is My Saigon Christmas Tradition
Christmas is so globally celebrated that even in Saigon, as the coldest time of the year approaches, you can hear Christmas hymms echoing from homes in the alley, and spot houses adorned with Christmas trees, Santas, snowmen, regardless of their cultural relevance to Vietnamese culture. For me, one of the activities that truly embodies this global spirit of Christmas is watching Home Alone (1990).

‘Công tử Bạc Liêu’ Asks: ‘What Would You Do if You Won the Lottery?’
They say you don’t buy a lottery ticket because you think you’ll win; you buy one so that you can fantasize about winning.

For Hội An Residents, Learning to Live With Floods Is a Fact of Life
The water reached my shoulders, and when I stepped into the street I suddenly felt the current trying to pull me into its invisible grasp. A familiar feeling that set off an alarm inside my head: “Be careful! It looks like nothing, but don’t get caught in it.”

Saigon Police Asked to Facilitate Transport to Airport
That's nice of them.

Vietnam Consumed the 3rd-Most Instant Noodles Globally in 2020
How many instant noodle packs did you eat during 2020's social distancing periods?

Tan Son Nhat Ranked Among World's Busiest Airports in 2020
Makes sense.

US Vice President Kamala Harris to Visit Vietnam This Month in First Asia Trip
She will become the first sitting US Vice President to visit Vietnam.

FV Hospital Seeks Approval to Collect Fees for Vaccination Services
FV Hospital is seeking permission to both ramp up its vaccination facilities, and begin charging for vaccination services.

Saigon Starts Vaccinating Delivery Drivers, Requiring Armbands, QR Code
Some protection is on the way for a crucial part of the city's lockdown lifeblood.

As National Cases Surpass 100,000, Saigon Imposes Night Curfew, Restricts Movements
With daily new cases in the thousands, Saigon has imposed additional levels of movement restrictions on top of the most severe lockdown since the pandemic began.

Sapa Park With Ugly Statue of Liberty Ordered to Remove Ugly New Elsa Statue
The lazy eyes, large hands and exaggerated bosom of the poorly depicted Frozen character threatened to ruin Sapa's natural beauty, according to critics.

Saigon Shoppers Turn to Post Offices, Pharmacies, Beauty Stores for Fresh Produce
While mounting pressure on local supermarkets has started to ease, there are many new avenues in Saigon where fresh produce is available.

Vietnam Considers Eventually Merging Small, Sparsely Populated Provinces
Any plans to combine sparsely populated locales will, however, not happen anytime soon, as significant research and time for public input is needed.

A New Baby Giraffe Was Born at the Saigon Zoo. You Can Help Name Her.
Will this attempt at another public naming contest go wrong or remain wholesome this time?

Amid Tourism Slump, Saigon's Hotels Provide Free Stays, Meals to Frontline Workers
Amid Saigon’s most devastating outbreak of COVID-19, the city’s various economic sectors have pivoted to supporting frontline workers in their enduring efforts against the epidemic.

Saigon Has Imposed Over $50,000 in Fines so Far to Enforce Lockdown Rules
Huge amounts of fines have been levied since Directive 16 went into effect in Ho Chi Minh City.

After Series of Shocking Pet Poisonings, Owners Push for Stricter Animal Welfare Laws
About two hours after her morning walk in the Lang Bao Chi area of Thao Dien one recent Sunday, Nguyễn Hoàng Thanh Cao’s two-year-old beagle, Peanut, began vomiting and convulsing uncontrollably.

Vietnam Crossed 1,000 Daily Covid-19 Cases for the First Time Yesterday
July 5 was a dark day in Vietnam’s epidemic, as the country’s single-day COVID-19 case tally surpassed 1,000 for the first time since the pandemic began last year.

D1 Proposes VND32.5bn Revamp Project of Me Linh Square Park
The VND32.5 billion (US$1.4 million) effort will focus on repairing the Trần Hưng Đạo Statue, planting ornamental trees and performing road repairs.

Saigon Pilots Home Quarantine for F1 Cases, Albeit With Strict Criteria
To ease mounting pressure on centralized quarantine facilities, Vietnam has agreed to let those who have had direct contact with confirmed COVID-19 cases (F1) in Ho Chi Minh City to isolate at home on...

Amid Worsening Outbreaks Elsewhere, Hanoi Pauses Its Reopening Roadmap
Bia hơi, gyms and karaoke need to wait until further notice.

Vaccine Passport Trial to Begin in Quang Ninh Next Month
Officials are working to figure out how to welcome vaccinated visitors.

Hanoi CDC to Propose Reopening of Non-Essential Businesses
With the COVID-19 outbreak in the city evidently under control, Hanoi’s health authorities are proposing to reopen a few non-essential services.