Khôi Phạm in Vietnam
Wipha, Yagi and Luc-Binh: How Are Tropical Storms Named in the Pacific Region?
Wipha was the latest typhoon to batter Vietnam this year, sweeping through northern provinces like Hưng Yên, Ninh Bình, Nghệ An, and Thanh Hóa and causing dangerous floods. It was 2025’s third and probably will not be the last that Vietnam will have to endure this year.
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Simple Pleasures of Having Your Hair Washed at the Hairdresser’s
I get my face shaved by sidewalk barbers; stop at every roving laminator I pass to have ticket stubs, photos, and doodles ...
Khôi Phạm in Saigon
Letter to the People I Met as We Hid From the Rain Under a Bridge Together
“Do not be angry with the rain; it simply does not know how to fall upwards.”— Vladimir Nabokov.
Hanoi's Bát Tràng Ceramic Village Turns Historic Craft Into Global Fame
Bát Tràng has been producing ceramics for over 700 years, but it’s the recent decades that interest me most: a period in which this small village has mirrored Vietnam’s rapid economic growth.
Final Merging Plan Brings Vietnam's Locality Number From 63 to 34
After extended working sessions to gather insights from experts and locals, Vietnam’s state government has announced the final version of the country’s administrative map.
Múa Lân Is Officially Recognized as a National Intangible Cultural Heritage
In Chợ Lớn, every Tết, amid the aroma of burning joss sticks and an onslaught of red-color decorations is the echoing beats of lion dance instruments. For generations of Saigoneer, the presence of múa lân, or lion dance, is a sign of festivity and celebration.
Uyên Đỗ in Saigon
How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness
In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
What a Mango Flower Looks Like: On the Unexpected Beauty of Fruit Flowers
What does a mango flower look like?
Morning News Roundup: Nearly 200 Kids Hospitalized for Suspected Poisoning
Annual GDP growth projected to reach 5.42 per cent [Vietnam Net] Paint smell may have caused elephant to attack trainer [UPI] Vietnam ranks third in world for shrimp production [VRI]
Morning News Roundup: Death Sentence for Machete Gang’s Young Boss
Death sentence announced for machete gang’s young boss [Tuoi Tre] First submarine on the way to Vietnam [VoV] Vietnam authorities continue probe into dubious 3G fee hike [Thanh Nien]
Morning News Roundup: Sinkholes, Shaky Building Cause Panic in Vietnam Court
Sinkholes, shaky building cause panic in Vietnam court [Thanh Nien] GDP up 5.42% in 2013 [VoV] Police propose publishing traffic violators’ names [Tuoi Tre]
Vietnam's First McDonald's to Open in HCMC After Tet
Last Friday, international burger giant, McDonald’s confirmed what has been predicted for years – its opening its first store in Vietnam, just after Tet.
Morning News Roundup: 12 Tons of Two-Year-Outdated Beef Found in Saigon Warehouse
Vietnam diplomat briefly held in Germany over $20k [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam decree allows cops to shoot at resisters in self defense [Thanh Nien] Saigon: 12 tons of two-year-outdated beef in sea...
Businesses Raise Alarm Over New Foreign Labor Rules
A November decree on foreign labor in Vietnam has businesses seriously concerned about their ability to fill vacancies for skilled workers. Numerous changes, including the diminished length of work pe...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam, US Sign Agreement for Clearing War-era Ordnance
EU offers €114 million to Vietnam’s health sector [Tuoi Tre] Fund for natural disaster prevention to be established [Vietnam Net] Middle and Affluent Class in Vietnam and Myanmar Will Doub...
10 Beautiful Photos of Sapa's Majestic Snow
Last weekend's snowstorm in Sapa drew photographers from all over northern Vietnam who jumped at the opportunity to capture some great photos of the town's snow-covered hills, roads and residents.&nbs...
Morning News Roundup: Fuel Price Hike Takes Consumers by Surprise
Fuel price hike takes consumers by surprise [Tuoi Tre] Bankers, fat cats charged in massive Vietnam financial scandal [Thanh Nien] Lao Cai suffers estimated loss of VND5 billon due to frost&nbs...
2 Foreigners Arrested for iPhone Snatching
In a reminder that crime transcends race, 2 foreigners were arrested last Friday for stealing an iPhone from a local woman in District 1. The 2 thieves were identified as Sean Douglas, 17, an Austral...
Morning News Roundup: Prisoner Executed by Lethal Injection for First Time in HCMC
HCMC’s labor market has 265,000 jobs in 2014 [Tuoi Tre] VietJet Air agrees $800 million engine deal with GE's CFM International [Reuters] Another $907 mil in ODA pledged as Japan, Vietnam stren...
[Updated] Scottish Botanist Missing in Sapa's Mountains
[Update Below] On October 30, Scottish Botanist, Jamie Taggart left his Sapa hotel to explore some nearby hills. After failing to show up on his schedule flight back home nearly a month later, his fat...
Rare Snowstorm Hits Sapa
Sapa, which is known to get light dustings of snow from time to time, was hit by a rare snowstorm on December 15 causing a massive 5km traffic jam. The snow, measuring between 5 – 10cm, blocked the O...
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
Kerry visits Vietnam, focus on trade, security, rights [Reuters] Drug ring gets death penalty in Vietnam [AlJazeera] App breaks record for largest speed dating event [ABS]
Year’s Best Meteor Shower on Display in Vietnam TONIGHT!
Tonight is the best night of the year to catch a meteor shower according to Nguyen Duc Phuong, from the Vietnam Space Observatory Association.
Morning News Roundup: Nationwide Hunt for Owner of Gucci-Milano Store in HCMC
Vietnamese, 2 Malaysians jailed for credit card fraud in HCMC [Thanh Nien] Nationwide hunt for owner of Gucci-Milano store in HCMC [SGGP] Internet business to earn VND100 trillion in 2018&...
Report: 7-Eleven Coming to Saigon in 2014
Like McDonalds, 7-Eleven has been eyeing the Vietnam market for years. Now that Circle K, Family Mart and Shop & Go have softened the market for convenience stores, the ubiquitous brand is set to ...
Airplanes Blamed for Damaged Roofs in Go Vap
There are many quality of life issues for residents living next to airports – pollution, noise and even increased blood pressure to name a few. But some residents in Go Vap District are encountering a...
Morning News Roundup: EVN Power Monopoly to be Short-Circuited
Kerry to tour typhoon-hit Philippines, Vietnam [Bangkok Post] Local authorities recall deadly spurious liquor [SGGP] Vietnam, UK share atomic energy experience [VoV]
Morning News Roundup: Banner Slamming Beer Looters Hung at Scene
No students, no money, many universities to be closed [Vietnam Net] Vietnam Tightens Land Seizure Law After Farmers Protest [Bloomberg] Vietnam's trade deficit to China surges to near $20 ...
