As Saigon Moves Forward, Xích Lô Lag Behind as Nostalgic Remnants of a Past Era
Among Bùi Viện's assortment of xe ôm drivers and street food vendors, Bible-toting religious enthusiasts and other colorful personalities, 66-year-old Nghĩa stands out for his kind eyes and walrus-like mustache.
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.
Morning News Roundup: Over 50 Children Hospitalized After Vaccination; Vaccine Use Continues
Over 50 children hospitalized after vaccination; vaccine use continues [Tuoi Tre] Economic slump hits Vietnam rural migrants hard [Thanh Nien] Restructuring: Does it really happen? [V...
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
Rice farmers losing out on production profits [Vietnam Net] 7 dead, 40 injured in north Vietnam bus accident [Thanh Nien] Vietnam Plugs into Renewable Energy Sources [Prensa Latina]
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam’s Population Hits 90 Million
Vietnam health official apologizes for death involving cosmetic surgeon [Thanh Nien] Vietnam Motor Show opens in Ho Chi Minh City [SGGP] “Wall Streets” in Saigon [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam’s...
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam Beauty Clinic Owner Arrested for Allegedly Killing Customer
Vietnam beauty clinic owner arrested for allegedly killing customer [Thanh Nien] Vietnam: a nation of online gamers dominated by Chinese and Korean games [DW] Saigonese artists featured in...
HCMC Street to be Named in Honor of Gen. Vo Nguyen Giap
Like many other countries, Vietnam uses street names to honor fallen national heroes. As such, it should come as no surprise that both HCMC and Hanoi are planning to name streets after the recently de...
After Police Chase, 49 Endangered Pangolins Found in Ambulance
In yet another case of shady wildlife smuggling in Vietnam, after a brief chase, traffic police in the northern province of Phu Yen pulled over a suspicious ambulance and found 49 endangered pangolins...
Vietnam Airlines Flight Lands in Da Nang Missing a Front Wheel
Have you seen a giant wheel falling from the sky? When a Vietnam Airlines flight landed in Da Nang yesterday afternoon, everything seemed to be normal. But after technicians carried out a routine exa...
Morning News Roundup: Man Dies in Underground Hole While Committing Gambling Fraud
Vietnam airlines plan fleet boom as roads and rail fail [WTAQ] Vietnam city police to probe utilities for paying excessive salaries [Thanh Nien] Student keen on conserving ancient HC...
Yesterday's Flooding Breaks Record for HCMC. Today May be Even Worse.
If you were caught in waist-deep water yesterday, you weren’t the only one. The floodwaters reached 1.64 meters, breaking the previous record. But the worst might not yet be over.
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
Chinese woman caught with 2.2 kg of drugs at airport [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam gives green light to genetically modified crops [Vietnam Net] Vietnam's economy regaining growth momentum ...
Morning News Roundup: Vegetable Prices Jump After Storm Nari
Government decrees support for atomic energy studies [Nhan Dan] Oil refinery projects erected all across Vietnam [Tuoi Tre] Vietnam cyber crime rising in 2013 - Vietnam Economic Times ...
Typhoon Nari Leaves Path of Death and Destruction Across SE Asia
As Typhoon Nari swept through SE Asia this week, it left a path of death and destruction from the Philippines to Laos. Thousands of homes were destroyed, dozens of lives were lost and it may have even...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Video: Girl Causes Accident, Brushes it off Like a Boss
Even though drivers in Vietnam seem to have mastered driving the wrong way on one way streets, this tactic can still result in accidents. Especially when the offender drives in the middle of the road....
Morning News Roundup: Vietnamese Want City, Airport, Avenue Named After Gen. Giap
Half of Vietnam’s industrial sewage dumped into rivers untreated [Thanh Nien] Vietnamese want city, airport, avenue named after Gen. Giap [Tuoi Tre] Vinalines former head guilty of c...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
Morning News Roundup: Vietnam's Chief Warns Against Growing Economic Divide, Again
Vietnam Vows Dong and Interest-Rate Stability for Growth [Bloomberg] US alliance says Vietnam software piracy decreasing [Thanh Nien] Dogs in Vietnam: Not just for dinner anymore [Reu...
Typhoon Nari Devastating Central Vietnam
After wreaking havoc on the Philippines where it killed 13 people, Typhoon Nari made landfall this morning in central Vietnam, causing massive flooding, power outages and destruction of property.
Brian Letwin in Roundups
Morning Links: Mass Evacuations in Vietnam for Typhoon Nari
Vietnam Vows to Boost Political Trust With China During Li Visit [Business Week] Sustainable tourism in Vietnam inspires film [ABC] Killer drunk drivers stalk Vietnam roads [Thanh Nie...
Brian Letwin in Stories
What the Phở Happened Last Weekend? 10 Stories You May Have Missed
At Least 21 Dead in Vietnam Firework Factory Blast [Farsnews] Japan slow to realize nuclear plant export to Vietnam [Global Post] High cholesterol might become top killer in Vietnam&...
A Look into the World of HCMC Sex Shops
Even though sex toys and unregistered aphrodisiacs are awesome illegal in HCMC, many sex shops stock these items and are seeing their profits soar. After all, it’s hard to run a business selling condo...
Video: iPhone Thievery
Crime is on the rise in HCMC. The city may be installing video cameras and increasing the number of security personnel, but these won't solve the problem on their own. Thieves are conniving and thrive...
