In Đồng Nai, a Rustic Abode Emerges Under the Canopies of Cashew Trees
A clear directive was issued before construction of the home: all 26 cashew trees occupying the 100-square-meter plot must be preserved.
Meet Tâm, a Crossing ‘Guardian’ Protecting Saigon Traffic and Trains From Each Other
In a small kiosk overlooking the crowded Nguyễn Trọng Tuyển Street in Phú Nhuận, Nguyễn Thị Tâm routinely checks the clock and reviews the day’s train schedule meticulously. She’s repeated these tasks countless times, a crucial component of a job that she’s done for two decades as a train crossing attendant.
Learning to Coexist in Peace Is the First Step to Protect Vietnam's Last Remaining Elephants
A trail of enormous footprints, criss-crossing slabs of cracked concrete, lead to a battered ranger station in Vietnam’s Pù Mát National Park. Park staff say the wild Asian elephant that left the tracks is as friendly as it is lonely.
A Glimpse Into the Epic Underground Shows of Vietnam Pro Wrestling
Back in 2018, Saigon witnessed the birth of Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW), the first and only Pro Wrestlers in the whole of ...
HCMC Approves VinSpeed, VinGroup's Railway Arm, to Build Metro Line to Cần Giờ
A roughly 50-kilometer-long urban railway route will run from September 23 Park in downtown Saigon to VinGroup's Green Paradise project in Cần Giờ, beginning in 2028 at an estimated cost of VND102.43 trillion (nearly US$3.9 billion).
Diving (Literally) Into Hoàng Hoa Thám's Mountains of Secondhand Clothes
In a hẻm, clothing sprawled out on platforms lined with the plastic sacks the clothing came in, overspilling onto the ta...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Đà Lạt’s Indigenous Pine Trees, Tropical Miracles Threatened by Urbanization
“The shimmering pine trees stand in silence / Branches and leaves seem to have sunk silently. / How can one distinguish between reality and fantasy!”
Saigon Unveils Plan to Build 2 Pedestrian Bridges Over Tôn Đức Thắng Street
Tourists will soon lose one of their favorite “crossing Saigon streets is so crazy!” filming locations when two new pedestrian bridges connecting to Bạch Đằng Wharf are completed.
Brian Letwin in Health
Study: Majority of Street Drinks Contain Harmful Bacteria and Heavy Metals
Fake coffee isn’t the only think you need to worry about when having a drink at a street café in Saigon. A joint report released by Healthplus in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation and Confo...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Looking for a Toilet? There's an App for That!
My grandfather, like George Costanza, used to boast that, given a location in New York City, he could tell you where to find the nearest public restroom. With the emergence of smartphones, numerous de...
Brian Letwin in Development
Webinar: How to Setup a Business in Vietnam
Viewed as the land of opportunity for those coming from countries with sagging economies, It's not uncommon to find foreigners who want to open a business in Vietnam. But with so many regulations and ...
Brian Letwin in Development
Serious Flaws Plague Vietnam’s Higher Education System
Thanh Nien recently published a very well-written and well-researched article about the state of higher education in Vietnam. From numerous interviews with education professionals, it’s abundantly cle...
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon to Implement Bus Rapid Transit System
Transit authorities recently conducted feasibility studies for the Saigon’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and hope to complete the project by 2017. Duong Hong Thanh, Deputy Director of the City Depa...
Brian Letwin in Environment
Campaign Launched to End Vietnamese Demand for Rhino Horn
Well, better late than never, we suppose. While rhinos have completely disappeared in Vietnam due to poaching, many Vietnamese are still buying and consuming illegal rhino horn for supposed hea...
Brian Letwin in Development
Slow Going for Vietnam’s First Nuclear Plant
Vietnamese planners and their Russian counterparts are rushing to complete the first stages of Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant. While construction is scheduled to begin in 2014, slow land clearanc...
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon Bridge 2 Set to Open in November
If your commute takes you over the Saigon Bridge, you may have noticed a massive concrete frame rising next to it. This is Saigon Bridge 2 which, when completed, will ease congestion on Highway 1.
Brian Letwin in Tech
Vietnamese News Sites Targeted by Hackers
As some may have noticed, over the past two weeks, many Vietnamese news sites have been slow or inaccessible. Hacker Vietnam Online (HVA) has announced that they have found the source of the constant ...
Vietnam’s Youth Environmental Movement Takes off
At a ceremony to mark World Environment Day on June 5, Vietnam’s deputy prime minister, Nguyen Thien Nhan, added a sober warning that his country is facing grave environmental problems, and called on ...
Brian Letwin in Development
Interview with HCMC MEGA City Organizer - Part 2
Dr. Michael Waibel, along with Hilbert Henning, have launched the TP. Ho Chi Minh - MEGA City project to visually document Saigon’s rapid urban development. The project is currently being assembled an...
Brian Letwin in Health
Ministry Proposes Nonsensical Fines for Psychological Abuse
Well this is…something. The Ministry of Public Security is considering levying fines up to VND2 million for domestic psychological abuse. Under the proposed legislation, acts of domestic psychologic...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Driven to Distraction: New Motorbike First to Use iPhone as a Dashboard
Japanese startup, Terra Motors, is releasing two new motorbikes to take advantage of Asia’s iPhone addiction. Oh, and they’re electric too so they’re good for the environment and stuff.
Brian Letwin in Development
Poor Logistics Threaten Vietnamese Exports
Even as Vietnam’s exports reached US$114.6 in 2012, a key factor in the country’s economic growth, high logistics costs are limiting the profits and development of the industry. According to Thanh Ni...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Why Vietnam is on Apple's Shit List
Apple is arguably the most influential luxury brand in Vietnam. When it comes to status, having the Apple logo on the back of your phone can make or break you. The brand is also one of the most copied...
Logging Into Facebook in Vietnam - The Elegant Solution
For many of us, words like DNS, proxy and VPN are familiar due to the difficulties of logging into Facebook from inside Vietnam. At Saigoneer, we are aware of this problem and have found a few s...
Brian Letwin in Tech
The Collapse of the Vietnamese Gaming Industry
“It’s becoming unbearable,” said VNG CEO, Le Hong Minh when discussing the current state of the Vietnamese gaming industry. Since the Ministry of Information and Communication stopped issuing license...
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon’s New Airport to Cost $4 – 5.6 Billion
Yesterday, the Transport Ministry held a seminar on the development plan for Long Thanh International Airport which is set to replace Tan Son Nhat by 2020, TuoiTre reports. With a total investment of ...
Brian Letwin in Health
Beware of Fake Beer in Saigon
After words of caution from Oi Magazine about fake alcohol in Saigon, a Thanh Nien expose has revealed that beer is also being counterfeited as well. In an alley in Tan Binh district, a Thanh Nien re...
Brian Letwin in Development
The Sad Story of Da Lat’s Disappearing Pine Trees
Known as “the city of a thousand pine trees,” unregulated deforestation and development have taken their toll on Da Lat’s forests and pine tree population. There was once a time when many of Da Lat’s...
