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Every newly published Saigoneer article, ordered from newest to oldest across all sections and series.
13174 articles
Health
Quality is always something to be aware of when living in Vietnam. From motorbike helmets to pho noodles, shoddy products can profoundly affect your wellbeing. Now you can add doctors to this list – people are buying and borrowing medical practice certificates, allowing them to administer medical treatment without proper training.
Roundups
General Vo Nguyen Giap to be laid to rest at Dragon Cap [SGGP] A new phase of poverty reduction [VoV] Two hospitals violate regulations, suffer great losses [Tuoi Tre]
Saigon
Though we can't pinpoint the exact date for this map, we're sure it's from before 1954. This was the year when the French ceded control of Saigon and south Vietnam in accordance with the Geneva Accords . When Diem's government took office, they switched out the French names for Vietnamese ones. Whatever its date, it's a pretty sweet map.
Film & TV
If you enjoy making short films and have a place in your heart for Vietnamese street food, a new competition, "Vietnamese street cuisine" should be right up your alley. Oh, and the winning films will fetch VND20 million in prize money.
Vietnam
98-year-old Tran Van Tiep of Ho Chi Minh City has been given permission to continue his hunt for Japanese treasure he believes is buried at Tau Mountain in Binh Thuan Province.
![[Updated] Vietnam Releases First Domestic Smartphone](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/N3Pq0P6b.jpg)
Tech
[Update Below] Well, we may be a step behind North Korea but Vietnam has just released its first, domestically produced smartphone fittingly named the Lotus.
Roundups
Vietnam Government Clarifies its 'Buy-Local' Policy [FutureGov] Toxic waste continues to flood into Viet Nam [Vietnam Net] Refinery investment to double [VNS] City prepares supply of commodities for Tet holiday season [SGGP]
Saigon
1945 was a tumultuous year for Vietnam. After the Japanese were defeated by the Allies in 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence from France, unaware that Allied leaders had agreed at the Potsdam Conference to divide the the former French colony at the 17th parallel. Under the agreement, the British occupied the south and the Chinese nationalists the north until French colonial authority could be reestablished.
Film & TV
" Am Muu Giay Got Nhon " ("How to Fight in Six Inch Heels") is an upcoming, fashion-focused romantic comedy directed by Viet Kieu filmmaker, Ham Tran, his first in Vietnam. Saigoneer sat down with Ham do get the lowdown on his new film.
Saigon
In what's becoming a seemingly weekly occurrence, another foreign national has died in Saigon. Korean Kim Tea Sik was found dead in his HCMC apartment yesterday morning. Sik's naked body was discovered by relatives who told police they visited his apartment after attempts to reach him by phone had failed.
Roundups
Vietnam, Myanmar agree upon visa exemption [VoV] Vietnam workers indifferent to minimum wage hike, employers fret [Thanh Nien] Thousands pay respects to Vietnam's General Giap [France24]
Saigon
There was a time, not too long ago, when Saigon wasn’t full of tourists and backpackers. In the late 1980s, Vietnam had just opened its doors to the west and was rushing to renovate its decrepit colonial-era hotels. With few local options available, international investors found an ingenious way to fill the need for 5 star accommodations in the city – a floating hotel.
Development
Taking the train in Vietnam is set to get faster and more convenient by 2020. Last Friday, the Vietnam Railways Administration (VRA) announced plans to change the face of rail in Vietnam with eight new railways, at a total estimated cost of VND341,261 billion (US$16.1billion). Most of the lines will focus on the country’s southern corridor with the central hub located in Saigon.
Development
Just past the Saigon Bridge in District 2 lies this lovely house built by Vietnamese architects Sanuki + Nishizawa. Built in the ‘tube-house’ style, the open design allows for fresh air and light to travel through its walls and floors.
Culture
In Vietnam, the land of cheap clothes, western-style thrift shops have yet to take off. Mayhem, a new shop located just behind Ben Thanh Market is looking to change this, offering up stylish, imported used clothing from Japan.
Vietnam
It's been all over the news this weekend but in case you missed it, General Vo Nguyen Giap, who ousted both the French and Americans from Vietnam died in Hanoi last Friday at the age of 102. Later in life, he advocated for closer economic ties with the west and warned about the environmental costs of industrialization.
Stories
Vietnamese General Vo Nguyen Giap dies [Tuoi Tre] Efficiency Needs to Play a Bigger Role in Vietnam’s Fast-Growing Cities [GreenTechMedia] MetLife Expands Asian Growth Ambitions To Vietnam [Nasdaq]
Food Culture
Yes, we know that Saigonese take their cafe sữa with đá (ice) and that the background music is from Thailand. Nonetheless, this playful video by food videographer, Eric Slatkin is well done and worth a watch. Honestly, since we buy most of our coffee from street cafes, this was quite helpful in case there's ever a time we actually make a cup of our own.
Travel
Although I grew up in Spain, it’s been nearly 20 years since I left the country to overseas, so this summer I decided to go back and visit family and friends while showing the country to my Vietnamese girlfriend.
Development
When investors approached locals in Quang Nam about building a large hydropower plant, they promised fair resettlement compensation, shared water rights/ownership, infrastructure improvements and environmental protections. But since the plant opened, residents say that managers and investors are not only ignoring these contractual responsibilities, but releasing vast amounts of water without warning, destroying homes and fields.
Culture
A new government decree, set to go into effect on November 11, 2013, will remove the current fines associated with same-sex marriages in Vietnam. While an important step for LGBT rights in the country, the decree stops short of legalizing same-sex marriage.
Music & Arts
Yesterday, we posted Pierre Ogeron’s awesome time lapse film of Saigon which proved to be quite a hit. We got in touch with Pierre who was kind enough to answer some of our questions about his motivation, production techniques and future plans.
Music & Arts
Women in Vietnam are often depicted in art wearing the traditional Ao Dai and conical hats, or at least this is what misleading collective imagination and popular culture want us to believe. This stereotype could not be overturned more easily than by the work of Saigon-based artist Bui Tien Tuan.
Culture
Though eating dog has long been part of Vietnamese culture, the illicit dog meat trade in SE Asia has been growing rapidly over the past few years. Recently, cross-border smuggling of the animals has become so prevalent that Vietnam, along with 3 other ASEAN neighbors have been working on high-level agreements to stop the trade which is estimated at over 5 million dogs per year.
