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Health
Considering most traffic violations in Saigon consist of a short conversation and ‘tip’ for your friendly neighborhood policeman, we were, admittedly, a bit unfamiliar with the full list of rules and fees when it comes to our motorbikes. Luckily, Go Vietnam! was kind enough to translate and publish a full list so that we can be better informed drivers.
Vietnam
Over 160 die from traffic accidents during Tet holidays [SGGP] Foreign firms to show off GMO corn in Vietnam [Thanh Nien] Czech botanists find new kind of vanilla in Vietnam [Prague Monitor]
Tech
In a bid to increase its ad revenue, Facebook has partnered with a local advertising firm to make some money off of Vietnam’s 20 million Facebook users.
Vietnam
Highway, railway traffic paralyzed as truck plunges off mountain pass [Tuoi Tre] City invests over US$40 million in industrial zones [SGGP] Vietnam city to examine visitors for new bird flu virus [Thanh Nien]
Food Culture
Though the French occupiers are long gone, elements of their culture still exist in both Vietnamese language and society. One of the most obvious examples of this is Vietnamese cuisine which has a number of dishes that can be traced back to their French origins. Theculturetrip.com recently published a list of these dishes and provided a bit of background as well.
Music & Arts
18-year-old Saigon native, Landon Nguyen is an aspiring artist living in California. Though he has been a creative-type all his life, it wasn’t till he moved to the US that he realized his artistic potential. Nguyen has ambitions to one day become a creative director of an international cultural magazine that, “engages in world affairs and bridges the gaps of global diversity” to inspire creativity and show the importance of art in daily life in Vietnam.
Development
Green and sustainable buildings are still in their infancy in Vietnam. However the trend is becoming more popular and slowly but surely, Vietnamese architects are entering this arena with great success. Local sustainable architecture pioneers, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, are responsible for some of the country’s most beautiful green designs and have been nominated for Archdaily ’s ‘House of the Year Award’ for one of their projects in Binh Thanh which we’ve featured in the past .
Tech
As a foreigner in Saigon, you don’t need to know much Vietnamese to get by. But when it comes to travel, especially by modes that don’t include wings, things can get pretty complicated. Enter Baolau.vn , a new site which lets you search and purchase plane, train and ferry tickets online and in English.
Vietnam
Modern rural market facilities prove expensive for vendors [VNS] Road Construction Slow Due to Lack of Funding [SGGP] Foreign capital into real estate is increasing [Vietnam Net]
Development
Last Saturday Saigon’s first batch of high-end public toilets (4-5 stars, whatever that means) were opened at Tao Dan Park, 23/9 Park and Le Van Tam Park in District 1. The facilities are part of a pilot program organized by the HCMC People’s Committee and Transport Department which calls for 11 of these toilets to be constructed.
Vietnam
Fireworks to sparkle nationwide on Lunar New Year’s Eve [Tuoi Tre] Research on ancient ceramics wins int't award [VNS] VietJet Air Expands Fleet To Meet Rising Demand [Bernama]
Saigon
Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures which, some argue, are necessary to accommodate Saigon's massive growth.
Saigon
While McDonalds’ entry into the Vietnamese market has been getting a ton of press, another American fast food chain just made its Vietnam debut – Dairy Queen .
Vietnam
Vietnam’s state companies get fat on privileges [Thanh Nien] Five Hospitals to be Expanded in HCMC, Hanoi [SGGP] Vietnam’s Middle Class the Fastest Growing in Southeast Asia [Vietnam Briefing]
Saigon
If you’re tired of getting out of the shower cold and shivering we’ve got some good news - Saigon is set to warm up with the arrival of Tet.
Vietnam
Rescue teams sent to stop oil spill threat in Saigon River [Vietnam Net] Vietnam hots up for Muslim travellers [TTG] Vietnam bonds up on banks' liquidity, low inflation [Reuters]
Music & Arts
It may be played on repeat in tourist bars across Vietnam (and much of SE Asia) but reggae music has yet get traction in the local market. Hanoi-based journalist, Marianne Brown recently talked to artists such as JGKid who are looking to change this trend and put a Vietnamese stamp on the most prolific music genre to come out of Caribbean in the past 50 years.
![[Updated] Hydrofoil Goes up in Flames on Saigon River. Operators Were Warned About Safety Risks](https://media.urbanistnetwork.com/saigoneer/article-images/legacy/AZCAkIpb.jpg)
Stories
[Update Below] Yesterday afternoon a hydrofoil traveling from Saigon to Vung Tau caught fire near Phu My Hung. Even with unclear evacuation instructions, the boat’s 80 passengers were able to safely escape without any serious injuries. Prior to the accident, experts had warned about lack of safety standards on the Soviet-era boats.
Travel
Another week, another set of subjective travel ratings, this time from National Geographic Traveler Magazine. The publication just released their 2014 list of “Best Winter Trips” in which Phu Quoc ranked 3rd after Paris, France and Whitefish, Montana (really?).
Stories
Vietnam reports first bird flu death in nine months [Global Post] Vietnam wins $3.75 billion int'l court case [Vietnam Net] 4 arrested for Samsung factory riot in Vietnam [Thanh Nien]
Saigon
As Vietnam's economy has become increasingly intertwined with the global free market over the past decade, some elements of Saigon's pre-war, western-oriented economy have reappeared - Factories around Saigon are in full swing and workers flock to office buildings every morning. And what better way to see these parallels than through old pictures?
Vietnam
Ministry wants ban on natural forest exploitation [SGGP] Gold US dollar bills for sale on Saigon streets [Tuoi Tre] Privatization has its pitfalls in Vietnam [Thanh Nien]
Music & Arts
Saigon Artbook released their second edition on January 16th at Zest Café where the books’ artists and locals came out to support Saigon’s growing art scene. Zest proved to be an incredible space for the event with each of the 3 artists ( Yanneth Albornoz , Dan Nguyen and Mr. Sith ) having their own area to display their work.
Culture
From the organizer: Professional alternative stand-up comedy returns to Saigon on Tuesday Jan. 21 at Cargo Bar.