Blaring karaoke music, both in commercial establishments and homes, has been a persistent problem in Saigon, and peace and quiet are something many people have not known for years. Though it was 10 p.m. Tran Thi Lan could hear the ear-splittingly loud singing from her neighbors’ karaoke in Ho Chi …
Read More »Covid travel advisory by provinces confuses people planning to head home for Tet
Many people are puzzled by provinces’ Covid-19 travel advisory telling them not to visit their hometown for Tet considering the government wants Vietnam to “live with” the disease. After reading a letter from officials in Thanh Hoa Town in the eponymous central province urging people not to return for Tet …
Read More »Ants offer Saigonese pet enthusiast lesson in tolerance
Patience is the key quality needed to keep ants as pets, says Nguyen Tan Minh Nhut, who takes careful care of seven species of the crawlers. The Saigon resident’s curiosity and fascination with ants began after he caught a queen ant three years ago. The queen ant attracted over 100 …
Read More »Vietnamese photographer joins 2022 World Press Photo Contest jury
The World Press Photo Contest has included Pham Ha Duy Linh, a photojournalist based in Hanoi, as one of its judges this year. He will become one of five jurists to judge entries from Southeast Asia and Oceania at the 2022 World Press Photo Awards. Linh, who often goes by …
Read More »Two-year-old hits the streets at night as mom collects garbage
Garbage collector Pham Thi Lan’s two-year-old son has been accompanying her on her night shift on Hanoi streets. On her meager salary, a baby-sitter is ruled out. At home, her ailing 70-year-old mother takes care of her 16-year-old elder son who is mentally challenged and has dropped out of his …
Read More »Works paint a pretty picture at international art auctions
Eight Vietnamese artworks went under the hammer for millions of dollars at various international auction houses this year, marking increasing acknowledgement of artistic talent in the country. Despite Covid-19 impacts on the global art market, Vietnamese artworks achieved significant success at international auctions this year. From 2017, the first time …
Read More »Tractor procession picks up bride in central province wedding
Farmer Nguyen Cuong decided that a procession of decked up tractors will pick up his bride Ngoc Yen instead of the traditional wedding car. On Dec. 28, nine tractors decorated with flowers and balloons headed out to bring the bride to her husband’s house. Each tractor carried 3-4 people. Music …
Read More »Tracing the roots: Vietnamese-American woman’s quest to find biological mother
After finding out she was adopted, Jenny Nguyen Ashley was able to find her American father after years of searching. Now she hopes to find her birth mother. On Dec. 12 the 50-year-old shared her life story in an online group that tries to connect relatives in the hope of …
Read More »Tourist hotspots witness falling visitor numbers over New Year holiday
Many popular destinations saw fewer tourists during the New Year holiday, some by over 80 percent, although big crowds still occured in southern hotspots like Vung Tau or Da Lat. In the southern region, Ba Ria-Vung Tau, home to beach town Vung Tau, received 88,700 visitors during the three-day holiday …
Read More »HCMC, Binh Dinh allowed to welcome back foreign tourists
The government has greenlighted Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Dinh Province to welcome back foreign tourists under a vaccine passport trial program from this month. The latest additions raised the total localities allowed to receive international visitors on special tour packages to seven. Earlier, Quang Nam, Quang Ninh, Kien …
Read More »