Vietnam
Most visitors to Ho Chi Minh City know its book street. Fewer know Hanoi has one too — built on a former mass grave, once home to the 'Hell Market.' One turned ten as a city icon selling fewer and fewer books; the other nearly died before a revival. What should a book street sell next?
Vietnam
2026 is the Year of the Horse. Saigon's century-old Phú Thọ Racetrack — once Asia's largest — is being turned into a park. Here's the story it leaves behind.
Infrastructure
A firsthand ride on Ho Chi Minh City's first metro line, Ben Thanh - Suoi Tien. The 20-km route takes just 25 minutes, with fares as low as VND 6,000.
Infrastructure
From a 2007 plan to a 2024 trial run, Ho Chi Minh City's first metro took 17 years. Funded by Japan's JICA with Hitachi and Mitsubishi on construction.
Infrastructure
With Metro Line 1 open, Ho Chi Minh City's full 11-line network plan is in motion. By 2045, the system will stretch 510 km, connecting surrounding cities.
Economy
Phu My Hung exceeded approved land use by 400 hectares. Its international school also broke building codes.
Culture
[Inside Saigon's State Bank: A Rare Exhibition on 160 Years of Vietnamese Currency] The Ho Chi Minh City branch of the State Bank of Vietnam — a building normally closed to the public — is hosting a rare exhibition on the history of Vietnamese currency. If you're interested
Economy
HCMC pulled in USD 9.6 billion in remittances in 2024 — three times the city's FDI inflow.
Vietnam
Vietnam has climbed into Numbeo's global top ten for unaffordable housing. Buying a home now takes over 30 years of income, and homes are drifting away from wages.
Vietnam
Most people picture Vietnam's natural disasters as typhoons and floods, not earthquakes. But halfway through this month, Vietnam has already had two. 'Vietnam isn't in a seismic zone' is true — stretching that into 'no earthquakes' misses what's actually happening.
Vietnam
A retired Taiwanese major with an electrical engineering degree from Columbia took KMT money to Vietnam in 1989. His three ventures — Tan Thuan EPZ, Hiep Phuoc power plant, and Phu My Hung — are all still standing. He didn't live to see it.
Culture
The airport code is SGN, the official name is Ho Chi Minh City, and locals just say Sài Gòn. In 2025, this "unofficial" name finally became an administrative place name again.