A weekend in Ho Chi Minh City: What to see, where to eat, what to do in Vietnam’s largest city

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The museum is filled with photographs depicting the brutalities that the French and later the Americans committed in their losing campaigns against the Vietnamese. In addition to photos of rows of bodies in open pits, burning villages and instruments of torture, the harrowing displays are heavy on graphic shots of Vietnamese deformed by US chemicals like Agent Orange, with hardly any mention of the atrocities the North and South committed against each other.

11.30am: Relax in comfort

The Thao Dien area, across the river from the Binh Thanh District, is home to forests of condo and commercial high rises. Popular with expats and affluent Vietnamese, the area has all the accoutrements of the city’s upturn, from chic boutiques to gourmet eateries.

For brunch, visit Laang, a stylish, vegetarian-friendly Vietnamese restaurant that may be a welcomed alternative to the multitude of uncomfortably warm, open-air eateries. You can’t go wrong with a platter of wraps and rolls, including succulent grilled chicken and veggies wrapped in fresh leaves (239,000 dong), sweet and savoury grilled eggplant stuffed with shiitake mushrooms (109,000 dong) and the refreshing pomelo, lime and butterfly pea juice (79,000 dong).

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China floods: The families torn apart by ‘huge, furious waves’

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Trapped people are evacuated at flood-hit Tazhao village on August 1, 2023 in Zhuozhou, Hebei Province of China. Rescue and relief efforts were underway after heavy rains triggered floods in Zhuozhou.Getty Images

Ten-year-old Miao Chunyou screamed for her mum as she disappeared into a brown torrent that had engulfed western Beijing.

The strong currents ripped Miao from her father’s grip as floods, triggered by incessant rains, chased the family of three to the roof of a neighbour’s house.

Her mother, clinging to a tree branch, watched helplessly. That was the last time she saw Miao. More than 10 days have passed but the couple has heard no news about their daughter.

“It was like a scene from a movie, with huge, furious waves,” Miao’s mother tells the BBC. She only shared her last name, Chang.

China is no stranger to floods, but July saw a ttrio of typhoons from the Pacific Ocean over three weeks, which exacerbated seasonal monsoon rains. Two of the three made landfall in the country, including super typhoon Doksuri, which churned slowly over large areas of north-west China for several days, inundating Beijing and surrounding provinces such as Hebei. That week, the Chinese capital experienced the most rainfall in 140 years.

Sixty-two people have so far been confirmed dead in the deluge – 33 from Beijing and 29 from neighbouring Hebei province.

Miao was swallowed by water “as high as two adults, one standing on the other”, her mother says. “Villagers in their 70s or 80s said they had never seen floods this big in their lives.”

She says that it had been raining heavily until July 30, when the downpour eased. The family believed the worst had passed, but stayed home, worried that going outside could expose them to mudslides.

But the following morning “the rain came down heavily”, Ms Chang said. As water rapidly filled the house, she and her husband tried to pump it out. But within half hour, flood water and mud smashed through the front wall.

Miao Chunjou

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Mr Chang is a migrant worker and spends much of the year in Beijing, where he sells spices. His wife and daughter were visiting him from Henan when the rains began. The three had mostly been apart during years of zero-Covid rules, and this was had been a much-awaited reunion. They had planned to visit Tiananmen square the day they lost Miao to the flood.

Ms Chang and her husband adopted Miao as a baby. They have two older sons, 27-year-old twins, who were back home in Henan province in central China when the flood hit. Distraught at what happened to their sister, one of them is unable to even speak, Ms Chang says.

China’s flood control system allows for water to be diverted from major cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Tianjin to surrounding areas. During the floods, Hebei’s Party Secretary Ni Yuefeng proudly declared that his province would act as a “moat” to protect Beijing, stirring anger among his constituents, who said the speed with which the flood waters hit caught them by surprise.

Wan, who wished to reveal only his last name, lives in Beijing but was alerted to a distress message on WeChat on 2 August. The mountain village of Tangjiazhuang in Hebei province, where his family lives, was hit by a landslide two days earlier.

It had cut off the village of 2,000 mostly elderly people. Some families had gathered there for the cool highland weather because parts of China had sweltered in heat waves before the typhoons brought deadly rains.

Mr Wan says he rushed to Tangjiazhuang with his wife to rescue their relatives. But they were stopped at a neighbouring village by neck-deep water. Undeterred, they took an alternate route that involved a an uphill three-hour hike. The terrain caused him to slip and twist his ankle.

“When we finally got there, all we saw was an ocean, with nothing left,” Mr Wan’s wife recalls.

Aerial view of excavators operating to repair the collapsed roads in flood-hit areas in Fangshan District on August 4, 2023 in Beijing, China.

Getty Images

Rescuers reached Tangjiazhuang on 3 August, three days after the landslide, and a day after the Wan couple found the village where their family had been in ruins. Local authorities counted 10 people dead and 18 others missing. Mr Wan, citing anecdotal reports, says the death toll is likely higher than official tallies.

Mr Wan says seven of his relatives are either dead or missing, including his two nephews, aged seven and four. He reads out their names: “Wan Hanying, my second uncle, Li Shulan, my second aunt, Wan Hechun, my third uncle, Jing Zhizhen, my third aunt, Wan Gongle, my sister, her children, Li Jiaqi and Li Jiaxin.”

China’s state-run media, which has released death tolls outside Beijing over several days, has focused on the rescue efforts, with headlines such as: “There is a sense of security called the People’s Liberation Army” and “Shandong rescue team work in floods, starving, with hands shaking uncontrollably from the cold”.

But that did not stop those on social media form noticing that President Xi Jinping did not visit any of the sites where disaster struck, unlike his predecessors. He did call for an “all-out” flood rescue effort, a message that was carried prominently on state media.

Instead on 31 July, as parts of north-east China were submerged, and Miao was swept away, Mr Xi attended a ceremony in Beijing to promote generals in the Central Military Commission.

A little girl carrying two kettles walks around waterlogged street on July 20, 2016 in Tianjin, China. Heavy rains hit Tianjin, disrupting traffic in the Chinese capital.

Getty Images

Mr Xi could be asserting his status as a princeling, or someone born to a Communist Party official, says Dr Ming Xia, a professor of political science and global affairs at the City University of New York.

“He draws more legitimacy from the revolutionary tradition and does not urgently seek to derive some legitimacy from public opinion, as his predecessors Hu Jintao and Wen Jiabao, who were born into ordinary families, did.”

As the floods receded, people have begun piecing their lives back together, shovelling mud out of their homes, and washing clothes and appliances that have turned brown. But scientists say climate change will spawn stronger, more frequent typhoons like Doksuri.

For Mr Wan, it is all too much. “The mountain still has fissures and future dangers are certain,” he says. “We definitely won’t live there anymore.”

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Pheu Thai coalition ‘done’

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Cabinet posts for PPRP, UTN support

The Pheu Thai Party has now sealed a deal with the Palang Pracharath Party (PPRP) and United Thai Nation (UTN) Party in which the two parties have agreed to vote for Pheu Thai’s prime ministerial candidate in exchange for slices of the cabinet quota cake, according to a source.

An official announcement will follow, but with the two parties agreeing to join the coalition, the Pheu Thai-led coalition now boasts 315 MPs, said the source.

Pheu Thai has 141 MPs while Bhumjaithai has 71 MPs, the PPRP 40, the UTN 36, Chartthaipattana 10, Prachachat nine, Pheu Thai Ruam Palang 2, Chartpattanakla 2, with Seri Ruam Thai Party, Plung Sungkom Mai, Thongthee Thai and the New Democracy Party all having one MP apiece.

Pheu Thai has agreed that one cabinet position will be allotted for nine MPs each has, said the same source.

The deal would see Pheu Thai’s Srettha Thavisin appointed prime minister, while party leader, Cholnan Srikaew, would serve as both deputy prime minister and education minister, said the source.

Pheu Thai deputy leader Phumtham Wechayachai would become the interior minister, and party secretary-general Prasert Chantararuangthong would get the transport ministry role, said the source.

Pheu Thai list-MP for Chiang Mai Julapun Amornvivat would take the energy portfolio while Panpree Phathithanukorn and Puangpet Chunlaiad, both key party figures, would become the foreign minister and a PM’s Office minister, respectively, said the source.

Somsak Thepsutin, a Pheu Thai list-MP, will likely become the new agriculture and cooperatives minister, while list-MP Suriya Jungrungreangkit is negotiating for a transport ministry position, said the source.

As for the positions of finance and defence minister, Pheu Thai is approaching two outsiders who are highly qualified to hold these posts, said the source.

The Bhumjaithai Party would be awarded four cabinet positions in the Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, Ministry of Commerce and Ministry of Tourism and Sports, said the source.

In the cabinet quota for the PPRP, Pol Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwon, the party’s chief adviser, would become a deputy prime minister and the natural resources and environment minister, said the source.

PPRP secretary-general Capt Thamanat Prompow is said to have a good chance to become the agriculture and cooperatives minister, while PPRP MP for Kamphaeng Phet Pai Leeke may get the nod as deputy interior minister.

The UTN is interested in the energy ministry and also the digital economy and society ministry, said the source.

Prachachat has nominated Pol Lt Col Tawee Sodsong, a list-MP, as the new justice minister, while the Chartthaipattana leader, Varawut Silpa-archa, will likely become the new tourism and sports minister, said the source.

Despite insisting Pheu Thai had yet to reach any formal agreement with the PPRP and the UTN, Mr Phumtham has admitted that Pheu Thai is left with no other choice but to include them for the sake of stability.

In its campaign, Pheu Thai said it would not work with either because it was UTN prime ministerial candidate Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha who staged the 2014 coup, while PPRP leader Gen Prawit Wongsuwon has close ties with the coup-makers.

“I expect the government to take office no later than October,” he said.

Meanwhile, Move Forward Party (MFP) secretary-general Chaithawat Tulathon said the party’s MPs would discuss whether to vote for Pheu Thai’s PM candidate on Tuesday.

He said MFP MPs would vote in accordance with the party’s stance instead of exercising their own judgement, and when asked about the suggestion that the MFP should vote for Pheu Thai so the Senate’s votes were not needed, shot back with the question. “Why didn’t Bhumjaithai vote for the MFP-led bloc to switch off the Senate?”

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Commentary: Thailand’s parliament stalemate puts Pheu Thai at crossroads

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SINGAPORE: A quintessential Thai-style hung parliament has emerged after the Thai Senate twice obstructed Pita Limjaroenrat, the leader and prime ministerial candidate of the Move Forward Party (MFP), in his bid to become Thailand’s 30th prime minister.

The fiery contention between the country’s political parties has led the Pheu Thai Party to exclude the MFP as a coalition partner. The political deadlock shows little signs of resolution, as questions linger about the Senate’s readiness to endorse Srettha Thavisin of Pheu Thai as an alternative candidate. 

During the first parliamentary meeting to select the prime minister on Jul 13, the Senate, which consists of 250 members hand-picked by the military government in early 2019, overwhelmingly abstained or voted against Pita’s candidacy. They accused the MFP of attempting to subvert the monarchy by campaigning to amend Article 112 or the lese-majeste law. 

Consequently, the MFP-led coalition, consisting of eight parties, fell 51 votes short of a majority endorsement from the bicameral parliament (that is, 375 out of 749 votes). 

On Jul 19, the Senate reaffirmed its opposition to Pita by voting against his renomination. The rationale was that Pita’s renomination constituted a motion that had already lapsed, making it ineligible for resubmission in that parliamentary session, according to Rule 41 of the parliamentary rules and procedures.

THAI SENATE OPPOSITION NO SURPRISE

The Senate’s opposition to Pita comes as no surprise, given that most of its members were appointed by the National Council for Peace and Order established after the May 2014 military coup. The Senate predominantly consists of individuals closely linked to the junta, including friends, relatives, and former members of the junta’s Cabinet, lawmakers and top active-duty military commanders. 

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We train in car parks: Lion dance troupe that snatched the gold from Malaysia hopes for more sponsors, members

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Aside from funding, the troupe is also finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new practitioners. 

“I think (fewer) and (fewer) youngsters want to join lion dance because of other things like social media, they can play games instead of going through all these tiring trainings,” said Mr Tock.

The association is actively looking for new members as it is currently training four teams. The troupe has female participants, as well as members of different races, said Mr Teo.

However, recruitment campaigns have been met with lukewarm response.

“We see a decline in the number of people joining. Lion dance is a sport that we can’t force people to like,” he told CNA938.

“But what we can do is provide one of the best and optimal training grounds for people who really love lion dance.”

A TRADITIONAL ART FORM

The troupe uses plush toys and photo-taking sessions to interact with fans and drum up awareness for their sport.

Other teams have tried to give their performances a modern twist or inject their own cultural elements, but Mr Teo said the art form remains relatively traditional.

“Many countries have been trying to bring in their own culture. For example, Thailand or Japan like to include their instruments. But sometimes we may be restricted by the rules of the competition.”

In Genting, the troupe fielded two teams. It was not just their gravity-defying stunts on high stilts or creative manoeuvres that secured the win.

Marks also depend on techniques, artistic presentation and the expression of the lion, said Mr Teo.

“Every dance has a storyline. For example, before the lion gets to find its food or the “qing” (auspicious green lettuce usually part of the performance), it has to go through different obstacles, which may cause the lion to feel afraid … or feel happy once it gets its food,” he said.

The performers try to imitate real-life emotions and expressions such as happiness, drunkenness, and excitement, and bring them to life on their lion. These include batting the lion’s eyes, tilting its head, scratching its ears and wagging its tail. 

The winning team secured 9.73 points while the other team placed third with 9.58 points.

But even after such a feat, the troupe is not going to take a break. Its lion dancers are going straight back to training for another competition in September.

Both Mr Tock and Mr Teo said they hope that following their win, the sport can attract more interest from Singaporeans, particularly the younger generation.

“We will continue our current efforts and train more teams. We hope that more people can join us and preserve our culture,” said Mr Teo.

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Commentary: Why are sinus problems so common in Singapore?

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You may perceive this as a “sensitive” nose. You sneeze, your nose clogs up and runs, and your eyes itch and water soon after you enter a dusty space, play with a furry pet or handle soft toys.

This is allergic rhinitis and the triggers are environmental allergens. This condition is prevalent locally, affecting about 1 in 10 Singaporeans. The most common allergens are house dust mites and cockroaches, which shed proteins that set off sensitive individuals. In temperate counties, pollen allergy is more prevalent.

A similar condition is non-allergic rhinitis, in which nasal inflammation is triggered by non-specific irritants such as temperature changes, pollution or certain odours.

RHINOSINUSITIS

If you have nasal congestion that is accompanied by thick mucus, loss of smell and pain or pressure over your face, you may have rhinosinusitis.

Rhinosinusitis is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses – air-filled spaces that drain into the nose – in addition to the nasal cavity.

In some cases of rhinosinusitis, pus wells up within the sinuses, which can give you pain or pressure over your face. The pus can overflow into the nasal cavity, bringing with it a putrid smell. It can drip backwards into the throat, giving you a cough and sore throat.

If you think these symptoms sound similar to a viral infection, you are not wrong. During the days of COVID-19, rhinosinusitis patients often had their symptoms mistaken for COVID-19 and endured multiple rounds of nasal swabbing even though they weren’t infectious.

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IN FOCUS: Is there a future for Singapore’s wet markets?

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HAWKER CENTRES, WET MARKETS “INTERCONNECTED”  

The sense of community is strong among stall holders, noted Mr Tan, who helps his parents at their fishball stall. 

“In this hawker culture and wet market culture, there is an unspoken community where people know each other … We have seen each other over a long period of time. Like somebody will tell me, ‘I see your dad when he was a kid, now I’m seeing you,’” the third-generation stall holder said. 

Asked what can be done to preserve wet markets, Mr Tan said that in the short-term, the government could be “less restrictive” with hiring regulations, and allow stall holders to hire foreigners to help. 

Hawkers and wet market stall holders can only hire Singaporeans and permanent residents currently. But “most are not willing to do the job”, he said.

In the long run, Mr Tan believes hawker centres and wet markets “go hand in hand”. The wet market is connected to a hawker centre in many areas in Singapore, and many hawkers work together with the wet market stall holders, he said. 

“For example, if you sell curry fish head, you get the fish head from the fishmonger. It’s a small community that’s interconnected.”

In the same vein, the 2018 survey by NEA, as well as its 2016 and 2014 surveys, found that hawker centres were consistently cited as respondents’ top three most important amenities in a neighbourhood. 

A total of 91 per cent of respondents in the 2018 survey agreed that hawker centres promote interactions among all walks of life, and are “good places” for interaction with friends, family and neighbours. 

Mr Tan added that older people who come to hawker centres also want “a shopping experience” with their families. For instance, one of his customers would eat breakfast with their family first at the hawker centre before they shop for groceries at the adjacent wet market. 

“It’s like an integrated experience, so I think it’s just as important for wet markets to be preserved,” he said.  

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3 Thais held for trafficking

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PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 04:20

Mae Hong Son: Three Thai men were arrested on Thursday night for allegedly smuggling Myanmar refugees out of a temporary shelter after 10 illegal migrants, including five children, were found in their vehicles, police said on Friday.

Police and local authorities set up a checkpoint on Highway 1337 in tambon Mae Kee in Khun Yuam district following a tip-off that some Myanmar refugees had sneaked out of the shelter.

They stopped two pick-up trucks, both with Chiang Mai licence plates, that were following each other for a search and found several passengers in the vehicles.

Three men, including the drivers of the two pick-up trucks, were Thai nationals identified as Anai, 38, Sangworn, 21 and Anurak, 54. The others — six adults and four children aged between 5-14 — had no documents but could speak Thai.

They told police that they took shelter at a camp in tambon Mae Ko near the border after fleeing fighting in Myanmar, and they were on their way to see their relatives in Mae Song Song’s Mae La Noi district.

Mr Anai admitted that he picked up these illegal migrants near the shelter and planned to drop them off near Ban Mae Kee, where the migrants would then contact their relatives to pick them up.

Mr Anai said he had helped Myanmar refugees sneak out of the shelter area twice, and each time he was contacted by the refugees who had his contact number because he delivered relief supplies to the centre.

Police said they charged Mr Anai and his two assistants with aiding illegal migrants from being arrested, adding this could be part of a larger network.

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CTP pro-charter rewrite but says some parts are sacred

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PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 04:00

The Chartthaipattana Party (CTP) yesterday voiced support for setting up a charter-drafting assembly to write a new constitution but insisted Chapters 1 and 2 must be left untouched.

CTP director Nikorn Chamnong said he agreed with the policy of Pheu Thai Party, the core party forming a new government, to amend the current charter and said the best approach would be to create a new one with the involvement of the public.

However, he said Chapters 1 and 2 must not be revised, and a planned referendum on the charter rewrite must not leave room for any interpretation that these two chapters can be amended.

Chapter 1 contains sections defining Thailand as a single, indivisible kingdom with a democratic regime and the King as the head of state. Chapter 2 contains sections pertaining to the royal prerogatives.

Mr Nikorn’s comments came as Pheu Thai posted yesterday on its social media that a charter rewrite was top of its agenda.

The party said it would ask the cabinet at its first meeting to pass a resolution on holding a national referendum on the issue. This would be drafted by the people via a charter-drafting assembly, according to the party.

The Internet Law Reform Dialogue (iLaw) has urged the new government to disclose the questions that would be posed at the planned referendum. Ratchapol Jaemjirachaikul, an iLaw representative, said the group had concerns about these.

He said some of the questions posed during the referendum in 2016 confused people.

ILaw manager Yingcheep Atchanond asked if the charter rewrite could be pursued if Pheu Thai was planning to invite the Palang Pracharath Party and United Thai Nation Party (UTN) to join the coalition.

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Plant name honours Queen Mother

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PUBLISHED : 12 Aug 2023 at 04:00

Plant name honours Queen Mother
The new species is named ‘Rakhang Akara’ (Miliusa majestatis). DNP photo

Researchers from Chiang Mai University have named a newly found species of the Annonaceae family Majestatis to celebrate the 91st birthday of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit The Queen Mother.

Asst Prof Tanawat Chaowasku from the biology faculty of Chiang Mai University revealed that the species can be found in the southern provinces of Krabi, Phangnga and Surat Thani.

The plant’s scientific name is Miliusa majestatis Damth, Sinbumr & Chaowasku. “Majestatis” refers to the Queen Mother, who is also known as the protector of biodiversity, he said.

The species also has the Thai nickname “Rakhang Akara”, meaning “supreme bell”, because of its bell-shaped petals.

Asst Prof Tanawat explained that the plant can grow up to five metres tall and contains herbal elements known to reduce the risk of certain cancers.

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