Focus: Designing Cities Around People: Transport infrastructure is only a necessary foundation. What truly breathes life into a city is its “soft infrastructure”: education, healthcare, community spaces, meaningful jobs, and the networks that connect people.
Inside Vietnam
Interest Rate Lifebuoy? A full-scale interest rate race is unlikely to recur thanks to the proactive regulation by the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) and especially the “lifebuoy” named Circular 08/2026/TT-NHNN.
From PCI To BPI: New Perspective On Private Sector Growth: As HCMC leads the BPI rankings thanks to its strengths in manufacturing, logistics and innovation, domestic firms such as Tan Hiep Phat Beverage Group are also expanding investment, building broader business ecosystems and taking a more active role in improving the business environment, reflecting rising expectations from the private sector for long-term growth and stronger national competitiveness.
Turning Textile Waste Into Fashion: Fabric scraps from garment factories and discarded clothing are increasingly being collected, recycled and turned back into fashion products. More than two million tons of textile waste is emerging as a rich new source of raw materials at a time when the industry still relies heavily on imported inputs.
Business
Businesses Under Mounting Cost Pressures: Companies listed on Vietnam’s stock exchange have released their financial statements and shareholder meeting documents for the first quarter of 2026. A key highlight emerging from these reports is the mounting pressure from input costs, which is increasingly weighing on business performance. Not only are the prices of essential raw materials—such as gasoline, coal, ore, and agricultural products—experiencing sharp fluctuations, but import costs have also surged, driven by unfavorable exchange rate movements.
Quality Still The Key Competitive Edge: The most important requirement in export markets remains high-quality, safe production. Low emissions are considered an additional criterion that markets encourage and share with producers as part of broader environmental protection efforts.
Living
The Scent Of Tra My: In the hurried rhythm of the 21st century, people sometimes find themselves longing for a scent rather than a destination. Not the crafted notes of luxury perfume, but something warmer and more elemental — the sharp, pure scent of earth, rain and ancient forest.
Snapshots On Elite Airborne Drill: Precision, discipline, and coordination took center stage during a recent airborne assault exercise at Bien Hoa Airport in Dong Nai City.
Travel
Camping On Hai Duong Rock Embankment: Just 20 kilometers from downtown Hue City, a quiet stretch of coast at the mouth of the Perfume River is becoming one of central Vietnam’s most atmospheric camping destinations, where calm waters, glowing sunsets and vivid sunrises unfold between the river and the sea.
Va Tron: Hue’s Humble Fig Salad: Beyond its celebrated royal cuisine, Hue’s culinary identity is also shaped by humble dishes that reflect the city’s quiet elegance. Among them is “va tron,” a traditional salad made with tropical figs, a local ingredient long associated with the former imperial capital.
