in Society

The Childhood of Côn Đảo's Baby Turtles Caught on Film

In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the local sea turtle population.

in Sports

Ward off Your Monday Blues by Joining Me on Beginners' Skateboard Night

Usually in life, niche topics are commonly associated with unpleasant stigmas and misunderstandings — skateboarding in Vietnam is no exception. Once, I admittedly was influenced by such one-sided assumptions.

in Environment

Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade

Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group. 

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree

What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the east, Hải Phòng proudly brandishes the name “the city of red phượng flowers.” Đà Lạt has too many flower varieties to choose just one, and settles for “the city of a thousand flowers.” Down south, Bến Tre’s abundance of coconut trees is famous nationwide. Ask any Saigoneer this question, and you’re likely to get one of two answers: chò nâu (dipterocarp) or me (tamarind).

in Environment

Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home

Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Their attention was focused upward. Following their gaze, I looked up, and froze.

in Environment

How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities

The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.

in Architecture

Keeping Cool in Thủ Đức With This Humble Abode’s Well-Ventilated Design

Thick multi-layer brick walls, shaded areas, water features, and natural ventilation allow this private home to stay cool amidst the city's stifling heat.

in Architecture

Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition

In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many official government structures constructed and designed in the style of modernist architecture. They were created with aesthetics and form in mind, laying the groundwork to usher in a new period of growth for Vietnamese creative independence.

Back Society

in Sports

The Reunification Game: How a 1976 Football Match Brought North & South Together

In early 1976, shortly after the dust had started to settle in a now-unified Vietnam, Le Buu, general director of the country’s Sports Administration Department, was tasked with heading to Saigon to a...

Khoi Pham

in Tech

A Brief History of the Internet in Vietnam on Its 20th Birthday

My first memory of the internet in Vietnam occurred in an internet café on Tran Hung Dao Street. It was the early 2000s: Walkman players were still a thing, MTV actually played music, and Britney Spea...

Khoi Pham

in Society

Meet Le Duy Loan, the First and Only Female Senior Fellow at Texas Instruments in 87 Years

When Le Duy Loan fled to the US in 1975, she was still a shy and demure girl from Nha Trang who barely knew any English. Today, Loan belongs to the top rung in her field of engineering and remains the...

in Development

Singaporean Real Estate Company Pours $177m Into Residential Project in D4

Singaporean property developer CapitaLand has announced that it is planning to build its latest residential development in Saigon's District 4.

in Tech

Foreign Websites Should Process Payments Locally for Ease of Tax Collection: Ministry

The Ministry of Finance has stated its desire to have foreign digital service providers such as Facebook and Google process payments through a Vietnam-based corporation.

in Tech

Did Bkav Actually Crack Apple iPhone X's Face ID a Week After Its Release?

A group of enterprising Vietnamese "hackers" recently claimed that they had managed to crack Apple's Face ID, the iPhone X's latest form of authentication.

in Architecture

German Architect Unveils Dramatic 'Sky Forest' Tower for Thu Thiem Peninsula

A prominent international architect has unveiled plans for a spectacular skyscraper on Saigon's Thu Thiem Peninsula.

in Health

After Typhoon Damrey, 150,000 Children in Vietnam Are at Risk of Malnutrition: UNICEF

Typhoon Damrey, which struck south-central Vietnam over a week ago, has left tens of thousands of children at risk of health issues, UNICEF reports.

in Architecture

[Photos] Phu Nhuan's Piet Mondrian-Inspired Tube House

With a touch of bright colors as accents, a local architecture firm managed to make this Saigon tube house stand out from its dull and rigid neighbors in the vicinity.

in Tech

Mai Linh to Launch Xe Ôm App Next Monday to Compete With Uber, Grab

Vietnam's on-demand ride-hailing market is about to gain a new competitor as Mai Linh has announced it will launch an app-based xe ôm service next week.

in Society

Meet Vietnam's First-Ever Female UN Peacekeeper in South Sudan

In just a few days, Vietnam’s first-ever female United Nations (UN) peacekeeper will depart from Hanoi for her mission in South Sudan.

in Society

Vietnam Drops 4 Places to 69th in Global Gender Gap Ranking

Despite having the most gender-diverse work environment in Asia, Vietnam is faring poorly when it comes to the gender gap, according to a new report.

in Tech

Saigon's First Apple iPhone X Sold at Record Price of VND68m

Apple fans in Vietnam might have to shell out dozens of million of dong to get their hands on a brand-new iPhone X.

in Tech

Google and Facebook Should Be Required to Establish Offices and Servers in Vietnam: Ministry

A bill drafted by the Ministry of Public Security that would require major tech companies like Google and Facebook to establish offices and servers within Vietnam has been met with staunch opposition....

in Environment

China Shutters 80,000 Factories as Part of Massive Crackdown on Pollution

To combat pollution, China has shut down more than 80,000 factories across the country.

in Architecture

[Photos] Warm Wood Tones Add a Comfortable Touch to This Nha Trang Abode

This rustic abode in Nha Trang blends a modern structure with traditional Vietnamese design accents to create a homey atmosphere for its dwellers.

in Tech

Vietnam's Home-Grown Internet Browser Coc Coc Hits 23m Users

Coc Coc, the Vietnamese-created internet browser, has grown rapidly since its launch in 2013, and now boasts 23 million users within Vietnam.

in Society

New Saigon Heat Coach Shakes up Team Roster Ahead of Next Season

Not many professional basketball coaches guide their team to a league title and then bolt to lead a new franchise on the other side of the planet.

in Health

New Study Shows Link Between Some Traditional Herbal Remedies and Liver Cancer

Some herbs that are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been linked to liver cancer across Asia.

in Development

Phu Quoc to Transform Old Airport Into New Urban Zone

The leadership of Phu Quoc has unveiled a plan to turn the island's old airport into a new urban area.