As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding
In April 2023, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high water.
Khôi Phạm in Environment
What I Talk About When I Talk About Vietnam's Penguin Trashcans
Compared to the average Vietnamese, I might be thinking about trashcans a smidgen too much — not just any trashcan, but the infamous penguin-shaped trashcans that are ubiquitous at every corner of our public spaces.
Linh Phạm in Parks & Rec
House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body
I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — three dance studios.
Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants
With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.
How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media
Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial online space to connect local netizens.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta
The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under construction during our August visit. Gargantuan machines for laying pulverized gravel inched aside to let our 7-seater pass so we could reach the home of Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy to check in on her small fish drying home business.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity
In the Vietnamese language, the word “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will. Chó cỏ is the general term for the adorable mutts, usually mixes between Vietnam’s native dog species, born without the prestige of named breeds, while gym cỏ and net cỏ denote the casual gyms and internet cafes in one’s neighborhood. In the same vein of logic, may I put forth a new name for a special genre of Vietnamese fruits: trái cỏ?
How Vietnamese Architecture Adopted Modernism and Made It Our Own
Ask a person on the street what Vietnam’s distinctive style of architecture is, and the answer you get might be traditional architecture, like the historic curves of northern Vietnam’s village temples or the ornate regality of Nguyễn-Dynasty palaces. This time-honored style is widely accepted as the hallmark of Vietnam’s cultural wealth. What’s more fascinating but lesser-known is how this cultural vestige — which distinguished our architecture from that of China and Japan — has also managed to evolve in the new age, finding ways to exist right in the middle of our modern lifetime.
Project X at SSIS: Innovative Learning in Action
A marble clinks down a shoot and knocks over a row of books that jostles paint-smeared brushes across a canvas before tumbling down a series of dominoes that release a wedge from beneath the wheel of ...
Portrait of a Saigon Student Preparing for an International University
In many ways, Minh Ha Nguyen is an average Vietnamese teenager - she frequents milk tea shops, strums her guitar in her downtime and loves to meet up with friends at streetside stands.
Trung Nguyen Is Building a 'Coffee City' in Dak Lak
Will there be housing discounts for coffee fans?
Buying Facebook User Data in Vietnam Is as Easy as Shopping for Clothes
People’s full names, phone numbers, email and home addresses, interests and habits, as gleaned from Facebook accounts, have long been sold in Vietnam before Facebook's data leak scandal.
New Report Paints Grim Picture of Gender Inequality in Vietnam's Work Environment
The research, conducted by Financial Times Confidential Research, surveyed 5,000 urban respondents in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
[Photos] Da Nang Architects Transform Old Furniture Workshop Into Airy Abode
Instead of demolishing their old home and building a new structure on top of it, a business in Da Nang decided to keep the house’s frame and give it a makeover instead.
[Video] The Story of Saigon’s Oldest Film Camera Repairman
Some might think that analog photography is the stuff of the past given the advent of digital cameras and smartphones, but there is still a modest population – including both newcomers and veterans – ...
Inspired by Dubai, Da Nang Plans to Develop an Urban Area Along the City's Bay
Officials hope the move will achieve a success similar to that of Dubai.
Notorious Vietnamese Wildlife Smuggler Sentenced to 13 Months in Prison
Nguyen Mau Chien, a kingpin in the illegal rhino horn, elephant ivory, pangolin and tiger trade was given 13 months in prison.
[Video] Meet the Mossy Frog, Vietnam's Most Adorable Master of Disguise
The limestone karst forests in Vietnam’s northern provinces are the gifts that keep on giving.
[Photos] Saigon's 'Tree Building' Shields Occupants From Summer Heat
A new Saigon office building relies on a gorgeous double-skin facade build with glass and greenery to reduce noise and cooling costs.
Meet Ho Nhat Ha, the Man Who Walked the Length of Vietnam With No Money
You might have seen him, had you been anywhere between Saigon and Ha Giang in the last four months. The proud owner of a guitar and a 100-watt smile, the simple fact is Ho Nhat Ha would have been hard...
[Photos] This Bien Hoa House Is a Sleek Fusion of the Past and the Future
The future looks incredible for Vietnamese architecture.
Tuan Chau Group Wants to Build Massive 'Mega Resort' in Vung Tau
The proposed Vung Tau Marina City will include an amusement park, movie theater, performance center, high-end apartments, villas, and luxury restaurants. It will accommodate 7,500 residents and 12,000...
Saigon's Landmark 81 to Finish in 2018, Becoming Vietnam's Tallest Skyscraper
Vietnam’s construction industry is reaching new heights with the skyscraper project Landmark 81.
Vietnam Launches First Public Satellite Image Database, 'Data Cube'
The system, a result of a joint effort of the Vietnam National Space Center (VNSC) and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), has been in development since 2017.
Amid Climate Change Threats, a Strain of Asian 'Floating Rice' Might Hold the Answer
As Southeast Asian countries struggle to adapt to the mounting challenges brought about by climate change, a potential solution has "floated" to the surface.
Much to Chagrin of Citizens, Bird Nest Farms Thrive in Mekong Delta
Officials find little success in easing the nuisances associated with the booming bird nest farming industry across southern Vietnam.
Vietnam to Build $5bn, 139km High-Speed Railway From Saigon to Can Tho
Once the high-speed railway is finished, it will only take 45 minutes to travel from Saigon to Can Tho.
[Photos] Hiding From the Clamor of Hanoi in a Serene Retreat up High
Atelier 12’s new apartment redesign attempts to answer the question, “how you can live horizontally with only one direction of daylight?"
