in Architecture

Inside Quảng Nam's School for Children From Ethnic Minorities, Designed by VTN Architects

Can a school protect against harsh climate conditions and foster productive academic and social activities in a sustainable and affordable way, while paying attention to the aesthetic values of the region?

Uyên Đỗ

in Society

On Finding Packaged Existential Relief at Saigon's Convenience Stores

When running away from life’s many grievances, I often find myself at the convenience store.

in Society

On Moving Posters and Saigon, the City of Constant Movements and Migration

Each time I stop at a traffic light or visit a street food vendor, I can’t help looking around at nearby utility poles and naked patches of wall that are full of posters advertising moving services.

Khôi Phạm

in Society

5 Iconic Teachers in Vietnam's Recent History Who Embody the Learning Spirit

Teachers are probably amongst the most influential figures in our lives, apart from our parents. Their roles are even more elevated in societies like Vietnam’s, where the remnants of Confucian principles are still present even today, placing teachers as figures of utmost authority in the classroom.

in Environment

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.

in Environment

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.

Back Society

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Crickets Are More Than Just Chirpy Reminders of Our Childhood

Cricket song. You read the words and immediately hear the chirping. That thrilling trill of strummed air. Humans have been hearing that quivering echo since we first came into existence. And over...

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Floating Rice, Lục Bình Baskets and Dried Fish: How WWF-Viet Nam is Helping Save the Mekong Delta

For much of the country, the word flood conjures images of cataclysmic destruction and death. But in the Mekong Delta, it means life.

Văn Tân

in Tech

The People Building a Virtual Vietnam in the Pixelated World of Minecraft

Minecraft is now a modern classic world-building game allowing players to construct elaborate buildings using isometric cubes. Thanks to this endless stream of materials, one can theoretically build a...

in Education

Mangrove Planting Efforts Expanded to Include Shrimp Farms in the Mekong Delta

Mangrove forests protect against floods and storms, offer homes for wild animals and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere which is essential for combating global climate change. First appearing d...

in Education

The Power of First Impressions at Australian International School Saigon

What is an Open Day? An opportunity for prospective families to view a school’s facilities, meet members of the teaching and leadership teams, and learn about curriculums, admissions and career paths?...

in Education

Why the European International School Community Is Best Experienced in Person

“I think we do fun very well here,” explains Jo Roberts, the Deputy Head of School at European International School (EIS) in Saigon.

Oliver Newman

in Parks & Rec

In Đà Nẵng, a Close-Knit Surfing Community Rides the Waves

Đà Nẵng does not feel like a surf town. The gaudy beachside nightclubs are a far cry from the bohemian vibes of Hawaii or San Diego, and the coastline is more synonymous with basket boats than surfboa...

in Sports

A Glimpse Into the Epic Underground Shows of Vietnam Pro Wrestling

Back in 2018, Saigon witnessed the birth of Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW), the first and only Pro Wrestlers in the whole of Vietnam, and a lot has changed since then.

in Education

AISA Games Come to Saigon

Australian International School, Saigon (AIS Saigon) is set to host students from Australian International Schools across Asia this November, for the highly anticipated AISA Games 2023. 

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk

Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trappe...

in Sports

Saigon Heat Wins Intracity Rivalry Over HCMC Wings, Closing Out VBA Regular Season

Families of fans filed into the “Fire Pan” on September 3, wearing red, white, and black jerseys. The atmosphere hums with anticipation.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Vignette: Local Ox Rampages Airport, Stops Flights, Gets Put in Museum in Huế

Name a famous buffalo.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Vignette: Behold Vietnam's Oldest Rock, a Memento Mori of Human Insignificance

While lamenting how long it had been since I’d last sent a postcard, a coworker at Saigoneer revealed that she is too young to have ever seen a stamp in person, let alone affixed one to a letter. The ...

in Parks & Rec

Tiny Tracks, Big Passion: Inside the Miniature World of Vietnam's Model Train Enthusiasts

“When you turn it on, the train is not only moving, but it can make sounds too. The sounds are so authentic that when I listen to it, I feel like I am sitting on a real train right now,” Minh Tú, a Sa...

in Architecture

A Delta Nest in Cao Lãnh Fit for a Solitary Poet

Who says a single person can't nest?

in Environment

Learning to Coexist in Peace Is the First Step to Protect Vietnam's Last Remaining Elephants

A trail of enormous footprints, criss-crossing slabs of cracked concrete, lead to a battered ranger station in Vietnam’s Pù Mát National Park. Park staff say the wild Asian elephant that left the trac...

in Education

Australian International School Welcomes New Executive Principal

“The world is interconnected, companies work across countries and continents. Education today, therefore, has to prepare students to be global citizens: team players and team leaders, quietly confiden...

in Health

For Trans Vietnamese, Healthcare Providers Are Respectful, but Red Tape Still Hurts

Vietnam has been increasingly progressive in protecting and promoting LGBT rights. In November 2015, Vietnam made a big milestone when it granted individuals who have changed their gender the right to...

in Education

La Petite Ecole’s French Curriculum Benefits Families Well Beyond Saigon’s French Community

  “When you learn a language, you don’t just learn the language, you learn new attitudes, ways of thinking, culture and history,” explains Aline Nguyen, the Principal of La Petite Ecole Ho Chi M...

in Education

Empowered Secondary Students Personalize Their Curriculum Pathway at the British International School

The amount of international schools available in Ho Chi Minh City seems to be outnumbered only by the many acronyms prospective families must memorize to make sense of the differences in curriculum an...