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.
[Photos] Backyard Atrium Brings Radiance Into This Saigon Tube House
A back-of-house atrium and a well-designed staircase help to optimize natural lighting and ventilation in this Phu Nhuan tube house.
Vietnam’s First Professional MMA Fighter to Make Professional Debut in August
This August, Vietnam’s first professional mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter will make his debut.
Vietnam's Gender Imbalance to Have Major Consequences by 2050: Report
As the United Nation’s World Population Day approaches on July 11, Vietnam must face its ongoing struggle with gender imbalance throughout its population.
[Photos] Thuan Kieu Plaza Receives Makeover, May Open Again This September
One of Saigon’s most iconic landmarks of the early 2000s – Thuan Kieu Plaza – is receiving a makeover.
Hanoi's Traditional Chicken Feather Duster Vendors Feel Pain of Mass-Produced Competition
Cheap, mass-produced dusters are putting Hanoi's traditional chicken feather duster vendors under financial pressure.
Vietnamese Architects Clinch Awards for 'Most Friendly and Inclusive Designs'
The International Union of Architects (UIA) announced the winners of the 2017 edition of the “Friendly and Inclusive Spaces Awards,” with Vietnamese firms Vo Trong Nghia Architects and H&P Architects ...
Cyber Security Breach Exposes 66,000 Vietnamese Personal Accounts
Approximately 66,000 Vietnamese Facebook, Gmail and Yahoo accounts have been stolen in a newly discovered cyber heist, experts recently revealed.
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] The Last Vestiges of Saigon's Natural Landscape in District 2
On the eastern edge of District 2’s An Phu lies one of the last vestiges of Saigon's wilderness, a shrinking area that is slowly being chipped away for new infrastructure projects and dense developmen...
Saigon Welcomes New LGBT-Friendly Health Care Service
Vietnam is inching toward a more gender-inclusive society with a new LGBT-friendly health center.
Binh Thanh Debuts New App to Help Residents Report Legal Violations
An app which lets residents of Binh Thanh District submit legal violations to local authorities has been successful in a pilot run.
The Battle Is on to Save Cambodia's 'New Khmer Architecture' Legacy
Much of Cambodia’s most impressive and culturally rich architecture is under threat of demolition or ruin as Cambodia’s upcoming generation faces a new kind of war: the battle to preserve Cambodia’s c...
Work Set to Resume on Saigon's Largest 'Ghost Tower'
Saigon's most prominent unfinished skyscraper is finally set for completion thanks to a new investor.
Child Labor to Surge in Vietnam Due to Climate Change: Experts
As climate change wreaks havoc on Vietnam, more children will be forced to work from an early age, experts say.
Out and About in Binh Thanh's Budding Japan Town
Only a ten-minute ride away from Saigon's established Little Tokyo, another Japanese neighborhood is in the making in Binh Thanh District — and it's a whole world apart.
[Photos] Saigon Architects Create Zen In a Tube House
This tube house in suburban Saigon looks ike a residential structure, a spa and a Buddhist retreat rolled into one.
Hanoi Runner Becomes 1st Vietnamese to Complete Everest Marathon
A Hanoi native recently became the first Vietnamese national to complete the Everest Marathon in Nepal.
Inside Tan Son Nhat's Massive Golf Course
Tan Son Nhat Golf Course, located on the grounds of Saigon's international airport, has come under increased scrutiny recently as airlines have run out of space to park their planes.
[Video] A Virtual Tour of Saigon's Ben Thanh, Opera House and Ba Son Metro Stations
Ever wonder what Saigon’s future underground metro stations will look like?
Brian Letwin in Society
[Photos] This Binh Duong Warehouse Is a Treasure Trove of Vietnam's Automotive Heritage
In a dusty Binh Duong warehouse lies one of the world’s largest collections of Citroën Traction Avants, a car commonly associated with Vietnam’s late colonial era. One might hazard a guess that the co...
[Photos] Take a Tour of the Thu Thiem New Urban Area From Above
Two decades after being approved for development, the Thu Thiem Peninsula is slowly taking shape as one of Saigon’s major future urban areas.
