Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment
People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
Phạm Phú Vinh in Architecture
Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People
In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm. It not only represents the Vietnamese architectural identity in post-colonial eras, but also exemplifies its cultural autonomy.
Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project
Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
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.
[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia's 'Bamboo House' Is a Green Oasis in Sweltering Saigon
The latest addition to Vo Trong Nghia Architects’ "House for Trees" series is a fusion between bamboo and a typical Saigon tube house.
Spotify Likely to Expand to Thailand and Vietnam This Year
It appears likely that Spotify, the popular Swedish music streaming service, will expand to Vietnam and Thailand this year.
Historic Maison du Combattant to Be Replaced by Mixed-Used Complex
Two years after the real estate giant Tan Hoang Minh won the bid for Saigon's "gold land" property at 23 Le Duan, the former Maison du Combattant will finally meet the bulldozer this fall.
Vietnamese Startup VNG Reaches for Country's First IPO Abroad
Vietnamese startup VNG Corp. has signed a memorandum of understanding to list on New York's Nasdaq Stock Exchange.
