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.
Vietnam Has Over 12m Internal Migrants: Survey
According to a newly released survey, Vietnam now has over 12 million internal migrants.
Nha Trang Is Getting Vietnam's First Observatory Next Year
Tourists visiting Nha Trang next year will have a chance to visit Vietnam’s very first observatory on Hon Chong Island.
Here’s What Vietnam and the World Googled in 2016
By all accounts, 2016 has been a tough year. For evidence, look no further than Google’s search statistics.
Saigon Parents Are Renting Toys Instead of Buying Them
In today’s Saigon, parents no longer need to empty their wallets in purchasing new toys for their kids thanks to a budding market of toy rental services.
[Video] Saigon Wants to Build 5 Elevated Highways to Ease Traffic Congestion
Construction of an elevated road near Tan Son Nhat International Airport will be begin in 2017 as part of a grand scheme to build five new above-ground highways to ease Saigon's traffic congestion.
Even With Vingroup, Affordable Housing Will Remain a Challenge in 2017: Former Official
Shortly after the announcement of Vingroup’s new affordable housing brand, Vincity, another luxury real estate developer is entering the low-cost housing market.
Vietnam Aims to Provide Health Insurance for All HIV Patients in 2017
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health just announced a plan to provide health insurance to 100% of local HIV patients in the future.
[Video] This Vietnamese Bà Stands up for Marriage Equality
A Vietnamese grandma has won the internet by speaking out in support of marriage equality in Australia.
Here’s What Will Replace Saigon’s Historic Tax Center
Just a couple months after Saigon’s 136-year-old Tax Center met a sudden and untimely end, Japanese hotel firm Okura Nikko Hotel Management has announced a partnership with the southern hub’s Saigon T...
Honda Invests in Grab, Promising Driver Education and Bike Safety
On Monday, the ride-hailing app Grab announced a new partnership with Japanese auto firm Honda.
Local University Students Named Among World’s Best Coders
Students from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Science have been named among the world’s best coders, according to an American tech outfit.
Saigon Fines 74 Households for Failing to Take Preventive Steps Against Zika
As Zika spreads in Vietnam, local authorities are imposing stricter regulations and punishments in the name of public health.
Vietnam’s Overseas Remittances Now a Source of Business Investment
Once used primarily to support family members, overseas remittances in Vietnam are now being used to bolster economic endeavors in the country.
Southeast Asians Are Revolutionizing Social Media Shopping
Businesses in Southeast Asia are using social media sites to reach consumers as internet and smartphone usage rates in the region explode.
[Photos] Take a Tour of Hanoi’s Pint-Sized Architecture Studio
These days, every architecture firm in Vietnam is after pretty much the same thing: trying to bring light, air and more space to the country’s cramped urban buildings.
Vietnamese Students Rank Above US, EU in Global Science Assessment
We already know that Vietnamese students are exceptionally good test takers, but local high school pupils are really putting the rest of the world’s 15-year-olds to shame.
Vingroup Announces Countrywide Affordable Housing Project
Vietnam’s leading property developer, Vingroup, recently unveiled Vincity, a brand-new project aimed at providing affordable apartments in seven major cities and provinces throughout the country.
Hanoi’s Electrical Wiring Recognized Among World’s Worst by Engineering Magazine
One of Hanoi’s telltale tangles of black wires was recently named among the world’s worst electrical wiring systems by a British engineering publication.
As New Emission Standard Deadline Approaches, Vietnam May Not Be Ready
Even though Vietnam has already set a deadline to comply with European level 4 exhaust emission standards (Euro 4), whether the new legislation is feasible remains unclear.
Misconceptions Surround Sexual Harassment, Abuse in Vietnam: Survey
A recent ActionAid survey has uncovered troubling views on sexual harassment not only among Vietnamese men but also Vietnamese women.
