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 trapped inside music boxes: the water hyacinth.

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 fashions I wore in high school have come full circle and are once again in style. New slang terms initially baffle and then enrage me. I read popular music festival fliers without recognizing a single name. 

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 Saigon-based model train aficionado, shares with me the satisfied feeling every time he gets a mini train to run.

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 tracks is as friendly as it is lonely.

in Parks & Rec

In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity and Gender Fluidity Too

“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by night, she joins her friends at the Soul Waackers, a waacking group based in Hanoi, and practices a dance style that allows her a vibrant way to self-express.

Back Society

in Sports

Boxer Nguyễn Thị Thu Nhi Becomes Vietnam's First WBO Belt Holder

In a heated bout that lasted all ten rounds, Nguyễn Thị Thu Nhi bested Etsuko Tada and walked away with the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title in the mini-flyweight division.

in Society

Spending Lockdown With Your Parents: Does Familiarity Breed Contempt?

The recent periods of social distancing have not only created opportunities for families to spend plenty of time together, but also created a lot of mental pressure when members scramble to find perso...

in Environment

Vietnamese Photographer Clinches 2nd Prize in UK Biology Photo Competition

Trương Hoài Vũ's 'Hòn Yến marine ecosystem' nabbed the honor of runner-up in the 2021 Royal Society of Biology’s photography competition in the Photographer of The Year category.

in Architecture

[Photos] The Little Son La House at the Base of the Hill

If children like your house design, you must be doing something right.

in Health

Vietnam Has Spent $1.3bn of State Budget on Fighting Coronavirus

It's been a costly battle so far.

in Architecture

Do Hanoi's Derelict Factories Have Cultural Values? Experts Believe So.

On October 21, Livable Hanoi (Vì Một Hà Nội Đáng Sống) is hosting a webinar to discuss the idea of repurposing Hanoi’s industrial factories into creative and cultural spaces.

Michael Tatarski

in Society

How Social ChangeMakers Brings People Together to Create a Better Future

In this pandemic era, sometimes we need a little help connecting with other people.

in Tech

Made-in-Vietnam Dating App Fika Secures $1.6m in Seed Funding

Created as a female-focused alternative to Tinder and Bumble, the dating app Fika recently got financial backing from international investors.

in Development

New Bridge Project Sparks Controversy Over 'Confusing' Indochina Design

Tran Hung Dao Bridge, an upcoming project across the Red River, has recently received mixed reviews around its Indochina-inspired design. 

in Sports

Ánh Viên, Vietnam's Most Decorated Swimmer, Wants to Resign From National Team

Citing a desire to spend more time with her family and a drop in her performance, Nguyễn Thị Ánh Viên reportedly reached the decision after returning from the Tokyo Olympics this past summer.&nbs...

Michael Tatarski

in Natural Selection

Chó: The Four National Breeds of Vietnamese Doggos

It’s an inarguable fact that dogs are the purest of animals.

in Architecture

[Photo] An Open-Air Cafe in Hoi An to Catch the Morning Sunlight

"I have nature and art and poetry, and if that is not enough, what is enough?” said renowned artist Vincent Willem van Gogh. Perhaps coffee should have been added to the list.

in Society

In Pre-Pandemic Central Vietnam, the Stages of Life Are in Full View Outside

The multiple stages of life are never far from view on the streets of Vietnam.

in Sports

[Video] The Fiery Spectacle of Vietnam's Professional Wrestling Scene

In skimpy shorts, menacing facepaint, and sometimes even impressive props, members of the Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW) club engage in energetic “battles” that incorporate flying acrobatics and dynamic ...

in Environment

Ná Nả: How a Grassroots Initiative Enriches the Lives of Ethnic Minorities

Khang A Tủa is attending university in Ho Chi Minh City, but he took the last semester off to run a project supporting people of the H’Mong ethnic minority.

in Tech

Vietnam Announces New App to Unify All Previous Covid-19 Apps

One app to rule them all.

in Tech

The Unexpected Lure of Watching Streamers Drive a Truck Across a Virtual Vietnam

As the months-long lockdown drags on — though with some light at the end of the tunnel — and with in-person programs being canceled or put on indefinite hiatus, demand for virtual entertainment has na...

Khôi Phạm

in Tech

Review: Vietnamese Indie Game 'Hoa' Is a Soothing Oasis in the Age of Anxiety

There is an exquisite but hard-to-name feeling that engulfs me every time I finish watching a particularly outstanding movie. It’s a lingering mixture of awe, fulfillment, wistfulness, anguish, contem...

in Society

In Lockdown, Saigoneers Draw Strength From an Unexpected Wealth of Support: Each Other

They largely didn't know each other, except for their flatmates. Then the COVID-19 outbreak began, and they got closer. They are now more accommodating, caring and loving.

in Society

How Hanoi Residents and Collectives Look out for the City's Most Vulnerable

“He was so happy to be given rice. And he didn’t have a smartphone or anything like that. I felt I had helped someone that really needed help, and I felt very happy about that.”