Đuông Dừa, the Mekong Delta's Unique Squishy Snack and Enemy of Coconut Trees
Towards the deep end of our home, several coconut trees’ fronds started browning and falling off, straight from the bud. For the last few weeks, tiny holes have gradually appeared on the coconut trunk and shoot, from a few to numerous, giving off an unpleasant funk of rotten sap. My dad says that these trees are infested with đuông, and we must chop them all down lest we lose the entire grove.
Oliver Newman in Society
Chạm Vào Xanh, the Social Enterprise Normalizing Joy for People With Disabilities
Hồng’s parents took her out of school in Grade 5. They weren’t facing financial issues, her grades weren’t bad and she had no behavioral setbacks. It was just because she has cerebral palsy.
Đàng Trong Cafe Marries Gò Công's Nhà 3 Gian Design With Modern Cafe
Major metropolises like Saigon and Hanoi might boast the most concentrated distributions of coffee shops in Vietnam, but a new crop of fresh faces in other up-and-coming towns have emerged in the scene, offering sterling brews, spacious seats, and, in some cases, delightful interior design that blends modern cafe conventions with uniquely local flairs.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
A Folk Symbol and Cash Animal, King Cobras Just Really Want to Be Left Alone
The king cobra, or rắn hổ mang chúa in Vietnamese, has great personal branding. For proof, one need look no further than the recent flower display on Nguyễn Huệ celebrating the Year of the Snake: the largest, most impressive statue bore the telltale hood of a cobra.
How You Can Think and Live Sustainably
Frequently touted as environmentally friendly options that help preserve the planet, cotton tote bags require so much energy and freshwater to produce that you must use one at least 7,000 times to make it an effective alternative to plastic bags. Finding out that purchases, habits, and initiatives you thought were good for the planet, such as using tote bags, are in fact not likely to help our current climate crisis can be disheartening. Recognizing how the sustainability movement is rife with performative acts, corporate greenwashing and good intentions thwarted by misinformation threatens to discourage people from the entire concept.
Paul Christiansen in Sports
Adding Billiards to Saigon's Pantheon of Pastimes
The clink of cue sticks on eight-ball muffling the clank of whisky glass ice cubes and the slap of cards as boozehounds hide their addictions in the shadows of sport and hobby? Dense plumes of Bastos smoke obscuring illicit activities and immoral affairs? Are Saigon's pool halls the seedy dens of patriarchal indulgence their reputation and pop culture representations suggest?
Khôi Phạm in Society
In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another
The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She’s worried, but mom assured her that she would be okay, because she is special.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
The Role of Sand Batteries in Responding to the Climate Change Crisis
How does a sand battery work?
Linh Pham 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 — t...
Alleged SEA Games Branding Designs Draw Criticism for Numerous Typos
The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), set to take place in two months, have faced a number of hurdles since it was announced years ago.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: 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, disease...
Photography Project Shows Hanoi Through the Eyes of Migrant Workers
Some came from the mountains, some were born near the sea — all have come to Hanoi to make a living. They are the migrant workers of this city, yet to them Hanoi is more than just a place to work. Thr...
Enormous 'City Within a City' Planned for An Phú, Thủ Đức City
It will feature a wide range of building styles and features.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
[Photos] A Peaceful House by the Lake in Cổ Đông, Hanoi
This family home outside Hanoi proves that it is possible to build inside nature without destroying it in the process.
Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?
Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát ...
Health Ministry Proposes International Entry Without Vaccination Proof
Vietnam is expected to resume international tourism tomorrow.
After Years of Delay, Operating Company of Saigon's 1st Metro Line Is Broke
Years of delay, which has been further compounded by the extended pandemic, have depleted the funding for Saigon Metro's operator.
Four Designs for New Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge Up for Voting
Throughout the month of March, Hanoians can see and vote on four design options for the new Trần Hưng Đạo Bridge before the city makes a final decision.
Ever Wonder What Happens to Your Plastic Bags? Ask Vietnam's Ve Chai Army.
Lacking an effective official scheme, Hanoi relies on an army of informal workers to recycle its waste — a situation that hasn't changed over the last four decades.
[Photos] A Non-Traditional Residence Inspired by Traditional Village Homes
With dedicated spaces for yoga and various exercises, the Red Cave's color and structure stand out amid the tube houses and international-style mansions in Saigon.
Vietnamese Studio Builds First Electric Batmobile for $25,000
The Tumbler — the Batmobile in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight — has been recreated by 23-year-old artist and architect Nguyễn Đắc Chung and his team at Macro Studios.
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Cầy Vằn Bắc: Caught in the Crossfire of the Cà Phê Chồn Industry
While Saigoneer’s Natural Selection series has already covered a number of iconic species and types of animals, including the tiger, Asian elephant, dogs and cats, there’s a good chance most of the pe...
Vietnam's Virtual YouTubers and the Surprising Bond of Anonymous Friendship
Vtubers have been taking the global streaming industry by storm for several years now, with millions of fans that span the globe, even in Vietnam. Yet despite this obvious popularity, local Vtubers ca...
US Investors Reportedly Eye Disneyland, Universal Studios in Vietnam
A group of American investors expressed interests in to building a Disneyland in Saigon, a Universal Studios in Hanoi and a SeaWorld in Khánh Hòa Province.
Vĩnh Long's Rich Architectural Heritage Tells Stories of Taste, Time, and Turbulence
Vĩnh Long is a land of rich historical values located in the Mekong Delta. Here, generations of residents from diverse cultural backgrounds have been living, working, and interacting across key milest...
From Silicone and Clay, a Hanoi Duo Craft Intricate Cosmetic Prostheses
“The products we make are fake arms, legs, noses, ears…from silicone. The value we create is emotional healing, giving our customers confidence in themselves and their lives — the things they lack aft...
The Greater Mekong's Primates Are Under Threat, but All Hope Is Not Lost
A recent report from the WWF has highlighted ongoing threats to the Greater Mekong's wondrous, but shrinking, bounty of unique primates, as well efforts to bring these amazing creatures back from the ...
