in Society

The Childhood of Côn Đảo's Baby Turtles Caught on Film

In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the local sea turtle population.

in Sports

Ward off Your Monday Blues by Joining Me on Beginners' Skateboard Night

Usually in life, niche topics are commonly associated with unpleasant stigmas and misunderstandings — skateboarding in Vietnam is no exception. Once, I admittedly was influenced by such one-sided assumptions.

in Environment

Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade

Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group. 

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree

What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the east, Hải Phòng proudly brandishes the name “the city of red phượng flowers.” Đà Lạt has too many flower varieties to choose just one, and settles for “the city of a thousand flowers.” Down south, Bến Tre’s abundance of coconut trees is famous nationwide. Ask any Saigoneer this question, and you’re likely to get one of two answers: chò nâu (dipterocarp) or me (tamarind).

in Environment

Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home

Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Their attention was focused upward. Following their gaze, I looked up, and froze.

in Environment

How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities

The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.

in Architecture

Keeping Cool in Thủ Đức With This Humble Abode’s Well-Ventilated Design

Thick multi-layer brick walls, shaded areas, water features, and natural ventilation allow this private home to stay cool amidst the city's stifling heat.

in Architecture

Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition

In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many official government structures constructed and designed in the style of modernist architecture. They were created with aesthetics and form in mind, laying the groundwork to usher in a new period of growth for Vietnamese creative independence.

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in Society

Vietnam Drank 1bn Liters of Beer in First 4 Months of 2016

Vietnam, one of the world's thirstiest countries, drank over 1 billion liters of beer in the first four months of 2016.

in Development

Hanoi's Fancy, New, Boring Street

Last weekend, Hanoi unveiled its first “model street”, on which all storefronts must follow strict aesthetic requirements.

in Development

[Video] The People of Hanoi's Forgotten River Island

As more and more economic opportunities come to Vietnam's cities so, too, do more and more people.

in Development

Riverfront Construction Could Raise Saigon's Inner City Temperatures: Expert

In a city whose temperatures are already sweltering on their own, Vinhomes' latest riverfront development may turn the heat up a few degrees for city residents.

in Development

Korean Company to Develop Tran Hung Dao's 'Golden Triangle'

Along with the dozens of other iconic locations scattered across downtown Saigon, that three-pointed sliver of land bordered by Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Hung Dao Streets will be getting ...

in Development

Canadian Firm to Invest $150m in New Solar Power Plant

Vietnam may be getting another solar power plant thanks to Canadian company CMX Renewable Energy Inc.

in Development

Japan to Invest $7bn in Mekong Region Over Next 3 Years

Japan is gearing up to invest US$7 billion into the Mekong region, spreading the funding across parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.

in Tech

Vietnamese Education Startup Receives $9m in Funding

Yet another Vietnamese education app is raking in the investment money, as tutoring service GotIt! recently announced US$9 million in seed and series A funding.

in Tech

Vietnamese, Korean Computer Scientists Invent Webcam Algorithm to Read Your Emotions

One day soon, your mobile game may be able to register your joy, anger and frustration thanks to a creepily accurate webcam algorithm.

in Tech

World Bank Enlists Grab and Uber to Create Open-Source Traffic-Monitoring Platform

Ever since apps like Grab and Uber came to the country, Vietnam's urban transportation has been turned upside down. On one hand, consumers are thrilled to be paying less for car rides in cities like H...

in Development

Work Begins on $4bn Hoi An Resort

Last Sunday, central Vietnam's Quang Nam province began its biggest development project to date.

in Tech

Thai Retailer Buys Zalora's Vietnam and Thailand Businesses

Earlier this week, Germany-based Rocket Internet announced the sale of its online retailer, Zalora, to Thai giant Central Group.

in Development

[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – The Soul of the City

Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of central Vietnam. Produced with the support of t...

in Society

You're Probably Spelling These Saigon Place Names Incorrectly

Several famous location names in Saigon are believed to be misspellings of their original monikers.

in Architecture

[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia Transforms Rest Stop Into Bamboo Oasis

Thirty kilometers from Hanoi, local architect and global sensation Vo Trong Nghia recently completed another project fashioned almost entirely out of bamboo.

in Tech

[Video] Driverless Pods May Hit Singapore's Streets by Year End

While we can't imagine testing a driverless vehicle in, say, Saigon traffic, the orderly streets of Singapore seem like the perfect place to give self-driving machinery a whirl.

in Architecture

[Photos] Put Your Mind at Ease in Saigon's Zen House

Embodying its name, every element of the Zen House revolves around harmony, mindfulness and originality, making this contemporary structure more a monastery than a home for the three Buddhist owners.

in Tech

The World Is Down to Fund Vietnamese Startups

In recent years, Vietnam's startups have proven their worth to both the local economy and the global community.

in Environment

[Video] Hanoi's Pollution Heading Toward Airmaggedon

Urban Vietnam is on a roll these days. What with a new crop of sky-high monuments on the horizon, a thriving startup economy and an ambitious set of plans for the future, cities across the countr...

in Development

[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – People in the City

Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of Central Vietnam. Produced with the su...