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.
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.
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).
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.
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.
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.
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.
As Drought Continues, Mekong Climate Refugees Leave Home
It's no secret that the Mekong Delta is in dire straits. Between hydroelectric dams, drought, sinking land and the region's ever-increasing salinization, farmers in the west are facing heavy losses th...
China Slides 100-Year-Old Building to New Home
China never ceases to exceed our expectations when it comes to buildings. From monster bridge-building machines to the 19-day construction of a 57-story skyscraper to 3D printing a mansion, ...
High School Students Build All-Terrain Wheelchair
Vietnam is not particularly well set-up for handicapped people. With broken sidewalks and uneven terrain even in the most developed cities, getting around can be a challenge for those who are wheelcha...
[Photos] Meet District 2's Floating House
Bringing the concept of a flood-proof nhà sàn – the wooden stilt house most often seen in rural Vietnam – to Saigon's sinking terrain, local outfit Nha Dan Architects managed to create a contempo...
Clean Up Vietnam: Changing the Conversation
There has been much ado in recent years about Vietnam’s garbage problem. From the beaches of Phu Quoc to the forests of the Central Highlands, trash is omnipresent and impossible to ignore. To th...
Meet Ex4U, the Taiwanese Electric Car Coming to Vietnam
A two-seater electric car may soon hit the streets of Vietnam.
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – Architecture and Housing
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...
Sawaco to Build 6 Underground Reservoirs in Saigon
In an effort to protect the southern hub from drought, Saigon Water Company (Sawaco) is working with municipal authorities to create six underground water reservoirs.
Cambodia's Tigers Are 'Functionally Extinct'
Cambodia's tiger population is now “functionally extinct”, according to experts.
[Photos] Saigon Architects Create Charming D7 Wood-and-Concrete Row House
In the last few years, Saigon's architects have come up with some impressive contemporary touches for the city's traditional row houses. Whether adding web-like coverings or a collage o...
Vietnam Could Have Most Cancer Cases Worldwide by 2020: Expert
Registering firmly in the realm of not-so-great news, one expert is estimating Vietnam could have the most cancer cases in the world by 2020.
[Photos] On the Move: Saigon's Changing Transportation
Once the domain of bicycles, Saigon's narrow roads have become jam-packed over the last two decades with increasingly modern vehicles. Following a boom of motorbikes in the 1990s – first described to ...
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – Change Over Time
The coastal city of Da Nang has undergone a massive transformation in the past 25 years and has developed from a gateway station to a destination in its own right throughout this dynamic process.
[Photos] Da Lat Architects Transform Abandoned House With Transparent Skin
After 20 years of abandonment, this crumbling, countryside Da Lat house was in rough shape. However its owner, whose father had built the structure himself, still had fond memories of the long-empty h...
Ministry of Health Confirms First 2 Zika Cases in Vietnam
Earlier this morning, Ministry of Health officials confirmed Vietnam's first two cases of the Zika virus.
[Photos] Vinhomes Unveils Golden River, Its Ba Son Development
If you've recently driven along District 1's Ton Duc Thang recently, chances are you've seen the large, glass-front building going up on the corner of Nguyen Huu Canh Street.
[Photos] Saigon's D7 House: Where Natural Elements and Contemporary Design Intersect
Combining a narrow space with bright, natural elements and clean, contemporary design might seem a challenge but not for District 7's NA House.
[Video] Meet the Vietnamese Engineer Developing Google's Artificial Intelligence
Next time you ask Google for directions or run an image search, thank Le Viet Quoc.
[Photos] Tracking Saigon’s Development From Its Rooftops
Over the past decade, Saigon has transformed almost beyond recognition.
You Can Now Print a 3D Bust of Yourself in Saigon Because Why Not
In the realm of things you never knew you needed but cannot live without, we introduce to you the 3D-printed bust.
