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.
[Video] How Vietnam's Northern Communities Are Gaining Access to Credit
A small microfinance outfit in northern Vietnam is making a huge impact on the local community.
Southeast Asia's Unsafe Air Costs Lives, National GDP
Around the globe, more than nine in 10 people are breathing polluted air, according to a recent study conducted by the World Health Organization (WHO).
Faced With Possible Sanctions, Vietnam Re-Assesses Rhino Horn Problem
Faced with the prospect of international sanctions as early as next year, Vietnam is reckoning with its rhino horn trafficking problem.
Saigon's Old Villas Fall to Demolition Epidemic
Due to the delay in creating a classification system for old mansions in Saigon, the city’s many old buildings are being knocked down at an alarming rate.
Vietnamese Men Among World’s Top Alcohol Consumers: WHO Survey
According to a recent survey, Vietnamese men are among the world’s top alcohol consumers.
[Photos] Let There Be Light: Architects Create Bright, Airy Hem House
Once again, a group of Saigon-based architects has risen above their peers and transformed a seemingly disadvantaged plot of land into a sight to behold: the Hem House.
Saigon Unveils Plan for New Bridge Connecting D2, D4
In the future, commuting between District 4 and District 2 will be much easier for local residents as Ho Chi Minh City authorities recently unveiled a plan to construct a bridge connecting the two dis...
Japanese Robots to Aid English Classes in Vietnam
These are exciting times for English-language learners in Vietnam, as a Japanese robotics company just signed a deal to provide the country with English-teaching robots.
In Vietnam, Human Migration Intensifies Effects of Climate Change
As Vietnam continues to grow, human migration patterns are exacerbating the effects of climate change in the country.
[Video] Local Architecture Students Use Traditional Papier-Mache to Create Cocoon Pavilion
Over the summer, architect Nguyen Hoa Hiep of a21 Studio – the firm behind Thu Duc’s M11 house and The Tent in Nha Trang – teamed up with local architecture students to create a cocoon-like pavilion i...
Hanoi to Get More Metro Funding, Hoan Kiem Station
Vietnam has secured additional funding for Hanoi’s first metro line as the government pushes to complete the project.
Guess Which Country Just Made the List of Top 10 Global Alcohol Consumers?
For young adults entering the Vietnamese workplace, drinking is sometimes an indispensable part of their career: if you can’t drink much, then drink a little. It’s common knowledge that drinking is ne...
Saigon Mulls Elevated Highway to Ease Congestion Around Tan Son Nhat
In an effort to alleviate traffic congestion around Tan Son Nhat International Airport, local authorities are considering a five-kilometer, six-ramp elevated highway system.
Yet Another Period of Sluggish Internet in Vietnam As AAG Cable Undergoes Maintenance
It looks like internet users in Vietnam will have to endure yet another bout of sluggish international connections as local telecom companies just announced that the country’s submarine cable is under...
Hanoian Lovebirds Hospitalized After Sex Using Plastic Bag Instead of Condom
A young couple in Hanoi put the “tough” in “tough love” recently when they were hospitalized after using a plastic bag instead of a condom during their passionate first love-making session.
Ho Tram Strip to Get Exclusive Airport for Resort and Casino
VIP guests will soon be able to travel to The Grand Ho Tram Strip faster than ever, as plans are in the works for the construction of a small airport to serve the five-star hotel and casino complex.
Facebook’s Removal of Iconic War Photograph Sparks Censorship Debate
Controversy over censorship by Facebook erupted last week after the social media giant removed a post featuring a famous picture from the American War.
[Photos] MIA Design Studio's Dream Office Erases Boundary Between Interior and Exterior
Located next to the Saigon River in Binh Thanh District, MIA Design Studio's office is simple, open and efficient.
Vietnamese Smoke $1.4b Worth of Cigarettes Yearly: Survey
A recent survey on global smoking habits revealed that Vietnam is home to approximately 15.6 million adult smokers, who consumed some US$1.39 billion worth of cigarettes last year alone.
Weightlifter Clinches Vietnam's First-Ever Paralympics Gold Medal, Breaks Own World Record
Exactly one month after military officer Hoang Xuan Vinh made history with Vietnam’s first and only Olympic gold medal currently, weightlifter Le Van Cong just snapped up the country’s first-ever gold...
