in Health

Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Charting the Flow of the Nhiêu Lộc Canal From Start to Historical Start

When I fall in love with an album, I seek out the artist's first mixtapes and demos. When I come to admire a poet, I hunt down their early poems and chapbooks. I even linger over the old highlight reels of my favorite football players' college games. Understanding where something starts allows me appreciate it more. So it is with the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè Canal.

Khôi Phạm

in Society

Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?

You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspects of the country could invite honest opinions that some of us might not be prepared to hear. Deep down, more than anybody else, we know that our air quality is subpar and our urban cleanliness leaves much to be desired, but our food is the one thing every Vietnamese can trust to make us proud. What easier way to foster diplomacy than to center the conversation around deliciousness?

in Architecture

In Hanoi, a Family Home Balances Commercial Hustle With Spiritual Haven

If many Vietnamese families often opt to reserve one room in their house plan for ancestor worship, this household in Hanoi decided to dedicate an entire backyard to their family altar.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

An Homage to the Mekong Delta and Its Bag-Wearing Fruits

Rats, mice, mosquitos, snakes, centipedes, caterpillars, snails, beetles and slugs: the more fertile a region is, the more pests inhabit it.

in Tech

Grindr Once Again Names Vietnam Amongst Nations With Highest Percentage of Bottoms

Started by Spotify, Unwrapped has become one of tech companies’ favorite marketing campaigns in recent years; LinkedIn, Duolingo, and even Vietnam’s own Zalo are amongst some revelers of this trend in recent years. Last year, gay dating app Grindr continued the tradition with their own annual insights, and Vietnam managed to claim a spot in the roundup.

in Environment

On the 12th Day of Christmas Saigoneer Gave to Me: 12 Birdcalls From Across Vietnam

Almost everywhere we go in the world, birdsong abounds.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Crickets Are More Than Just Chirpy Reminders of Our Childhood

Cricket song. You read the words and immediately hear the chirping. That thrilling trill of strummed air. Humans have been hearing that quivering echo since we first came into existence. And over time, we’ve attached a variety of meanings to it and the creature that makes it.

Back Society

in Society

Vietnam's Elderly Population Increases by 500,000 a Year

With its elderly population increasing by a half-million people each year, Vietnam is on the fast track to becoming an aged nation.

in Development

Vinhomes to Transform Ba Son Shipyard Into Mega Development

The first few renderings of Vinhomes' Ba Son complex construction have recently surfaced online, stirring hope for proponents of the mega development and sorrow for those who fear the loss of an ...

in Tech

Viettel Is Now Offering 4G...in Africa

If you're a Viettel user, we've got some good news: the military-run telecommunications provider is now offering 4G. The catch? It's in Burundi.

in Tech

Vietnamese-Made App Wins Top Prize at SXSW

The Vietnamese creators of English-language pronunciation app ELSA took home the top prize at SXSWedu's 2016 Launch Startup competition last week.

in Development

[Renderings] The Hamptons Are Coming to Ho Tram

Saigon city dwellers can soon look forward to a Hamptons-style holiday, as a Vietnamese rendition of the famed American destination is set to reach completion in 2018.

in Tech

500 Startups Launches $10m Microfund in Vietnam

As of last week, 500 Startups is open for business in Vietnam.

in Architecture

Studio8 Architects Win Contract to Design Khai Tower in PMH

After beating out 15 other competitors, local architecture firm Studio8 has won the contract to design District 7's newest ultra-modern office building.

in Development

Urban Vietnam Reckons With Its Air Quality Dilemma

There's a lot going on in the world of Vietnamese air quality these days. From Hanoi reaching Beijing-level pollution earlier this month to Saigon getting its first publicly accessible real-time air q...

in Development

Saigon Planning Underground City Beneath Ben Thanh Market

Ben Thanh Market, tourist shopping hub and icon of old Saigon, may one day have some competition beneath its feet.

in Development

A Vietnam-Laos Railway Could Be on the Horizon

Late last month, Deputy Minister of Transport Nguyen Ngoc Dong announced the launch of a feasibility study which will explore the possibility of a railway connecting Vientiane with coastal Vung Ang in...

in Development

[Video] Shanghai Tower Timelapse Packs 4 Years of Work Into 3 Minutes

When construction of China's Shanghai Tower began in 2009, filmmaker Joe Nafis made it his mission to capture the structure's rise above the rest of the city skyline.

in Society

Saigon Children's Shelter Struggles to Stay Open

Everyday is a new challenge for the Green Bamboo Warm Shelter, a non-governmental organization which assists former street boys aged eight to 16.

in Architecture

[Photos] Vietnam's Folded Roof House: The Epitome of Cool

Thirty kilometers northwest of Hanoi lies TOOB STUDIO's Folded Roof House, a two-story structure whose location away from the downtown urban center allows for a little more breathing room than th...

in Society

[Photos] Join Vietnam's Fanciest Gym for Just $24,000 a Year

Though it takes some willpower to get there, nothing beats a trip to the gym. You work out, you unwind in the sauna, you take advantage of the free shampoo, and by the time it's all over, you leave fe...

in Environment

Thailand Is Closing Its Controversial Tiger Temple

Thailand's controversial Tiger Temple is set to close down as a tourist attraction, as local authorities are now removing animals from the facility.

in Sports

Vietnam Is Getting a Pro Basketball League

For Vietnamese hoopsters, “a league of their own” will soon be more than just a movie starring Tom Hanks and Madonna.

in Development

Construction Begins on Hanoi-Sapa Highway Upgrade

On February 27, work began on an infrastructure project which will upgrade the existing roadway between Hanoi and Sapa.

in Development

[Photos] Vinhomes Central Park Rises From the Dust

While some of the city's construction projects are lagging – see, for instance, the skeletal riverside tower at the end of Ton Duc Thang – Vinhomes Central Park has breezed ahead, rising by the d...

in Tech

7 Young Vietnamese Make Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia Lists

Seven rising Vietnamese stars in media and business have earned a place on Forbes’ first-ever 30 Under 30 Asia list.

in Development

City Officials Approve Phase One Design of $2.4m Administrative Building

On February 27, city officials approved the design for phase one of Saigon's new administrative building.