Lúa Ma, the Mekong's Ancient Wild Rice Varieties Holding Secrets to Climate Resilience
“It’s been so long I can barely remember. It’s delicious, fragrant, soft but not sticky,” says Trần Văn Lựa, 53, a farmer from Đồng Tháp Province, south-west Vietnam, recalling the taste of wild rice. As a child, he would harvest the grain during flood season, when wild rice flowers. Today, however, it is a rare sight.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cầy Mực, the Fluffy Bearcat Whose Pee Really Smells Like Popcorn
Vietnam is home to a diverse range of species, from the elusive sao la to Hanoi's pungently fragrant hoa sữa. As an ode to the wondrous nature of the country, we're introducing a new article series, Natural Selection. Each article will feature a species of plant or animal native to Vietnam — starting with the laidback cầy mực (binturong).
As Saltwater Intrudes More of Mekong Delta, Durian Farmers Struggle to Stay Afloat
Nguyễn Văn Quại, 63, walked slowly on the muddy dirt path in his yard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped beside a tree split in half, its branches dipping into the stagnant water of a narrow moat, and gestured towards the rest of his leafless crop — their trunks yellow, their bark cracked and brittle.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
On Vietnam's Internet, You're a Mom, I'm a Mom, Everyone Is a Mom
I am a mom. Well, not in the most conventional meaning of the word — I am childless, and it’s still biologically impossible for men to give birth the last time I checked, but for most of my existence on the Vietnamese cybersphere, I have been using the designation “mẹ” amongst my closest friends.
Khôi Phạm in Architecture
On Phú Quý Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement like Saigon, Cần Thơ or Mỹ Tho, how has this unique form of vernacular architectural expression been transformed?
Văn Tân in Architecture
An Homage to Courtyards, the Heart of Traditional Vietnamese Homes
This time of the year, the giáng hương tree in my grandma’s courtyard is probably blooming with clusters of golden blossoms, enticing the kids in the neighborhood to gather around it and carefully pick off the prettiest petals to create makeshift jewelry.
Mầm in Parks & Rec
The Young Vietnamese Artisans Breathing New Life Into Animals Carcasses
Skeletons and carcasses are often reminiscent of eerie, spine-chilling scenes in horror movies. But in the taxidermy community, animal corpses are of great value for artisans to create unique works that blur the line between life and death.
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 sắt vụn bán nào…” This familiar scene, no matter how nostalgic, might change soon.
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.
Brandon Coleman in Development
[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.
Lee Starnes in Development
[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.
[Photos] Da Nang: COASTAL City – Views From Above
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...
[Photos] A Farewell to Saigon's War-Era Water Towers
Saigon Water Company (Sawaco) is drawing up plans to destroy seven of the eight large war-era water towers scattered across the city.
Behind the Cover: 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' to Hit Bookshelves Next Month
Next month, German editor Michael Waibel will release Da Nang: COASTAL City, the third in a series of large-format photo books dedicated to documenting the development and vibrancy of Vietnam. In conj...
Vinhomes to Build Ha Long Complex Full of Shophouses
Ha Long Bay is about to get its first urban development, courtesy of Vinhomes.
