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 Development

[Photos] Future Hanoi: Vietinbank Tower

Though its construction has slowed recently, Hanoi is expecting a pair of fancy new V-shaped skyscrapers in future.

in Tech

Saigon Begins Testing 4G Service

On the heels of rival company Viettel's trial run in Vung Tau, Vinaphone has begun testing its 4G service in Saigon and Phu Quoc.

in Development

Mekong Delta Farmers Are Using Cement to Fertilize Their Fields

Much to the alarm of local scientists and officials, rice farmers in the Mekong Delta have discovered a nifty new fertilizer: cement.

in Development

Nha Trang Is Selling Its Old Downtown Airport for $540m

The massive former US airbase located in downtown Nha Trang is set to become a mixed-used shopping development, Khanh Hoa authorities announced on Monday.

in Tech

Flappy Bird Earns Guinness World Record

Flappy Bird's Nguyen Ha Dong, the guy who created a viral mobile game, earned US$50,000 a day in advertising and later received death threats for removing his highly addictive game from Appl...

in Development

Tan Son Nhat Gets Updated Int'l Terminal, Long Thanh Gets Delayed

In an effort to catch up with other major national airports, Tan Son Nhat's international terminal is getting a new addition.

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside District 1's Coolest Kindergarten

Hidden down a quiet street in District 1's Tan Dinh Ward, Chuon Chuon Kim is one cool kindergarten.

in Environment

Unchecked Pollution is Threatening Southeast Asia's Environment, Economies

Like much of Southeast Asia, Vietnam is a very different place today than it was in 1990. New economic policies, increased development and modernization have transformed the country in many ways, but&...

in Health

Vietnam's Abortion Dilemma

While a new draft population law could update Vietnam's regulations on family planning and population control, the country's true challenge lies in addressing the root causes of its sky-high abortion ...

in Development

The Lowdown on Vietnam's Uber-Confusing Car Taxes

To put it mildly, Saigon has a complicated relationship with cars. For two-wheeled drivers, the gas-guzzling road beasts are at best an inconvenience, while their fellow four-wheeled friends are more ...

in Tech

Vietnam, Asian Nations to Launch Satellite Network to Track Natural Disasters

Over the last year, Southeast Asia's weather patterns have been fickle to say the least. One minute, the streets of Saigon are disappearing under water, the next we're facing a months-long drought. In...

in Development

Nha Trang Is Getting an Oddly Shaped New High-Rise

Next time you're in Nha Trang, keep your eyes peeled for a new addition to the city skyline.

in Tech

40 Years Later, Vietnam Begins Identifying Its War Dead

Martyr cemeteries are a common occurrence across Vietnam. In countless communes in every province, modest gravestones mark the resting places of Vietnam's fallen soldiers in neat, orderly rows. T...

in Health

Dengue Vaccine Gets Green Light As Cases Soar in Central Vietnam

In the midst of a dangerous dengue epidemic in south-central Vietnam, medical professionals are giving the go-ahead to a preventive vaccine for the deadly virus.

in Development

New 30km Overpass to Link Saigon With Mekong Delta

In the midst of its usual traffic woes, Saigon may be getting glimmer of hope in a 30-kilometer flyover project, which will help to alleviate traffic on the notoriously busy Highway 1A.

in Sports

Vietnam Hopes to Send 15 Athletes to Rio Olympics in 2016

As the 2016 Summer Olympics approach, Vietnam has high hopes for its athletes.

in Architecture

[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia Adds Bamboo Buildings to Five-Star Da Nang Resort

As if its stunning day spa – modeled after the hanging gardens of Babylon – wasn't enough, Da Nang's five-star Naman Retreat just got an impressive upgrade.

in Development

The Demise of the Mekong Delta

When it comes to climate change, there's no shortage of bad news these days. On the one hand, Saigon is facing its longest drought in 60 years; on the other, several Vietnamese cities may be unde...

in Tech

Homegrown Ride-Sharing App Launches in Vietnam

As traffic in Vietnamese cities continues to get worse, one group of local graduates is using the power of technology to help alleviate the influx of motorbikes on Saigon's streets.

in Development

Da Nang Theme Park Unveils Flashy New Monorail

Between the Disneyland-esque entertainment complex planned for Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc's ever-increasing number of larger-than-life attractions, Vietnam seems to have a thing for amusement parks...