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.
MobiFone's 4G Users Unimpressed by New Service
The recent rollout of MobiFone’s 4G trial service left much to be desired as early subscribers reported choppy reception and a hefty price tag.
Heart Disease on the Rise Among Young Urban Vietnamese: Experts
Young Vietnamese city dwellers are increasingly at risk of heart disease, according to local health officials.
Hanoi Approves Controversial Hoan Kiem Hotel Project
Hanoians will soon see a new hotel overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, and not everyone is happy about it.
Vietnamese Spend 3 Working Days a Week Online: Report
On average, Vietnamese internet users spend over 24 hours a week online.
Quang Tri Considers Another Solar Power Plant
Not long after breaking ground on its first solar power facility, Quang Tri province is considering another sun-powered clean energy plant.
[Video] Nghe An Man Builds Helicopter From Car Parts
Some people enjoy reading in their spare time; others enjoy a good game of cards, a walk in the park or an evening nhậu. Fifty-year-old Le Van Thoa is none of those people.
UNDP Urges Greener Aviation Industry in Vietnam
At a consultation workshop held last May, the UN Development Program (UNDP) urged Vietnam’s civil aviation sector to step up green measures in order to achieve global goals in reducing the aviation in...
The Mystery Behind Vietnam’s Top-Notch Test Takers
A recent paper by the World Bank has managed to provide at least some insight into Vietnamese students’ notably high academic performance.
[Photos] Life in a Saigon Tube House
If you think your living conditions are cramped, you haven’t been to Nguyen Phi Vu’s house.
[Photos] Losing Ground: Binh Thuan Village Swallowed by Sea
In the small village of Tien Duc perched on Vietnam’s south-central coast, over 300 homes have been swallowed by rising seas.
Officials Push for Long Thanh Airport Construction to Start in 2019
Deputy Prime Minister Trinh Dinh Dung has called upon the Ministry of Transport to begin construction of the long-awaited Long Thanh Airport by 2019 at the latest.
[Photos] Vietnam’s Police Officers Get Flashy New Uniforms
If you haven’t been pulled over in the last month or so, you may not have noticed the new threads on many of Vietnam’s police units.
Saigon Students Win National Contest With Water Leak App
Students from the Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology took home the top prize last week at the Swedish embassy’s Smart Water Innovation Contest in Hanoi for an app that maps leaks in the city’s ...
Ministry of Transport Needs $10.58bn to Build Cross-Country Highway
Vietnam’s Ministry of Transport is seeking VND235.95 trillion (US$10.58 billion) for the completion of a cross-country highway that would run from Hanoi to Can Tho.
Khoi Pham in Tech
Busted: A 3D Printing Adventure in Saigon
My journey with 3D printing begins with me mishearing “bust” as “butt.”
[Video] University Lecturer Lights up Hanoi Slums With Clean Energy
On the banks of the Red River, one Hanoian professor is bringing clean energy to some of the capital's most vulnerable residents.
Vietnam to Get FASTER Internet Connection
Internet users in Vietnam will soon be able to enjoy the swift connection speed provided by FASTER, the speediest undersea internet cable in the world.
Saigon Seeks $376m for Elevated Monorail Project
Saigon's municipal authorities are seeking national aid for a VND8.4 trillion (US$376.5 million) elevated monorail.
[Video] Young Engineers Push Hanoi's Tech Startup Scene
While cities like Singapore have dedicated a great deal of money toward incubating its tech startup scene, some enterprising young Hanoians have began to lay the foundations without any outside fundin...
Teenagers Account for 70% of Vietnam's 'Secret Abortions'
A new survey conducted by Vietnam’s General Statistics Office reveals that 70% of the country’s "secret abortions" involve teenagers aged 13 to 19.
