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.
Viettel Invests $50m in Fiber-Optic Internet Sea Cable
In an effort to bring stronger internet connections to Vietnam, telecommunications giant Viettel recently sunk US$50 million into the forthcoming AAE-1 fiber-optic sea cable.
[Photos] Saigon Architects Create 3-in-1 House on Bizarrely Shaped Plot of Land
Saigon’s weirdly shaped land plots once again give rise to a unique design in the 3 Houses project, where geometric shapes create a perfect balance between exterior and interior spaces.
[Photos] Inside the Lives of Saigon's Sewer Workers
Many Saigoneers dread the city’s rainy season as it inconveniences our commute to work and douses Saigon’s vibrant colors in dreary wetness. However, not many are aware of the hardship it poses for so...
dumbOt: An Engineering Student's Quest to Bring Robotics to the People
Before graduating from high school, Nguyen Phuong Duy had already done more than most of his peers.
[Photos] New Golden River Renderings Show Saigon Waterfront's Future
The historic Ba Son Shipyard and its colonial warehouses have officially been wiped off the map, leaving Vinhomes with a blank canvas for its massive Golden River development. Recently, the real estat...
Cho Lon's Binh Tay Market May Be Getting a Makeover
Saigon city officials are mulling a VND122 billion (US$5.35 million) project to fully revamp Binh Tay, the 88-year-old market in the heart of District 6’s Chinatown.
Hanoi Requests $14bn to Rebuild 10 Aging Apartment Buildings
Hanoi's government is seeking over US$14 billion in investment to renovate and rebuild 10 old apartment buildings.
[Photos] Form and Function: Dong Nai's LT House
In Dong Nai province's residential Long Thanh District, the LT House is a modest dwelling where form and function come together to create a practical and aesthetically pleasing space out of simple mat...
Saigon to Build $672m, 9.5km Overpass From Airport to Downtown
In an effort to decrease traffic congestion near Tan Son Nhat International Airport, city officials are considering the construction of a VND15 trillion (US$672.6 million) overpass.
China Now Home to World's Most Powerful Homemade Supercomputer
Recent supercomputer rankings have revealed that China not only continues to top this list but is now doing so with 100% domestic technology.
The Story Behind Saigon’s ‘Death’ Projects
A number of large, high-end projects in Saigon have long been stalled, their skeletons constant reminders of the city’s speculative real estate market.
Saigon Housing Is About to Get the Japanese Treatment
As early as next year, middle-class residents in the southern hub will be getting “Japan quality” housing.
Saigon to Demolish Old Apartment Buildings, Construct New Low-Income Housing
With a new set of politicians in office, Saigon's urban housing will see some changes in the coming year.
Hanoi to Get 1m New Trees, 5 World-Class Public Parks
If all goes to plan, Hanoi will be getting considerably greener in the next five years.
Vietnam Could Get a North-South High-Speed Railway
Though it won't be happening any time soon, Vietnam may one day have a high-speed railway line that runs the length of the country.
[Photos] Hanoi Home Seeks to Be One With Nature
It seems like most of the modern residential architecture in Vietnamese cities is focused on reconnecting with nature. A’s House Project in Hanoi is no exception.
Saigon to Launch $441m Anti-Flooding Project This Month
In response to Saigon's rainy season floods, municipal authorities are launching a US$441 million anti-flooding project at the end of this month.
Local Coconut Startup Receives 6-Figure Funding
A local startup has received six-figure funding for its coconut business.
[Photos] This Hidden Nghe An House Packs a Green Punch
Located in central Vietnam's Nghe An province, the Cul-de-Sac House catches the attention of passersby thanks to its unusual structure.
Hanoi Seeks $115.5bn to Become 'Second Singapore'
In Saigon, the unspoken goal of urban development seems to be transforming the southern hub into another version of Singapore. For Hanoi, however, this is no longer an unspoken ambition, as offic...
