Paul Christiansen in Environment
Saigon's Weather Dude Is Dedicated to Keeping Saigoneers Dry This Rainy Season
Why is it raining in Saigon? Because it’s the rainy season. Sure, but if you want to be more specific, you can cite conditions in the Bay of Bengal, more than 2,500 kilometers away. It’s there that the wind conditions form that flow across the Gulf of Thailand, sucking up the moisture that drenches Vietnam’s southern metropolis.
In the Era of Constant Rebuilding, We Turn to Vietnamese Modernism for Nostalgic Comfort
For two years now, I've checked the Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Facebook group almost every day. Here, members post ...
How Laos's Dams Are Powering Vietnam, Other ASEAN Nations Despite Mekong Concerns
Following a spate of foreign investment in the 1990s, Laos began producing surplus electricity and looked to export it. Today, around 80% of its energy, largely from hydropower, is sold to neighbors. Electricity exports from Laos generate around US$2.6 billion for what is one of the poorest nations in mainland Southeast Asia. Across the region, neighbors including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have become reliant on hydropower from Laos. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing.
A Pop-up Night Park Brings the Joy of Playing in the Rain to Phú Mỹ Hưng
A lack of public spaces and activities has been a chronic problem plaguing Saigon’s urban planning since the city experienced its first population boom a few decades ago. If you happen to be near District 7 in the next two months, a pop-up park could be a new option for children, and perhaps some particularly exuberant adults, to frolic in the rain and the evening.
Elise Luong in Environment
Living, Learning, Loving From the Earth at Ninh Bình's Lá Library
A stone's throw away from Cúc Phương National Park in Ninh Bình Province sits Lá Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building techniques and the art of chilling out.
The Saigon House That Swapped Its Front Door for a Moat
Does a house need walls?
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Is the Yeti Vietnamese? This Ancient Ape Might Hold the Answer.
Can you name a Vietnamese animal that hasn’t been hunted to the precipice of extinction or become a commodified item whose flesh, fur, or feathers are only deemed significant in relation to their practical use by humans?
This Suburban Hanoi House Answers 'Yes' to 'How Many Windows Do You Want?'
Do you love the tropical summer? Does bathing in the warmth of the sun spark joy in you? How many windows are enough to solar-power your everyday life? If you, too, are toiling with these existential concerns on a daily basis, perhaps this recent residential project might provide some inspiration.
[Video] Where Horticulture Meets Corporate Culture: How a Japanese Office Brings Farming Closer to Its Workers
As humans have become increasingly urban creatures, a disconnect between our life in the city and our food sources has created numerous challenges. These include the distances our food travels, contri...
Japanese Consortium to Build Shopping Center Underneath Ben Thanh Market
Besides alleviating the city’s traffic problems, it seems that Saigon’s future metro system will also serve a commercial purpose, as local officials just put forth a proposal to bring in a consortium ...
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of Hanoi's Future Metro
If this breathtaking photo collection, courtesy of Zing, is any indication, Hanoi’s metro system is shaping up to be a sight to behold.
[Photos] Maison T: A Dream Bachelor Pad in Hanoi
Nghia-Architect has unveiled an inviting new home called Maison T in Hanoi’s Dong Da District. According to ArchDaily, the residence was designed for a young man who recently returned from living abr...
Saigon's Remote Can Gio Island Gets First-Ever High School Class
Students who wished to complete high school on Saigon’s Thanh An Island will not have to travel to the mainland now that a high school class has been established right in their neighborhood.
Vietnam’s 3G/4G Speeds Still Among World’s Slowest
Mobile internet speeds in Vietnam remain among the world's most sluggish, according to a recent survey.
Khoi Pham in Society
Catching 'Em All in Saigon: Pokemon GO Brings More Than Old School Nostalgia to Vietnam
One of my colleagues threatened to ban Pokemon GO in the Saigoneer office after he saw me catching a Pidgey, a bird-type Pokemon, at our desk.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Development
Saigon’s Traffic Nightmare: Challenges and Potential Solutions
On one particularly horrific Monday evening last summer, I wound up in a traffic jam. Bounding over the bridge between District 1 and Phu Nhuan, my jaw dropped as I found a sea of vehicles on the othe...
Mekong Delta Grapples With Severe Doctor Shortage
The Mekong Delta region is facing a serious doctor shortage which threatens to become even more severe by 2020.
[Photos] Families Struggle to Get Ahead in Saigon's Cambodian Neighborhood
Along Vo Van Kiet Street not far from District 6’s Lo Gom Bridge, a small community of Cambodian residents lives in squalid conditions, eking out a modest living from their makeshift houses by the riv...
Hanoi Is Getting a Shiny New Horse Racing Track
After almost two decades of discussion, Hanoi’s horse racing complex is becoming a reality.
Officials Consider Another Tan Son Nhat Expansion as Overcrowding Becomes Dire
Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat is in dire need of an expansion due to overcrowding issues in the terminal, on the tarmac and even on the roads surrounding the international airport.
Vietnam Sports Officials Accused of Attending Olympics in Place of Doctors, Coaches
While Vietnam is still basking in the glory of its first-ever gold medal – not to mention the other hardware picked up by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh – some aren't happy with the count...
After 2 Years, Da Nang May Abandon US$104m Government Building
It seems Vietnam’s sweltering weather has claimed yet another casualty: Da Nang's US$104 million administrative building.
The Strict Stipulations Behind Takashimaya's Top-Notch Service
Along with a slew of foreign brands and mouthwatering Japanese pastries, Saigon’s new Takashimaya department store has also brought its unique brand of hospitality to the southern hub in hopes of wowi...
Vietnam: The Other, Other Asian Tiger
As we enter the final quarter of the year, it’s safe to say 2016 hasn’t exactly been the economic success Vietnam had hoped.
A Brief History of Vietnam's Pokemon GO Adventures
Exactly one week after Niantic unleashed Pokemon GO on Vietnam, the country’s love for the colorful pocket monsters has shown no sign of waning. If anything, the Pokemon craze has only grown stronger ...
Swimmer Joseph Schooling Beats Michael Phelps to Win Singapore’s First-Ever Olympic Gold
We’re barely halfway through the 2016 Summer Olympics, and already athletes in Rio have left a considerable mark on the history books. In addition to Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won the co...
[Photos] Step Inside Da Lat's Hobbit-Like 'Uncle's House'
This Da Lat abode perfectly blends modern and traditional elements to bring its owners closer to nature.
[UPDATED] Apple Finalizing Plans to Open $1bn Data Center in Da Nang
[UPDATE] On August 11, Chairman Huynh Duc Tho of the Da Nang People's Committee informed reporters that Apple, Inc. has not confirmed plans to construct a US$1 billion data center in the central city,...
