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.
[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.
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.
