Listen to the Unique 'Dialects' Found in Regional Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
“It was my uncle who came up with the design. There are no drawings left; everything was improvised back then,” the owner of a modernist homestay in Ninh Thuận told me. No architect, just an idea and a craftsman to pour it into concrete.
How Overreliance on Pesticides Traps Thai Farmers in a Vicious Circle of Debt
As the sun rises over the village of Ban Wichit Pattana in north-east Thailand, 62-year-old Chuchart Srithachum does his morning exercise, walking as best he can on his prosthetic leg along the street outside his home.
Khôi Phạm in Architecture
Illustration Project 'Con Ốc Nhỏ' Archives Southern Vietnam's Diverse Architectural Facades
Riding a motorbike is the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam. Albeit convenient and fast, being on a bike, merging in and out of the ever-flowing, hurried traffic, might not afford you the slow pace needed to fully appreciate the urban landscapes and their hidden gems. Vietnamese artist Bờm Sketcher, on the other hand, is fully in support of walking as the best way to document the most fascinating corners of local streets onto his pages.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment
People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
Phạm Phú Vinh in Architecture
Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People
In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm. It not only represents the Vietnamese architectural identity in post-colonial eras, but also exemplifies its cultural autonomy.
Riverfront Construction Could Raise Saigon's Inner City Temperatures: Expert
In a city whose temperatures are already sweltering on their own, Vinhomes' latest riverfront development may turn the heat up a few degrees for city residents.
Korean Company to Develop Tran Hung Dao's 'Golden Triangle'
Along with the dozens of other iconic locations scattered across downtown Saigon, that three-pointed sliver of land bordered by Pham Ngu Lao, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Hung Dao Streets will be getting ...
Canadian Firm to Invest $150m in New Solar Power Plant
Vietnam may be getting another solar power plant thanks to Canadian company CMX Renewable Energy Inc.
Japan to Invest $7bn in Mekong Region Over Next 3 Years
Japan is gearing up to invest US$7 billion into the Mekong region, spreading the funding across parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Vietnamese Education Startup Receives $9m in Funding
Yet another Vietnamese education app is raking in the investment money, as tutoring service GotIt! recently announced US$9 million in seed and series A funding.
Vietnamese, Korean Computer Scientists Invent Webcam Algorithm to Read Your Emotions
One day soon, your mobile game may be able to register your joy, anger and frustration thanks to a creepily accurate webcam algorithm.
World Bank Enlists Grab and Uber to Create Open-Source Traffic-Monitoring Platform
Ever since apps like Grab and Uber came to the country, Vietnam's urban transportation has been turned upside down. On one hand, consumers are thrilled to be paying less for car rides in cities like H...
Work Begins on $4bn Hoi An Resort
Last Sunday, central Vietnam's Quang Nam province began its biggest development project to date.
Thai Retailer Buys Zalora's Vietnam and Thailand Businesses
Earlier this week, Germany-based Rocket Internet announced the sale of its online retailer, Zalora, to Thai giant Central Group.
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – The Soul of the City
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of central Vietnam. Produced with the support of t...
You're Probably Spelling These Saigon Place Names Incorrectly
Several famous location names in Saigon are believed to be misspellings of their original monikers.
[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia Transforms Rest Stop Into Bamboo Oasis
Thirty kilometers from Hanoi, local architect and global sensation Vo Trong Nghia recently completed another project fashioned almost entirely out of bamboo.
[Video] Driverless Pods May Hit Singapore's Streets by Year End
While we can't imagine testing a driverless vehicle in, say, Saigon traffic, the orderly streets of Singapore seem like the perfect place to give self-driving machinery a whirl.
[Photos] Put Your Mind at Ease in Saigon's Zen House
Embodying its name, every element of the Zen House revolves around harmony, mindfulness and originality, making this contemporary structure more a monastery than a home for the three Buddhist owners.
The World Is Down to Fund Vietnamese Startups
In recent years, Vietnam's startups have proven their worth to both the local economy and the global community.
[Video] Hanoi's Pollution Heading Toward Airmaggedon
Urban Vietnam is on a roll these days. What with a new crop of sky-high monuments on the horizon, a thriving startup economy and an ambitious set of plans for the future, cities across the countr...
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – People in the City
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of Central Vietnam. Produced with the su...
As Drought Continues, Mekong Climate Refugees Leave Home
It's no secret that the Mekong Delta is in dire straits. Between hydroelectric dams, drought, sinking land and the region's ever-increasing salinization, farmers in the west are facing heavy losses th...
China Slides 100-Year-Old Building to New Home
China never ceases to exceed our expectations when it comes to buildings. From monster bridge-building machines to the 19-day construction of a 57-story skyscraper to 3D printing a mansion, ...
High School Students Build All-Terrain Wheelchair
Vietnam is not particularly well set-up for handicapped people. With broken sidewalks and uneven terrain even in the most developed cities, getting around can be a challenge for those who are wheelcha...
