The Childhood of Côn Đảo's Baby Turtles Caught on Film
In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the local sea turtle population.
Ward off Your Monday Blues by Joining Me on Beginners' Skateboard Night
Usually in life, niche topics are commonly associated with unpleasant stigmas and misunderstandings — skateboarding in Vietnam is no exception. Once, I admittedly was influenced by such one-sided assumptions.
Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade
Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the east, Hải Phòng proudly brandishes the name “the city of red phượng flowers.” Đà Lạt has too many flower varieties to choose just one, and settles for “the city of a thousand flowers.” Down south, Bến Tre’s abundance of coconut trees is famous nationwide. Ask any Saigoneer this question, and you’re likely to get one of two answers: chò nâu (dipterocarp) or me (tamarind).
Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home
Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Their attention was focused upward. Following their gaze, I looked up, and froze.
How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities
The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.
Keeping Cool in Thủ Đức With This Humble Abode’s Well-Ventilated Design
Thick multi-layer brick walls, shaded areas, water features, and natural ventilation allow this private home to stay cool amidst the city's stifling heat.
Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition
In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many official government structures constructed and designed in the style of modernist architecture. They were created with aesthetics and form in mind, laying the groundwork to usher in a new period of growth for Vietnamese creative independence.
Vietnamese Startups Hold Their Own Among Southeast Asia's Top 30 Tech Outfits
Vietnam's tech star is on the rise. These days, startup communities are thriving across the country, new crowdfunding laws are being developed to help burgeoning tech companies get off the ground...
[Photos] Bitexco Group To Transform Thanh Da Into Urban Wasteland
If you've ever been to Thanh Da, you know that it's practically a rural village stuck smack-dab in the middle of Saigon. Rice paddies and fishing ponds take up most of the peninsula, along with a few ...
Saigon Metro Lines Face Delays, Cost Overruns
While work on Saigon’s metro line No. 1 chugs along, two of its brothers, metro lines numbers 2 and 5, are facing a slew of delays and cost overruns.
Agreement Reached on Trans-Pacific Partnership
On Monday, officials from 12 Pacific Rim nations reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest regional trade agreement to date.
Construction Kicks off on the Crown Jewel of Thu Thiem
The first, and perhaps most significant of the mega developments planned for Thu Thiem broke ground last week, signaling the peninsula’s evolution from swampland to modern urban center.
[Video] Saigon to Complete Flashy New BRT System by 2018
Saigon is hitting the public transportation hard these days, with new metro construction starting along Ton Duc Thang and talks of a 12-kilometer tramway recently announced.
There Are No Traffic Jams In Saigon: Department of Transport Director
Despite numerous reports to the contrary, the director of Saigon’s Department of Transport told the press last week that there are no traffic jams in the city.
Da Nang Is Buying Citizens' Ideas On How To Improve The City
Last Saturday, Da Nang authorities announced that they are willing to pay for citizens' ideas on how to improve the environment and image of the central city, giving local residents a more active role...
'Thirsty' Concrete Drinks Rainwater, Eliminates Flooding
Concrete isn't exactly a sexy topic. Even though we drive on it and build things with it, the average person seldom gives the gray stuff a second thought.
[Photos] This Nha Trang Cafe Is Not Your Average Roadside Haunt
Who says the old can't be new again?
Volkswagen Chooses Vietnam As Staging Ground For SE Asian Domination
While Volkswagen is knee-deep in bad press following its recent emissions controversy, the German car company announced this week that it will start assembling cars in Vietnam next year.
[Video] Saigon Slaughterhouse Caught Dyeing Chickens With Chemicals
You might want to hold off on the phở gà for a while. Apparently, in order to give its produce that tasty, chicken-fat-yellow hue, one local slaughterhouse has been dipping its freshly-killed chickens...
Saigon Slowly Pushes Ahead With 12km Tramway Line
While Saigon’s future metro system grabs most of the headlines, these trains aren’t the only rail-based mode of transportation in the city’s master infrastructure plan.
Vietnam's Very Own Disneyland Is Coming To Ha Long Bay
When the news arrived earlier this week that Vinpearl Ha Long is set to open this November, your reaction was either a celebration of joy...or a facepalm.
Here's Why Saigon Is Missing From This Pollution Map
If you've ever taken a deep breath during rush hour, you know clean air is not exactly abundant in Saigon.
[Photos] Local Architects Transform One Half of This Twin House Into Green Office Space
In rapidly-developing Hanoi, like most Vietnamese cities, green space is increasingly rare. But for landscape development company Mein Garten, an office with plant life was of utmost importance.
Saigon Eyes Japanese Funding For Two More Metro Lines
As work on Saigon’s first metro line chugs along, city authorities are seeking Japanese loans to fund the construction of two more major lines running through the heart of the city.
Ba Son Should Be Preserved, Not Destroyed: Experts
If you've driven along Ton Duc Thang any time in the last week or so, you might have noticed the large corrugated partition that's gone up just south of Le Thanh Ton. As the area overlooking the Saigo...
[Video] Saigon to Get Another LEED Certified Building Next Year
Saigon’s District 8 will soon be home to a LEED standard apartment project, one of the first in the country to meet the international green building benchmark.
[Photos] Vinpearl Halong Bay Opens This November
Halong Bay, the crown jewel of northern Vietnam's many UNESCO World Heritage sites, is about to receive a new landmark.
