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.
[Photos] Meet District 2's Floating House
Bringing the concept of a flood-proof nhà sàn – the wooden stilt house most often seen in rural Vietnam – to Saigon's sinking terrain, local outfit Nha Dan Architects managed to create a contempo...
Clean Up Vietnam: Changing the Conversation
There has been much ado in recent years about Vietnam’s garbage problem. From the beaches of Phu Quoc to the forests of the Central Highlands, trash is omnipresent and impossible to ignore. To th...
Meet Ex4U, the Taiwanese Electric Car Coming to Vietnam
A two-seater electric car may soon hit the streets of Vietnam.
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – Architecture and Housing
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...
Sawaco to Build 6 Underground Reservoirs in Saigon
In an effort to protect the southern hub from drought, Saigon Water Company (Sawaco) is working with municipal authorities to create six underground water reservoirs.
Cambodia's Tigers Are 'Functionally Extinct'
Cambodia's tiger population is now “functionally extinct”, according to experts.
[Photos] Saigon Architects Create Charming D7 Wood-and-Concrete Row House
In the last few years, Saigon's architects have come up with some impressive contemporary touches for the city's traditional row houses. Whether adding web-like coverings or a collage o...
Vietnam Could Have Most Cancer Cases Worldwide by 2020: Expert
Registering firmly in the realm of not-so-great news, one expert is estimating Vietnam could have the most cancer cases in the world by 2020.
Brandon Coleman in Development
[Photos] On the Move: Saigon's Changing Transportation
Once the domain of bicycles, Saigon's narrow roads have become jam-packed over the last two decades with increasingly modern vehicles. Following a boom of motorbikes in the 1990s – first described to ...
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – Change Over Time
The coastal city of Da Nang has undergone a massive transformation in the past 25 years and has developed from a gateway station to a destination in its own right throughout this dynamic process.
[Photos] Da Lat Architects Transform Abandoned House With Transparent Skin
After 20 years of abandonment, this crumbling, countryside Da Lat house was in rough shape. However its owner, whose father had built the structure himself, still had fond memories of the long-empty h...
Ministry of Health Confirms First 2 Zika Cases in Vietnam
Earlier this morning, Ministry of Health officials confirmed Vietnam's first two cases of the Zika virus.
[Photos] Vinhomes Unveils Golden River, Its Ba Son Development
If you've recently driven along District 1's Ton Duc Thang recently, chances are you've seen the large, glass-front building going up on the corner of Nguyen Huu Canh Street.
[Photos] Saigon's D7 House: Where Natural Elements and Contemporary Design Intersect
Combining a narrow space with bright, natural elements and clean, contemporary design might seem a challenge but not for District 7's NA House.
[Video] Meet the Vietnamese Engineer Developing Google's Artificial Intelligence
Next time you ask Google for directions or run an image search, thank Le Viet Quoc.
Lee Starnes in Development
[Photos] Tracking Saigon’s Development From Its Rooftops
Over the past decade, Saigon has transformed almost beyond recognition.
You Can Now Print a 3D Bust of Yourself in Saigon Because Why Not
In the realm of things you never knew you needed but cannot live without, we introduce to you the 3D-printed bust.
[Photos] Da Nang: COASTAL City – Views From Above
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...
[Photos] A Farewell to Saigon's War-Era Water Towers
Saigon Water Company (Sawaco) is drawing up plans to destroy seven of the eight large war-era water towers scattered across the city.
Behind the Cover: 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' to Hit Bookshelves Next Month
Next month, German editor Michael Waibel will release Da Nang: COASTAL City, the third in a series of large-format photo books dedicated to documenting the development and vibrancy of Vietnam. In conj...
