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.

in Architecture

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.

in Development

Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project

Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.

in Environment

Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis

As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science

Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers. 

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form

Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"

Back Society

in Tech

7 Young Vietnamese Make Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia Lists

Seven rising Vietnamese stars in media and business have earned a place on Forbes’ first-ever 30 Under 30 Asia list.

in Development

City Officials Approve Phase One Design of $2.4m Administrative Building

On February 27, city officials approved the design for phase one of Saigon's new administrative building.

in Development

Not Everyone Loves the Record-Breaking Hanoi Broadcast Tower

As Hanoi moves ahead with a plan to construct the world's tallest broadcast tower, not everyone is thrilled about the project, following last week's announcement of the 636-meter structure's approxima...

in Architecture

[Photos] A Vietnamese Townhouse’s Natural Rebirth

Standing out from other identical row houses on the street, an old brick residential unit known as the Cocoon House has emerged with its own unique, porous facade.

in Tech

Vietnamese Travel Startup Triip Gets $500k in Seed Funding

Triip, a Saigon-based travel platform, is the latest Vietnamese startup to receive international funding after the company announced last week it had secured US$500,000 in seed funding from Shanghai’s...

in Development

[Renderings] Hanoi to Trade Open Fields for Riverside Development Complex

On the eastern bank of the Red River, Hanoi's open fields are about to make way for a high-end real estate development in Long Bien District.

in Development

Mekong Delta Faces Worst Drought in 90 Years

It is not yet the peak of dry season, but the Mekong Delta is experiencing its worst drought in 90 years.

in Tech

[Photos] We Wish This Audi A8 With Built-in Rice Cooker Existed

We've all been there: it's the end of the day and you're inching your way home through rush hour traffic. When you finally make it to your house, the last thing you want to think about is making dinne...

in Environment

Vietnam Ranks 131 of 180 Countries on 2016 Environmental Protection Index

Every year, American university Yale releases its Environmental Protection Index (EPI), rating the ability of individual nations to protect both human health and the ecosystem. In 2016, the numbe...

in Development

[Video] Can Tho Gets Its First Pedestrian Bridge

Can Tho's brand-new pedestrian bridge opened to residents just in time for Tet.

in Architecture

[Photos] Saigon's Wasp House Is a Tiny Urban Oasis

The many oddly shaped houses of Saigon are, in some ways, an architect's dream: rather than contend with the conformity of gated communities or apartment blocks, architectural minds in this city face ...

in Development

Hanoi Metro Will Open in December 2016

By the end of 2016, Hanoi's first metro line will officially be up and running.

in Architecture

ArchDaily Nominates 3 Vietnamese Architects for Building of the Year Awards

Global architecture website ArchDaily is currently hosting its 2016 Building of the Year Awards where, much to our delight, Vietnamese architecture is well-represented. Among its 14 categories, l...

in Health

Vietnamese Spend $2bn on Healthcare Overseas

While foreigners are coming to Vietnam for medical tourism, locals are spending US$2 billion a year on healthcare abroad.

in Development

Saigon's Tax Center Skyscraper Will Have a Helipad

At the Satra-Tax Plaza's ground-breaking ceremony on January 29, developers of the project announced the roof of the new skyscraper will house a helipad.

in Development

Saigon's Hotel Majestic to Get High-Rise Addition

Since last June, Saigontourist Holding Company has resumed expansion of The Majestic, its five-star luxury hotel overlooking the riverfront.

in Health

Instant Noodles Linked to Heart Disease, Stroke: Study

As the world's second largest consumer of instant noodles – Vietnam chows down on 5.2 billion packs of the pre-cooked blocks every year – this may be hard news to swallow, but studies show t...

in Architecture

[Photos] Saigon's Studio8 Gets Creative With Q10 Row House

Saigon's buildings come in every configuration imaginable. Whether squeezed into impossibly small spaces or built on misshapen plots of land, the city's tube houses present a unique and interesti...

in Tech

Ready to Trade in Your iPhone for a Bphone?

In what some believe is a last-ditch attempt to offload its remaining stock, Vietnamese tech outfit Bkav is offering local smartphone users the opportunity to trade in their old Apple, Samsung and HTC...

in Health

Bill Gates, British Finance Minister Pledge $4.28bn to Fight Malaria

In an effort to quash the potentially fatal illness for good, billionaire Bill Gates and British finance minister George Osborne are pledging £3 billion (US$4.28 billion) to fight malaria around the w...