in Architecture

In Đồng Nai, a Rustic Abode Emerges Under the Canopies of Cashew Trees

A clear directive was issued before construction of the home: all 26 cashew trees occupying the 100-square-meter plot must be preserved.

in Society

Meet Tâm, a Crossing ‘Guardian’ Protecting Saigon Traffic and Trains From Each Other

In a small kiosk overlooking the crowded Nguyễn Trọng Tuyển Street in Phú Nhuận, Nguyễn Thị Tâm routinely checks the clock and reviews the day’s train schedule meticulously. She’s repeated these tasks countless times, a crucial component of a job that she’s done for two decades as a train crossing attendant.

in Environment

Learning to Coexist in Peace Is the First Step to Protect Vietnam's Last Remaining Elephants

A trail of enormous footprints, criss-crossing slabs of cracked concrete, lead to a battered ranger station in Vietnam’s Pù Mát National Park. Park staff say the wild Asian elephant that left the tracks is as friendly as it is lonely.

in Sports

A Glimpse Into the Epic Underground Shows of Vietnam Pro Wrestling

Back in 2018, Saigon witnessed the birth of Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW), the first and only Pro Wrestlers in the whole of ...

in Development

HCMC Approves VinSpeed, VinGroup's Railway Arm, to Build Metro Line to Cần Giờ

A roughly 50-kilometer-long urban railway route will run from September 23 Park in downtown Saigon to VinGroup's Green Paradise project in Cần Giờ, beginning in 2028 at an estimated cost of VND102.43 trillion (nearly US$3.9 billion).

in Society

Diving (Literally) Into Hoàng Hoa Thám's Mountains of Secondhand Clothes

In a hẻm, clothing sprawled out on platforms lined with the plastic sacks the clothing came in, overspilling onto the ta...

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Đà Lạt’s Indigenous Pine Trees, Tropical Miracles Threatened by Urbanization

“The shimmering pine trees stand in silence / Branches and leaves seem to have sunk silently. / How can one distinguish between reality and fantasy!”

in Development

Saigon Unveils Plan to Build 2 Pedestrian Bridges Over Tôn Đức Thắng Street

Tourists will soon lose one of their favorite “crossing Saigon streets is so crazy!” filming locations when two new pedestrian bridges connecting to Bạch Đằng Wharf are completed. 

Back Society

in Tech

[Photos] Dong Nai Students Invent Vehicle That Runs on Alcohol

Eight students from Dong Nai province's Lac Hong University recently created a car that is able to join in one of Vietnam's favorite pastimes: getting drunk.

in Tech

Bkav Doubles Down: Will Launch Bpad, Bwatch in 2016

When Bkav, a local network security company, unveiled its Bphone earlier this year, company CEO Nguyen Tu Quang called it "the best smartphone in the world". The device, however, ultimately proved to ...

in Society

Hanoi Official Pushes for Plan to Reduce Private Vehicle Use

During a meeting between the central and local governments on Monday, Hanoi People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung urged the capital to craft a plan to reduce the number of private vehicles on i...

in Development

Da Nang May Get an Underwater Tunnel

Da Nang is considering the construction of a six-lane underwater tunnel crossing the Han River.

in Development

5 Buildings That Will Rise Above Saigon in 2016

Though change has always been fast in Saigon, 2015 was a big year for the city's development, as new skyscrapers, shopping malls and infrastructure projects sprouted all over town. While some structur...

in Health

The Dangers of Saigon Street Coffee

You might want to think twice before buying your next cà phê sữa đá on the street. If you can call it that, really: “industrial chemicals” is not a phrase you want to have associated with your morning...

in Architecture

[Photos] Local Architect Puts Modern Spin on Traditional Saigon Shophouse

In many ways, this narrow shophouse-style structure designed by MM++ Architects is just like any other. The house, not unlike its neighbors, stands four stories high and occupies a slender plot o...

in Tech

Mai Linh Taxi to Purchase up to 20,000 Electric Cars

Vietnamese cities are about to get a little more eco-friendly, as Mai Linh Taxi and French car producer Renault have announced a five-year deal to import thousands of electric vehicles into the countr...

in Tech

What Google CEO Sundar Pichai's Visit Means for Vietnamese Tech

If his recent visit is any indication, Sundar Pichai is alright in Vietnam's book.

in Development

[Photos] Inside the Metro Station Beneath Saigon's Opera House

The further the Saigon Metro progresses – or doesn't progress – the more we hear about escalating costs, construction hiccups and the project's Japanese contractors seeking compensation...

in Development

Construction Begins on New Downtown Saigon Skyscraper

Earlier this month, developers broke ground on the Saigon Me Linh Tower, adding yet another skyscraper to District 1's riverside Me Linh roundabout.

in Tech

Flappy Bird Creator Releases Infuriating New Mobile Game

Mobile gamers had good reason to rejoice last week, as Flappy Bird creator Nguyen Ha Dong and his company DotGears Studio debuted a flashier second version of the original Swing Copters game.

in Development

Dubai Developer Signs on to $1.34bln Thanh Da New Urban Area

The urban wasteland planned for Binh Thanh District's Thanh Da peninsula has a new developer.

in Development

Saigon Is Building One of the World's Most Expensive Metros

With construction of the Saigon Metro system well under way, the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPS) recently touched upon an unsettling truth about the cost of its forthcoming six-line network:...

in Tech

Vietnam's Internet Speed Is 102nd in the World

Assuming you got this page to load on your computer, I'm afraid we've got some bad news: Vietnam's internet is pretty terrible.

in Environment

What the COP21 Climate Change Deal Will Mean in Vietnam

As news outlets around the world pick apart the pros and cons of last week's landmark climate change deal, Vietnam seems to have a few reasons to celebrate.

in Environment

Southeast Asia Is Responsible for Over Half the Ocean's Plastic Pollution

As much as 60% of plastic pollution in the ocean comes from only five countries. Unfortunately, Vietnam is among them.

in Tech

Viettel's 4G Trial Service Starts Today in Vung Tau

Just as Japan wraps up testing on its brand-new 5G network, the 4G service Vietnam has been talking about since 2013 is finally here.

in Tech

Vietnam Delays First Nuclear Plant Until 2020

Vietnam's much-discussed nuclear power plant will be delayed yet again, as officials announced last week that the construction of Ninh Thuan 1, the first of two nuclear power facilities planned for th...

in Environment

Saigon's Rifle-Wielding Urban Hunters Are Killing Off the City's Wildlife

The Ho Chi Minh City Forest Ranging Department is struggling with an unusual issue these days. According to the exasperated forestry arm of Saigon's municipal government, local residents are visiting ...