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.
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.
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?"
Homegrown Ride-Sharing App Launches in Vietnam
As traffic in Vietnamese cities continues to get worse, one group of local graduates is using the power of technology to help alleviate the influx of motorbikes on Saigon's streets.
Da Nang Theme Park Unveils Flashy New Monorail
Between the Disneyland-esque entertainment complex planned for Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc's ever-increasing number of larger-than-life attractions, Vietnam seems to have a thing for amusement parks...
[Photos] Majestic Banyan Tree Spared in Hanoi Road Project
It's safe to say Hanoi doesn't have a great relationship with trees.
[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.
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 ...
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...
Da Nang May Get an Underwater Tunnel
Da Nang is considering the construction of a six-lane underwater tunnel crossing the Han River.
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...
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...
[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...
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...
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.
[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...
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.
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.
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.
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:...
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.
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.
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.
