Paul Christiansen in Environment
Saigon's Weather Dude Is Dedicated to Keeping Saigoneers Dry This Rainy Season
Why is it raining in Saigon? Because it’s the rainy season. Sure, but if you want to be more specific, you can cite conditions in the Bay of Bengal, more than 2,500 kilometers away. It’s there that the wind conditions form that flow across the Gulf of Thailand, sucking up the moisture that drenches Vietnam’s southern metropolis.
In the Era of Constant Rebuilding, We Turn to Vietnamese Modernism for Nostalgic Comfort
For two years now, I've checked the Vietnamese Modernist Architecture Facebook group almost every day. Here, members post ...
How Laos's Dams Are Powering Vietnam, Other ASEAN Nations Despite Mekong Concerns
Following a spate of foreign investment in the 1990s, Laos began producing surplus electricity and looked to export it. Today, around 80% of its energy, largely from hydropower, is sold to neighbors. Electricity exports from Laos generate around US$2.6 billion for what is one of the poorest nations in mainland Southeast Asia. Across the region, neighbors including Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Singapore and Malaysia have become reliant on hydropower from Laos. Slowly but surely, however, this is changing.
A Pop-up Night Park Brings the Joy of Playing in the Rain to Phú Mỹ Hưng
A lack of public spaces and activities has been a chronic problem plaguing Saigon’s urban planning since the city experienced its first population boom a few decades ago. If you happen to be near District 7 in the next two months, a pop-up park could be a new option for children, and perhaps some particularly exuberant adults, to frolic in the rain and the evening.
Elise Luong in Environment
Living, Learning, Loving From the Earth at Ninh Bình's Lá Library
A stone's throw away from Cúc Phương National Park in Ninh Bình Province sits Lá Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building techniques and the art of chilling out.
The Saigon House That Swapped Its Front Door for a Moat
Does a house need walls?
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Is the Yeti Vietnamese? This Ancient Ape Might Hold the Answer.
Can you name a Vietnamese animal that hasn’t been hunted to the precipice of extinction or become a commodified item whose flesh, fur, or feathers are only deemed significant in relation to their practical use by humans?
This Suburban Hanoi House Answers 'Yes' to 'How Many Windows Do You Want?'
Do you love the tropical summer? Does bathing in the warmth of the sun spark joy in you? How many windows are enough to solar-power your everyday life? If you, too, are toiling with these existential concerns on a daily basis, perhaps this recent residential project might provide some inspiration.
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.
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.
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...
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 ...
[Images] Construction Starts on Thu Thiem's Fancy New Exhibition Center
If you've taken a drive along the Saigon River lately, you may have noticed some construction on the other side of the water in District 2's Thu Thiem.
Future Saigon: Binh Thanh May Get Another Massive Skyscaper With Sky Tower
Feast your eyes upon this massive skyscraper, dubbed Tan Tao Sky Tower (or not...more on that later), that may soon go up near the intersection of Nguyen Huu Canh and Dien Bien Phu Streets in Binh Tha...
Food Panda is Closing its Vietnam Operations: Report
Food Panda, one of the major players in Vietnam's online ordering space, has announced that it is shutting its doors this month due to a “financial situation” and “many difficulties.”
