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.
Japanese Firm Successfully Tests 5G Network
Japan always seems to get the best stuff first – the cure for Agent Orange, rice paddy art, train cars where you can sleep off a night of sake (or cat wine) drinking and now, 5G internet.
Saigon Needs Another $50m+ to Revive Historic Canal
Saigon has been working hard to revive the Hang Bang Canal with the project currently entering its third and final phase. But, like many other large-scale public infrastructure projects in the city, a...
Vietnam’s Air Quality Among the Worst in the World
We’ve known for a while that air quality in Vietnam is less than stellar. Based on recent readings, we know for sure that breathing in Saigon is a risky proposition, but new statistics released by Yal...
Rent in Saigon More Expensive Than Dubai, Bangkok
Hanoi may be the most expensive place to live in Vietnam, but commercial rent in downtown Saigon ranks amongst the most expensive in the world, according to recent statistics compiled by commercial pr...
Mel Schenck in Architecture
New Facebook Group Highlights Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
Facebook has proven to be a capable tool for those looking to raise awareness for the preservation of Saigon's historic buildings.
Vietnam Car Imports Nearly Double in 2015
Last month, we all groaned in collective agony when we discovered that nearly 900 new vehicles are registered in Saigon everyday.
Phu Quoc Is Finally Building a Waste Treatment Plant
The days of a pristine Phu Quoc are long gone. Its coral reefs are dying; the island is starting to clear forests and farms to accommodate an ambitious master plan for 2030; and untreated waste is bei...
2.5 House: A Modest Dream Home in a Tan Binh Alley
Given the expenditure often required to build out a well-designed home, most of those featured on Saigoneer are anything but modest. That’s why we were particularly stoked to come across this small bu...
Japan Tech Could be The Key to Scrubbing Agent Orange From Vietnam
Agent Orange contamination, along with unexploded ordnance (UXOs), have proven to be the two most harmful legacies of the American War in terms of public health. While experts say it could take an est...
FPT Gearing up for Massive Global Expansion
The future looks bright for FPT, one of Vietnam's largest telecommunications companies. Over the past 13 months, firm has opened its largest international office in Los Angeles, California; was dubbed...
Future Saigon: District 5’s Dragon Riverside City
Vo Van Kiet is quickly becoming a favorite thoroughfare for Saigon developers with a number of large-scale projects planned for the road that runs from District 1 to the edge of the Mekong Delta.
China Embarks on Quest to Build World’s Largest Supercollider
After bolstering its space agency, China is looking a bit farther afield but closer to home for its next great scientific leap forward.
Vietnam Looks to Add Another Airport Near Saigon
Amid approvals for massive new airports and expansions/upgrades to existing ones, it seems like the airport money tap is wide open in Vietnam. Seeking to jump on the bandwagon and boost tourism access...
Wrong Turn Adds 7km to Bangkok Half-Marathon
As runners set out on what was meant to be a 21km half-marathon in Bangkok last weekend, many were surprised to find a significant addition to their route.
[Photos/Video] Saigon's Second-Tallest Skyscraper Is Officially Open
A project several years in the making, Saigon's second-tallest skyscraper to date is now officially open.
Petition Against Mekong Delta Dam Construction Receives Thousands of Signatures
As Laos prepares to move ahead with the construction of its second Mekong River dam, citizens of Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam are expressing their disapproval of the project.
Vietnam Considering $2.5bn Hanoi-Vientiane Highway
Vietnam is hitting the infrastructure projects hard these days. Just last month, transportation officials unveiled a sleek new expressway linking Hanoi and Hai Phong.
[Photos] Nha Trang Villa Has Its Own Rooftop Park
Continuing along with his trend of creating beautiful, functional modern green spaces, local architect Vo Trong Nghia and his business partner, Masaaki Iwamoto, recently completed our newest dream hou...
Apple Co-Founder Steve Wozniak to Visit Vietnam Next Month
Next month, one of Apple's founders will come to Vietnam.
Metro Line Contractor Seeks Compensation for Delays
While Saigon Metro's Line 1 has made considerable downtown progress over the last year or so and parts of 19.7-kilometer line are beginning to take shape in District 2, the city's massive public ...
