Listen to the Unique 'Dialects' Found in Regional Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
“It was my uncle who came up with the design. There are no drawings left; everything was improvised back then,” the owner of a modernist homestay in Ninh Thuận told me. No architect, just an idea and a craftsman to pour it into concrete.
How Overreliance on Pesticides Traps Thai Farmers in a Vicious Circle of Debt
As the sun rises over the village of Ban Wichit Pattana in north-east Thailand, 62-year-old Chuchart Srithachum does his morning exercise, walking as best he can on his prosthetic leg along the street outside his home.
Khôi Phạm in Architecture
Illustration Project 'Con Ốc Nhỏ' Archives Southern Vietnam's Diverse Architectural Facades
Riding a motorbike is the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam. Albeit convenient and fast, being on a bike, merging in and out of the ever-flowing, hurried traffic, might not afford you the slow pace needed to fully appreciate the urban landscapes and their hidden gems. Vietnamese artist Bờm Sketcher, on the other hand, is fully in support of walking as the best way to document the most fascinating corners of local streets onto his pages.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment
People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.
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.
Construction Kicks off on the Crown Jewel of Thu Thiem
The first, and perhaps most significant of the mega developments planned for Thu Thiem broke ground last week, signaling the peninsula’s evolution from swampland to modern urban center.
[Video] Saigon to Complete Flashy New BRT System by 2018
Saigon is hitting the public transportation hard these days, with new metro construction starting along Ton Duc Thang and talks of a 12-kilometer tramway recently announced.
There Are No Traffic Jams In Saigon: Department of Transport Director
Despite numerous reports to the contrary, the director of Saigon’s Department of Transport told the press last week that there are no traffic jams in the city.
Da Nang Is Buying Citizens' Ideas On How To Improve The City
Last Saturday, Da Nang authorities announced that they are willing to pay for citizens' ideas on how to improve the environment and image of the central city, giving local residents a more active role...
'Thirsty' Concrete Drinks Rainwater, Eliminates Flooding
Concrete isn't exactly a sexy topic. Even though we drive on it and build things with it, the average person seldom gives the gray stuff a second thought.
[Photos] This Nha Trang Cafe Is Not Your Average Roadside Haunt
Who says the old can't be new again?
Volkswagen Chooses Vietnam As Staging Ground For SE Asian Domination
While Volkswagen is knee-deep in bad press following its recent emissions controversy, the German car company announced this week that it will start assembling cars in Vietnam next year.
[Video] Saigon Slaughterhouse Caught Dyeing Chickens With Chemicals
You might want to hold off on the phở gà for a while. Apparently, in order to give its produce that tasty, chicken-fat-yellow hue, one local slaughterhouse has been dipping its freshly-killed chickens...
Saigon Slowly Pushes Ahead With 12km Tramway Line
While Saigon’s future metro system grabs most of the headlines, these trains aren’t the only rail-based mode of transportation in the city’s master infrastructure plan.
Vietnam's Very Own Disneyland Is Coming To Ha Long Bay
When the news arrived earlier this week that Vinpearl Ha Long is set to open this November, your reaction was either a celebration of joy...or a facepalm.
Here's Why Saigon Is Missing From This Pollution Map
If you've ever taken a deep breath during rush hour, you know clean air is not exactly abundant in Saigon.
[Photos] Local Architects Transform One Half of This Twin House Into Green Office Space
In rapidly-developing Hanoi, like most Vietnamese cities, green space is increasingly rare. But for landscape development company Mein Garten, an office with plant life was of utmost importance.
Saigon Eyes Japanese Funding For Two More Metro Lines
As work on Saigon’s first metro line chugs along, city authorities are seeking Japanese loans to fund the construction of two more major lines running through the heart of the city.
Ba Son Should Be Preserved, Not Destroyed: Experts
If you've driven along Ton Duc Thang any time in the last week or so, you might have noticed the large corrugated partition that's gone up just south of Le Thanh Ton. As the area overlooking the Saigo...
[Video] Saigon to Get Another LEED Certified Building Next Year
Saigon’s District 8 will soon be home to a LEED standard apartment project, one of the first in the country to meet the international green building benchmark.
[Photos] Vinpearl Halong Bay Opens This November
Halong Bay, the crown jewel of northern Vietnam's many UNESCO World Heritage sites, is about to receive a new landmark.
There Are Only 20 Indochinese Tigers Left in Vietnam
Vietnam's population of Indochinese tigers is dangerously low, with only around 20 animals left in the wild.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Tech
[Infographics] Vietnam's Mobile Games Are Taking the World by Storm
Whether you're reading this on a smartphone or tablet, a desktop or a laptop, look up: chances are at least a few other people are also deeply engrossed in a screen of some kind.
[Photos] Central Atrium Transforms Saigon Tube House
In a city like Saigon, space comes at a premium. It's no wonder, then, that Vietnam – and many other Asian countries – have taken to building tube houses, the ultra-skinny residential buildings you of...
Welcome To Vietnam: Southeast Asia's Silicon Valley
In little more than a decade, Vietnam's tech industry has exploded, attracting international attention and showcasing the country's potential, not just as an outsourcing hub but a key player in Southe...
