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.
Check out Vietnam's Top 15 Most-Funded E-Commerce Startups
Just like mobile games, e-commerce is a booming industry in Vietnam.
[Photos] Meet Tan Phu District's Breeze House
Saigon is full of surprises. Whether it's a theme park in District 9, a hidden temple in the heart of downtown or a high-end fashion shop in Binh Chanh, things in this city crop up exactly where you l...
Netflix Is Coming To Cambodia In 2016
No matter who you are, this is a sight you've seen at least once in your life:
Tan Son Nhat to Be Expanded...Again
Last Friday, local officials announced further plans to expand Tan Son Nhat International Airport as part of an ongoing effort to ease passenger overcrowding.
Health Officials May Require 'Rape Verification' For Certain Abortions
The Vietnamese Ministry of Health may require rape victims seeking an abortion for a fetus older than 12 weeks to verify that they have been sexually assaulted.
German Firm Wins Design Contest For Hanoi's National Conference & Exhibition Center
After a two-month contest, Vingroup has selected a winner to design its upcoming development project, the National Conference & Exhibition Center in Hanoi's Co Loa area.
Saigon Sees a Sharp Rise in Dengue Fever
This has been a tough year for dengue in Vietnam. While health officials have been cautioning for months now that the illness, passed by mosquitoes, is on the rise, dengue has reached peak levels in t...
Hanoi: CAPITAL City Book Wins Bui Xuan Phai Award
Earlier this year, German lecturer Michael Waibel released Hà Nội: Capital City, a beautiful, large-format photo book, in conjuction with Audi Vietnam and the Goethe Institute.
Vietnamese Startups Hold Their Own Among Southeast Asia's Top 30 Tech Outfits
Vietnam's tech star is on the rise. These days, startup communities are thriving across the country, new crowdfunding laws are being developed to help burgeoning tech companies get off the ground...
[Photos] Bitexco Group To Transform Thanh Da Into Urban Wasteland
If you've ever been to Thanh Da, you know that it's practically a rural village stuck smack-dab in the middle of Saigon. Rice paddies and fishing ponds take up most of the peninsula, along with a few ...
Saigon Metro Lines Face Delays, Cost Overruns
While work on Saigon’s metro line No. 1 chugs along, two of its brothers, metro lines numbers 2 and 5, are facing a slew of delays and cost overruns.
Agreement Reached on Trans-Pacific Partnership
On Monday, officials from 12 Pacific Rim nations reached an agreement on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the largest regional trade agreement to date.
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...
