in Health

From Pain and Misery to Confidence and Community: How AnaWorkout Can Transform One’s Life

Having gotten a wee lumpy around the middle, In 2020, I decided to start hitting the gym, but I needed a bit of extra motivation to make it there regularly. Luckily, I had a friend, Tu Anh (who also goes by Ana), who was reinventing herself. She became my first personal trainer, and I became her first client. More than half a decade later, she has gone from a fitness hobbyist to a professional, a journey that saw her completely reroute her career path and remake her own body in the process.

in Tech

Vietnamese Indie Studio Skrollcat Announces 'Hoa 2,' Sequel of 2021 Award-Winning Game

In 2021, the first Hoa title came out just in time to soothe our pandemic anxiety. Five years later, will Hoa 2 be up for the job in this new era of fuel crisis and global instability?

in Architecture

The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Modernist Architecture

Since the mid-20th century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, etc. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global modernism.

in Environment

Vietnam's Woolly Bat Is Being Hunted to Extinction to Be Halloween Decorations

With hues of orange and black on its wings and a furry, fluffy face, the painted woolly bat is a stunner. But its beauty has become a deadly liability. People want to hang the bats — dead and stuffed — on their walls, display them as collectibles and even set them in jewelry.

in Natural Selection

In Search of Ba Khía, the Mangrove Crab That Captures the Soul of Cà Mau

The tide is low tonight. The mud flats, enveloped in the mangrove forest’s darkness, are dotted with the sporadic flares of headlamps. On bundles of exposed mangrove roots, shadows cast by black crabs crowd out one another. In my hometown, we call them “ba khía.”

in Development

Hanoi Breaks Ground on Sports Complex With World's 2nd-Largest Stadium

Hanoi is currently building the country’s largest sports complex that’s hoped to become Vietnam’s go-to location to host international events and tournaments.

in Development

Saigon Approves Plan to Extend Metro Line 1 to Long Thành International Airport

Plans for eventual metro access to the Long Thành International Airport are taking shape.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

A Brief History of Ngựa, a Non-Native Animal Vietnam Has Made Its Own

Are horses a Vietnamese animal?

Back Society

in Development

What Does The Future Hold For Saigon’s Skeleton Tower?

The monolithic Saigon One Tower is the most obvious victim of the city's burst real estate bubble (which looks to be finally recovering). Even though the skeleton of the unfinished US$238 million ...

in Development

Construction of Saigon Metro Flyover Above the Hanoi Highway Begins

Work on the above ground section of Saigon's first metro line is in full swing. Along with the construction of a rail bridge across the Saigon River and the installation of concrete girders, ...

in Development

Future Saigon: The District 5 Cultural Center

Below are some renderings of a new cultural center designed by HSP International Vietnam and Ardor Architects that will be located at 105 Tran Hung Dao, District 5.

in Development

Vietnam Plans To Launch High-Speed Rail Line By 2040

Despite the National Assembly’s opinion that it should be pushed to the back burner, the Transport Ministry is moving ahead with plans for Vietnam’s first high-speed rail line.

in Development

[Video] Workers Toss Molten Rivets To Repair Long Bien Bridge

Hanoi’s iconic Long Bien Bridge in the midst of a much-needed renovation to make it safer for pedestrians and drivers. But while one might think that a US$15 million upgrade would be conducted with cu...

in Development

Vietnam Moves Ahead With Plans For First Nuclear Power Plant

After years of delays, it looks like plans for Vietnam’s first nuclear power plant are slowly moving forward.

in Architecture

[Photos] Nha4 Architects Designs Flood-Proof Extension For Thai Hoa Home

Given the recent flooding in northern Vietnam, this “flood-proof” house extension seems like a smart addition for many Vietnamese families that face rising waters each rainy season.

in Tech

[Video] Dirtbiker Glides On Water, Surfs Waves With Custom Bike

When roads across Vietnam transform into rivers during the rainy season, water floods the engines of motorbikes, rendering them useless in the face of the murky currents. At some point, each of these ...

in Health

How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Gluten

So you’ve been told that gluten is the antithesis of healthy living. Google searches involving the words “gluten” and “bad” yield thousands of articles branding this highly misunderstood substance as ...

in Development

[Renderings] A Look Inside Landmark 81, Vietnam's Future Tallest Skyscraper

In less than three years, the colossal Landmark 81 will rise from what was once a container port next to Saigon Pearl. Once completed, the 461.2 meter structure will be the tallest building in Vietnam...

in Architecture

[Photos] Da Nang Spa Is a Modern-Day Twist on Babylon’s Hanging Gardens

“In this palace he erected very high walks, supported by stone pillars; and by planting what was called a pensile paradise, and replenishing it with all sorts of trees, he rendered the prospect an exa...

in Development

Design For Saigon’s Underground Metro Tracks Approved

While the concrete pylons that comprise the above ground portion of Saigon’s first metro have lined the North-South Expressway for years, things are finally ramping up on its subterranean stations.

in Health

Up To 54% Of Ice In Saigon Found To Be Contaminated

From trà đá and cafe sữa đá to bia hơi, ice is an important element of beverage culture in Saigon. But according to a new study by the city’s Department of Food Hygiene and Safety, more than half of i...

in Development

Car Sales In Vietnam Have Increased 58% Over Last Year

Over the past year, 103,500 automobiles were sold in Vietnam, perhaps signaling the dawn of the car age in a country where motorbikes have long reined king.

in Development

[Photos] Behind The Scenes Of Hanoi’s First Metro Line

Wavy tracks and all, work is quickly moving ahead on Hanoi’s aboveground Cat Linh-Ha Dong railway. Seemingly on pace with Saigon’s first metro line, last week workers moved ahead with tricky girder in...

in Development

Design Officially Approved For Vietnam’s Tallest Building

Binh Thanh District's Landmark 81 skyscraper has been officially approved by the city's People’s Committee, clearing the path for the construction of Vietnam’s tallest building.

in Tech

Viber Closes Its Vietnam Office Due To Poor Performance: Insiders

Viber, maker of the instant messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) app of the same name, announced that it has closed its Vietnam office and moved its operations to the Philippines.

in Development

Saigon to Demolish 61 Old Apartment Buildings

Saigon plans to take down 61 deteriorating apartment buildings and relocate their 7,200 households to resettlement areas. However, it's easier said than done.

in Development

City Announces Plans for New Bridge Connecting Thu Thiem and South Saigon

Another significant feature of Thu Thiem’s transportation infrastructure is in the works as the city is planning to build a bridge between the new urban area and South Saigon in District 7.

Brian Letwin

in Architecture

[Photos] The Disappearing Japanese Colonial Architecture Of Korea

Like the European empires of France, Britain, Spain and the Netherlands, Japan once occupied wide swaths of Asia, imposing its military and cultural influence over its colonies.