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 Architecture

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 ...

in Environment

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.

in Architecture

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.

in Architecture

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?

in Architecture

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.

Back Society

in Environment

[Photos] Pollution Kills Tens of Thousands of Fish in Saigon’s Revitalized Canal

Last Tuesday, residents living along Saigon’s Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe canal woke up to the foul odor of dead fish.

in Development

Achieve Sushi Zen At This Minimalist D1 Japanese Restaurant

Local architecture firm, 07Beach, has become the go-to choice for many of Saigon’s best Japanese restaurants. After the completion of the minimalist 4P’s Bar and Ramen Bar Suzuki, the firm’s main...

in Tech

Vietnamese Tech Firm Unleashes 'the Best Smartphone in the World'

Vietnamese tech company, Bkav has unveiled the Bphone, a smartphone that the firm’s CEO has ambitiously dubbed “the best smartphone in the world.”

in Development

Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - Urban Transport

Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...

in Health

[Video] What Happens When Vietnamese Try to Use a Condom for the First Time

You know sex education in Vietnam is lacking when a group of 20-somethings struggle mightily to unfurl a condom.

in Development

Nha Trang To Be “More Beautiful Than Hawaii," "More Developed Than Hong Kong": Official

Officials have big plans in store for Nha Trang, presenting an urban development plan that they claim would make the coastal city “more beautiful than Hawaii” and “more developed than Hong Kong.”

in Environment

Report Finds 77% Decrease in Vietnamese Rhino Horn Buyers

It looks like the anti-rhino horn campaigns are finally paying off in Vietnam with a new report finding that there has been a 77% decrease in domestic buyers and a 66% drop in the number of people who...

in Tech

[Photos] Inside Vietnam's Only Nuclear Reactor

Vietnam has operated a nuclear reactor on-and-off since 1963 when the Americans helped create the Da lat Nuclear Research Institute. There, a General Atomics-built TRIGA-Mark II reactor was installed ...

in Health

Fake Rice Made With Plastic Has Allegedly Made Its Way To Vietnam

As if we didn’t have enough to worry about when it comes to local food safety, reports have surfaced that fake, plastic-based rice may have found its way into our food supply.

in Development

[Photos] New Renderings Of Binh Thanh District’s Central Park Complex

Between the Saigon and Thu Thiem bridges in Binh Thanh District sits a large plot from which steel skeletons are slowly emerging. If things go according to plan, by 2017, a massive, dense urban area w...

in Tech

Vietnam’s Internet Speeds Ranked 99th Globally In New Report

The latest “State of the Internet” quarterly report found that while Vietnam ranks toward the back of the pack when it comes to internet speeds, things are looking up.

in Development

Future Saigon: The Gold View

District 4’s waterfront is about to get a major addition with a sprawling mixed-use complex across from downtown Saigon.

in Development

New Tata Deal Could Drop Car Prices To US$2,500 In Vietnam

While high prices put cars out of reach for the majority of Vietnamese, the emergence of low-cost “city cars” could soon make the four-wheeled dream a reality for the masses.

in Development

Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - People In The Capital City

Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...

in Development

Da Nang Is 'Vietnam’s Singapore': Bloomberg

A recent article in the Bloomberg paints a very rosy picture of Da Nang, going as far as to call it “Vietnam’s Singapore,” due to its good governance, business-friendly policies, strong IT backbo...

in Health

Vietnam Moves to Ban Smoking at Weddings and Funerals

In a move to combat climbing smoking rates in Vietnam, heath officials have proposed banning the act at weddings and funerals.

in Development

[Infographic] Car Prices In Vietnam Compared To Its Neighbors

Buying a car is a notoriously expensive proposition in Vietnam due to the exorbitant taxes levied against them. This handy infographic further illustrates this point by comparing car prices in Vietnam...

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside Saigon’s Abstract 2H House

Truong An architecture and 23o5Studio recently teamed up an this abstract house in Saigon’s Thanh My Loi new urban area. The structure was designed to allow light to proliferate throughout, paint...

in Tech

US$40m Earmarked For Saigon’s Silicon Valley

Looking to capitalize on Vietnam’s growing tech industry, a group of investors has been granted a license to develop "Saigon Silicon City," a project modeled after the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley.

in Development

Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - Architecture & Housing

Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...