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.
Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project
Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Saigon Commences Metro Line, Major Administrative Hub Project in Thủ Thiêm
Municipal authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City are moving forward with a number of infrastructure projects that will majorly transform the peninsula in the future.
From the Ground up Into the Air: The Evolution of Bitexco in 25 Photos
Between Thủ Thiêm's ambitious new skyscrapers, the planned transformation of Thanh Đa Peninsula and a LEED-standard apart...
The Global Waste Trade Fuels the Rise of Waste Colonialism in Southeast Asia
In August 2025, Malaysian campaigner Wong Pui Yi stood outside the UN headquarters in Geneva and made an appeal to Global North nations: “Stop treating the Global South as the rubbish bin for plastic waste you cannot handle.”
Lotte, Japanese Firms Partner up on $2bn Eco Smart City in D2
Perhaps the development of Thu Thiem is finally underway with the announcement that South Korean multinational Lotte will team up with two Japanese developers on a US$2 billion mega project in the pen...
Fake Fanpages Of Vietnamese Politicians Flood Facebook
As some Vietnamese politicians embrace Facebook, others have been a bit slower to adopt it. However, many in the latter group are already represented on the social network with fake Fanpages.
World’s Tallest Broadcasting Tower To Be Built In Hanoi
Plans are in the works for what will be by far the tallest structure in Vietnam.
Microsoft To Move 2 Nokia Factories From China To Vietnam For Lower Labor Costs
It looks like Vietnam’s master plan to lure global tech companies is panning out with the announcement last week that Microsoft is closing two of its handset plants in China and moving operations to V...
15 Projects That Will Change Saigon Forever: Part 1
The area between Bến Thành Market and the Saigon Opera House is undeniably the epicenter of changes to the city’s urban fabric with the construction of pedestrian promenades, subway stations, a n...
Inside Nhà Bè District's "B House"
This small but impressive home in Saigon's Nhà Bè District was built on a premise of “open but introverted space.” The structure, designed by i.House Architecture and Construction, feat...
US$100 Million Budgeted To Return A Saigon Canal To Its Former Glory
Hàng Bàng Canal, formerly known as Canal Bonard, will soon receive a massive US$100 million renovation in a bid to return the narrow brackish creek into a clean, manicured waterway.
Medical Musings: Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is the most common mosquito-transmitted viral illness in the world. It is seen in Vietnam and over 120 other sub-tropical and tropical countries, wherever the Aedes aegypti mosquito is fo...
Google.vn Hacked By "Lizard Squad"
This afternoon, users attempting to connect to the Google.vn homepage were greeted by text, a photo and video courtesy of what appears to be a small collective of American hackers.
[Photos] Da Nang House Inspired by Termite Mounds and Champa Architecture
The Termitary House, recently completed by Tropical Space Architects in Da Nang's Thanh Khe District, gets its inspiration from both intricate termite mounds and the baked-brick towers of the Cha...
New Website Uses Travelers To Deliver Items To Those Aboard
A new website, Bringers.co, offers to make deliverymen (and women) out of people traveling abroad.
Future Saigon: Saigon Green Energy Tower
Another ambitious project for Saigon’s Võ Văn Kiệt Street is in the works with plans for a 53-story (for reference, the Bitexco Tower is 68 stories) mega project.
2 Bicyclists Set To Ride From Saigon To Paris To Raise Awareness Of Climate Change
On Thursday February 12, Simon Nelson and Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan will set off on a bicycle ride from Saigon to the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris (COP21) in order t...
Vietnamese School Wins Top Award At International Architecture Competition
Vo Trong Nghia had added to its list of international accolades, taking home top honors for its Farming Kindergarten in the recent Archdaily “Building of the Year” awards.
[Video] Alibaba Tests Drone Delivery Service In China
Chinese online retail giant, Alibaba, has taken a page out of Amazon’s playbook, launching a three-day drone delivery pilot program.
Vietnam Hopes To Launch 4G LTE This Year
As public WIFI spreads across Vietnam’s streets, cities and transportation networks, plans are in the works to upgrade the country’s mobile internet to 4G LTE status.
22 Photos That Reveal How Bad Pollution Has Become In China
While pollution is becoming a serious problem in Vietnam with reports of cancer villages and toxic canals popping up the press recently, we live in a natural utopia compared with the residents of Chin...
Vietnam’s First Nuclear Power Plant Faces Another Setback
Due to slowing economic growth and safety concerns, the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear reactor has been delayed yet again.
Saigon Ranked 6th Most Dynamic City In Recent Report
Saigon ranked 6th in a report released last month that graded 120 cities across the world based on real estate and socioeconomic factors.
Construction Has Begun On The US$200m Thu Thiem Bridge 2
At a ceremony yesterday afternoon, authorities formally kicked-off construction of the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge which will stretch across the Saigon River from Tôn Đức Thắng Street to the Thủ Thiêm peninsul...
