Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk
Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trapped inside music boxes: the water hyacinth.
Saigon Heat Wins Intracity Rivalry Over HCMC Wings, Closing Out VBA Regular Season
Families of fans filed into the “Fire Pan” on September 3, wearing red, white, and black jerseys. The atmosphere hums with anticipation.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
Vignette: Local Ox Rampages Airport, Stops Flights, Gets Put in Museum in Huế
Name a famous buffalo.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
Vignette: Behold Vietnam's Oldest Rock, a Memento Mori of Human Insignificance
While lamenting how long it had been since I’d last sent a postcard, a coworker at Saigoneer revealed that she is too young to have ever seen a stamp in person, let alone affixed one to a letter. The fashions I wore in high school have come full circle and are once again in style. New slang terms initially baffle and then enrage me. I read popular music festival fliers without recognizing a single name.
Tiny Tracks, Big Passion: Inside the Miniature World of Vietnam's Model Train Enthusiasts
“When you turn it on, the train is not only moving, but it can make sounds too. The sounds are so authentic that when I listen to it, I feel like I am sitting on a real train right now,” Minh Tú, a Saigon-based model train aficionado, shares with me the satisfied feeling every time he gets a mini train to run.
A Delta Nest in Cao Lãnh Fit for a Solitary Poet
Who says a single person can't nest?
Learning to Coexist in Peace Is the First Step to Protect Vietnam's Last Remaining Elephants
A trail of enormous footprints, criss-crossing slabs of cracked concrete, lead to a battered ranger station in Vietnam’s Pù Mát National Park. Park staff say the wild Asian elephant that left the tracks is as friendly as it is lonely.
In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity and Gender Fluidity Too
“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by night, she joins her friends at the Soul Waackers, a waacking group based in Hanoi, and practices a dance style that allows her a vibrant way to self-express.
Beautiful Photos of Saigon From Above
Camera-mounted drones are becoming increasingly popular in Saigon, capturing the city’s frenetic energy from the calm skies above.
Vietnam's Taxi-hailing App Market Heating Up
Vietnam is fast-becoming part of the global apps market. While mobile games like ‘Flappy Bird’ have garnered the most press, more utilitarian apps are becoming popular, especially the taxi-hailing var...
Vietnamese E-Commerce Grew by 314% Last Year
Experts have long forecast strong E-Commerce growth in Vietnam due to a booming internet population, but new statistics from the country’s E-Commerce and Information Technology Agency (VECITA) have su...
[Slideshow] Amazing Views from The Manor
The Manor Saigon is a luxury condominium apartment complex consisting of two high-rise 30-storey towers in Binh Thanh District. They are located within the midst of a seemingly endless maze of typical...
[Infographic] Vietnamese Obesity Rate Lowest in Southeast Asia
According to statistics collected by the World Health Organization in 2011, Vietnamese are the least overweight in SE Asia.
Future Saigon: The One Ho Chi Minh City
It’s been over a year since the row of old shop houses were torn down across from the Ben Thanh Market bus station to make way for The One Ho Chi Minh City. After a period of relative quiet, it looks ...
WHO Study: Vietnamese Women Outdrink Russian Men
Well, this is a bit of a shocker. While it’s no secret that Vietnam is one of Asia’s leading beer consumers, according to a recent WHO study, Vietnamese women outdrink Russian men.
Future Saigon: The German House
Earlier this week, Tuoi Tre reported that HCMC and the German General Consulate have agreed on a 99-year lease for a prime piece of real estate in the heart of downtown for the low, low price of VND1....
[Infographic] How Fast is Vietnam’s Internet Compared to Other ASEAN Nations?
Yes, we know that Vietnam’s 3G speeds are incredibly low (2G ½?) but how does the country’s internet speed compare to other ASEAN nations? According to a new infographic created by ASEAN DNA, slightly...
Vietnam has Emerged as Apple’s Hottest Market
With sales of Apple products in Vietnam tripling in the fiscal first half of this year, a rate 5 times faster than India, the tech giant is finally taking notice and recently “talked up” the potential...
[Video] Vietnamese Man Gets Shock of his Life When Plugging in Mobile Phone
Sure, mobile phones may give you brain cancer but the devices pose short term dangers as well. The guy in this video learned this the hard way when he went to plug in his mobile phone and got the shoc...
[Slideshow] Changes Over Time: How Saigon's Skyline has Evolved Since 2003
The 33 storey Saigon Trade Center was completed in 1997 and was the tallest building in Vietnam until the erection of the Bitexco Financial Tower in 2010. On the roof terrace of the building, there wa...
A Tale of Two Cities: HCMC and Rotterdam Team up to Battle Climate Change
Both HCMC and Rotterdam are port cities near a coast, surrounded by a river delta that is being affected by climate change with rising sea levels and an increase in severe storms. The two cities ...
A Complete(ish) Map of HCMC's Metro System
Saigoneer’s resident historian, Tim Doling, is not only enamored with Vietnamese history, but also the country’s railways, having published The Railways and Tramways of Việt Nam. As Saigon gears up fo...
[Slideshow] Vietcombank Tower Set to Emerge as Saigon’s 2nd Tallest Building
The next big addition to Saigon’s skyline, the Vietcombank Tower, has almost topped out and stands to become the city’s second tallest building after the Bitexco Tower.
New App Let’s You Share Wifi Passwords in Vietnam
Ever go into your phone’s wifi settings and wish you could access the dozens of networks the pop up? Well, there’s an app for that – WiFi Chua.
Asian Air Pollution Could Be Altering Global Weather Patterns
Air pollution may be posing a serious threat to global public health, but according to a new study, it may be responsible for freak weather patterns in North America, reports CNN.
Experts: Saigon has Lost 56% of its Historic Buildings in 10 Years
It’s no secret that Saigon has done little to protect its historic buildings in the face of rapid urban development. As a result, the city has lost 56% of its heritage buildings since 2004, according ...
[Video] Camera-Mounted Drone Captures Hanoi from Above
For much of the world, drones inspire fear and terror. But for countries that aren’t at the mercy of the CIA, the popularity of these remote-controlled devices have taken off and some have even been f...
'House for Trees' in Tan Binh District
Vo Trong Nghia Architects, winners of ArchDaily’s ‘House of the Year’ award, is undoubtedly Vietnam’s leading sustainable/green design firm. One of their latest projects, ‘House for Trees’ was complet...
