Khôi Phạm in Architecture
On Phú Quý Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement like Saigon, Cần Thơ or Mỹ Tho, how has this unique form of vernacular architectural expression been transformed?
Văn Tân in Architecture
An Homage to Courtyards, the Heart of Traditional Vietnamese Homes
This time of the year, the giáng hương tree in my grandma’s courtyard is probably blooming with clusters of golden blossoms, enticing the kids in the neighborhood to gather around it and carefully pick off the prettiest petals to create makeshift jewelry.
Mầm in Parks & Rec
The Young Vietnamese Artisans Breathing New Life Into Animals Carcasses
Skeletons and carcasses are often reminiscent of eerie, spine-chilling scenes in horror movies. But in the taxidermy community, animal corpses are of great value for artisans to create unique works that blur the line between life and death.
Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?
Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát sắt vụn bán nào…” This familiar scene, no matter how nostalgic, might change soon.
Đuông Dừa, the Mekong Delta's Unique Squishy Snack and Enemy of Coconut Trees
Towards the deep end of our home, several coconut trees’ fronds started browning and falling off, straight from the bud. For the last few weeks, tiny holes have gradually appeared on the coconut trunk and shoot, from a few to numerous, giving off an unpleasant funk of rotten sap. My dad says that these trees are infested with đuông, and we must chop them all down lest we lose the entire grove.
Oliver Newman in Society
Chạm Vào Xanh, the Social Enterprise Normalizing Joy for People With Disabilities
Hồng’s parents took her out of school in Grade 5. They weren’t facing financial issues, her grades weren’t bad and she had no behavioral setbacks. It was just because she has cerebral palsy.
Đàng Trong Cafe Marries Gò Công's Nhà 3 Gian Design With Modern Cafe
Major metropolises like Saigon and Hanoi might boast the most concentrated distributions of coffee shops in Vietnam, but a new crop of fresh faces in other up-and-coming towns have emerged in the scene, offering sterling brews, spacious seats, and, in some cases, delightful interior design that blends modern cafe conventions with uniquely local flairs.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
A Folk Symbol and Cash Animal, King Cobras Just Really Want to Be Left Alone
The king cobra, or rắn hổ mang chúa in Vietnamese, has great personal branding. For proof, one need look no further than the recent flower display on Nguyễn Huệ celebrating the Year of the Snake: the largest, most impressive statue bore the telltale hood of a cobra.
Future Saigon: The SSG Tower
You may have noticed the massive building going up in Binh Thanh District on Dien Bien Phu Street, just before the Saigon Bridge. The SSG tower, slated for completion by late 2015, will house offices,...
EuroCham: Vietnam’s GDP Could Reach 21% With EU Trade Deal
Speaking at the Vietnam Business Forum last week, a senior EU official said that Vietnam’s annual GDP could see an additional 15% boost if it reached a free trade agreement with the EU by the end of t...
Brian Letwin in Development
5 Amazingly Designed Homes in Saigon
While Saigon is known for its ubiquitous rectangular houses, the city boasts some fine examples of unique and beautifully designed homes. Some are topped with trees, others allow for the maximum flow ...
[Photos] Changes to Saigon’s Skyline (2003-2014): Part 2
Due to the popularity of previous articles capturing the physical changes of Saigon’s skyline over the past decade, we’ve managed to cobble together a new set of photos.
Brian Letwin in Development
Future Saigon: The Thu Thiem Marina
While there’s still a long ways to go before the Thu Thiem is completed (or started, for that matter), there are plans to build Saigon’s first marina on the southeast side of the new urban area.
Thu Minh Joins Prince William and David Beckham in London to Support Wildlife Campaign
Vietnamese pop singer, Thu Minh, joined Prince William and David Beckham in London on June 9 in support of the new United for Wildlife Campaign’s “Whose side are you on” project.
99 New Species Discovered In Vietnam
A new World Wide Fund (WWF) study, conducted between 2012 and 2013, found 99 new species of flora and fauna in Vietnam, some just outside of major urban centers, reports Thanh Nien.
Vietnam Has a Major Counterfeit Condom Crisis
Health officials expressed concern after a new report warned that nearly half of the commercially-available condoms in Vietnam are of poor quality.
Businessman: Even Bill Gates Isn’t Qualified For A Work Permit In Vietnam
At an economic forum last Thursday held in Hanoi, attendees complained about difficulties in obtaining work permits for their employees due to “stringent” and “unreasonable” requirements that would ma...
Beat the Heat with This Homemade Air Conditioner
Sure, breaking through a CIA firewall is impressive. But sometimes, life hands you a hacking opportunity that’s decidedly analog.
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon's Folding Wall House
It’s nice to see someone other than Vo Trong Nghia Architects making progressive home designs in Vietnam. This Folding Wall House was built by Nha Dan architects in 2013 and was designed to allow...
Brian Letwin in Health
Report: Vietnamese Spend $1 Billion a Year on Tobacco
Earlier this week, the Ministry of Health reported that Vietnamese smokers spend over VND22 trillion ($1.04 billion) a year on tobacco products, reports Tuoi Tre.
HCMC Schools Burn Millions of Dollars on Unused Electronic White Boards
Schools in HCMC yet again face scandal, allegations of corruption and incompetence, and uncertainty about how best to use technology in the classroom, according to Thanh Nien.
Brian Letwin in Development
[Video] City Planners Release Epic Plans for Future Saigon
And we thought the plan to reorganize downtown Saigon was ambitious. This new video from The Department of Planning and Architecture of HCMC shows what it envisions to be the future of Saigon.
BBGV Inter-Company Football Charity Tournament @ RMIT
BBGV would like to take this opportunity to announce the first BBGV Inter-Company Football Tournament for Charity in HCMC. The event will bring 16 company teams together to compete for the ...
Brian Letwin in Tech
[Video] Apple Taps Into Vietnam’s Beauty for New iPad Commercial
Vietnam is a beautiful country that happens to be obsessed with Apple products. While we’re still waiting for the first legit Apple store to open, the tech giant has picked Vietnam as setting for its ...
Brian Letwin in Development
Future Saigon: the Eximbank Tower
As The One Ho Chi Minh City moves along at a slow pace, behind it, the Eximbank Tower has begun its gradual climb towards the Saigon sky.
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] Changes to Saigon’s Skyline (2003-2013): Part 1
Within just a decade, Saigon’s skyline has changed dramatically. This is illustrated through photos taken by Michael Waibel, editor of the TP. Hồ Chí Minh: MEGA City photo book, from the Caravelle Hot...
Brian Letwin in Sports
5 of Saigon’s Best Public Swimming Pools
As tempted as I am to jump into the Saigon River on scorching afternoons, taking a dip in one of Saigon's many public pools is a much more logical (not to mention safer) option.
Brian Letwin in Tech
Report: Vietnam has Reached 25 Million Facebook Users
A market research study from Epinion, a Danish marketing agency, has found that 25 million of Vietnam’s 36 million internet users have Facebook accounts, reports VietNamNet.
