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.
Hanoi Launches Citywide Vaccination Campaign, Aiming to Reach 200,000 Shots Daily
Recently, the Hanoi People's Committee announced a plan to execute the largest vaccination campaign the city has ever seen. The goal is to get about 70% of the city population vaccinated against COVID...
Hanoi to Spend VND500bn in New Plan to Renovate Old Apartment Buildings
Between 2021 and 2025, Hanoi plans to spend VND500 billion (US$28.1 million) on inspecting and assessing the quality of old apartment buildings in the city.
Vietnamese Scientists Are Developing an AI to Detect Covid-19 via Cough Sounds
Vietnamese engineers are encouraging the community to submit 5,000 different cough recordings. This will be used as data for building AI software — AICOVIDVN — that can detect COVID-19 ...
5 Made-in-Vietnam Inventions Helping the Fight Against Covid-19
Since the arrival of COVID-19, scores of made-in-Vietnam technological innovations have been launched in the hope of supporting frontline workers to fight the pandemic. Furthermore, these innovations ...
[Photos] An Open-Plan Abode That Harks Back to Traditional Homes
With seasonal floodwaters no longer reaching the neighborhood, when it came time to rebuild this home, architects opted to abandon the stilts previously used in the area while seeking to retain a trad...
Outside In: An Indie Studio in Hanoi Releases the Ultimate Friendship Test on Steam
Outside In: The Ultimate Friendship Test is a new Steam game that was developed by a team of independent game designers from Hanoi. The challenging game revolves around a war against a deadly virus. P...
Vietnam Produces First Test Batch of Sputnik V Covid-19 Vaccine
What will this mean for Vietnam's sluggish vaccination campaign?
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Trái Thị: The Fruit of Heavenly Smell and Infernal Taste
If you had to pick a national smell that represents Vietnam, what would it be? There are a host of strong contenders: durian, lotus-scented green tea, fragrant pandan sticky rice, that enticing aroma ...
[Photos] In Quang Ninh, a Dilapidated Park Receives New Lease on Life
The 1990s Quang Ninh Park was nearly abandoned in need of a revamp to attract local exercisers and loafers alike.
Thanh Hoa Groom Runs 19km to Bride's House on Wedding Day
If recent developments in Vietnam’s COVID-19 outbreak have dampened your spirit, here’s a wholesome pick-me-up.
Q&A: Activist Lương Thế Huy and the Journey to Advocate for Gender Equality
“I am a social activist,” Lương Thế Huy says when asked to introduce himself to Saigoneer. It is hard to imagine a different answer, or Huy in a different role, when he has spent a decade pursuin...
2 Vietnamese Projects Win Jury Prize at Architecture Awards by Architizer
A number of architecture projects in Vietnam have made the list of finalists or even won prizes at the A+Awards organized by Architizer.
As Covid-19 Batters Region, Vietnam-Hosted SEA Games Postponed to July 2022
Despite early containment success, Southeast Asian countries facing the Delta variant are channeling resources to healthcare instead of sports.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Trái Vải: The Intoxicating Harbinger of Summer
Is scarcity a source of beauty?
Street Art: Hanoi Runner Creates Drawings From Routes on Strava
Who said excercise can't be fun or artsy?
Linh Pham in Tech
Wonder How Much Air-Con Costs You This Summer? A Homegrown App Can Help.
Vietnam is facing a serious electricity shortage, yet we have no idea how much energy we use everyday.
[Photos] A 'Tropical Chalet' in Da Nang for Post-Pandemic Travel Dreams
What comes to mind when you see the word "chalet"?
Saigon Releases Update of Map Portal With Local Covid-19 Cases, Vaccination Points
If you still find it difficult to fully grasp the scale and spread of Saigon’s current COVID-19 outbreak, look no further than this new map portal.
HCMC Proposes Rail Link Between Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh Airports
This is part of the city's suggestions for the Vietnam Railway Authority's railway development plan for 2021-2030.
Vietnamese Architects Are Leaders in the Architecture of the Information Age
Over the past few years, Vietnamese architects have been developing a new architecture beyond modernism for small projects such as houses and schools. Architects around the world are taking notice and...
