Phạm Phú Vinh

in Architecture

Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People

In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.

in Architecture

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.

in Development

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.

in Environment

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?"

in Development

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.

in Development

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...

Back Society

in Tech

From the Lab of Forever Wheelchair, Hope for Vietnam's Handicapped Animals

The ability to roam and frolic around is essential for our canine and feline companions' well-being, but too often, it can become a privilege for cats and dogs living with disability and immobility fr...

in Health

Health Ministry Stresses 'LGBT Is Not a Disease' in Response to Rise in 'Gay Cure' Clinics

Vietnam’s Ministry of Health recently issued an official dispatch stressing that homosexuality is not a disease.

in Education

The Power of Performing Arts at British International School Hanoi

What is the value of taking dance classes for students who will not pursue dance as a career?

in Architecture

In Huế, a Glass Cottage to Spend the Rest of Your Life With Your Beloved

If somehow your relationship manages to survive illnesses, conflicts, and external temptations to endure until both of you are in your sunset years, how would you spend the rest of your life?

in Environment

Hanoi Students Create Green Material From Durian Rind to Aid Oil Spill Cleanup

A group of university students has created an aerogel material from durian rind which can help clean up oil spills.

in Natural Selection

Gõ Nước: An Endangered Tree That Offers Hope for Conservation Efforts

Is it true that the more names something has, the more beloved it is? Consider all the nicknames you have for your best friends, or the myriad of terms people have invented for deities. If one can ass...

in Development

Hanoi Unveils Design for New Floating Opera House Near West Lake

Hanoi is planning to build a 13,000 square-meter floating theater near West Lake with a capacity of around 3,500 seats. 

in Architecture

[Photos] A House in Sơn La Cocoons Its Residents Around a Quiet Courtyard

In many up-and-coming urban areas in Vietnam, empty plots of land are sectioned off and sold as narrow puzzle pieces that will eventually become towering tube houses facing the chaos of arterial stree...

in Education

Local Businesses Find Flexible Solutions at MyStorage

The sleek aesthetic of a bakery specializing in meticulously crafted high-end pastries would be ruined by stacks of packaging stored between the bright display case and the open kitchen.

in Education

MangLub and Seed for Sea Work to Expand Tra Vinh’s Mangroves

Over the last year, tendrils of young mangrove trees have spread along the banks of the broad  Cổ Chiên River in Trà Vinh Province. 

in Parks & Rec

How Exotic Pole Dance Challenges Both Personal Limits and Gender Stereotypes

Flashing flares of neon lights hug the body of a dancer who’s spinning around a pole in the raucous thrum of music and sensuous gasps. In the mind of the average Vietnamese, pole dancing is often asso...

Govi Snell

in Environment

In Đà Lạt, Greenhouses Revolutionize Farming, but at What Environmental Cost?

Plastic greenhouses in the city of Đà Lạt may protect farmers from the impacts of erratic weather, but the environmental toll of agri-plastics is building in the agriculture-dependent region.

in Architecture

[Photos] This Buôn Ma Thuột House Is a Cottagecore Dreamland

In recent years, the Central Highlands has slowly become one of the most sought-after regions in Vietnam for young people to travel and live in.

in Education

Achieving Social-Emotional Development at International School Saigon Pearl

Why do children go to school? Cultivating knowledge and skills necessary for an independent, working life is important, but that is only part of the story. The social-emotional learning that takes pla...

in Environment

Scuba Diving at Nha Trang Island Temporarily Banned Due to Poor Coral Health

Hòn Mun, a 5-square-kilometer square island about 10 kilometers off the coast of Nha Trang, will be closed to swimmers and divers indefinitely to protect the area's severely damaged coral.

in Health

Due to Bidding Red Tape, Pasteur Institute HCMC Runs Out of Vaccines

Saigoneers wishing to inoculate themselves or their children have recently been turned away at the Pasteur Institute in HCMC as the institute struggles to secure its vaccine supplies.

Uyên Đỗ

in Natural Selection

Đom Đóm: Why the Light Is Going Out for Fireflies in Vietnam

Much like their brief existence on Earth, once-common fireflies are quickly disappearing from Vietnam’s natural and oral histories.

in Environment

In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil

In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.

in Environment

Vietnamese Students Win Earth Prize for Dragon Fruit Peel Biodegradable Sanitary Pads

A trio of Vietnamese high schoolers claimed the top prize in the environmental awareness competition The Earth Prize 2022 thanks to their project which turned dragon fruit peels into biodegradabl...

in Education

What Primary Education Emphasizes at British International School Hanoi

Grades, examinations and preparations for university acceptances are all necessary aspects of a student’s education, but they only constitute a small fraction of what schools focus on.