Văn Tân in Natural Selection
Hoa Bưởi's Fleeting but Fragrant Season Teaches Us to Find Beauty in Impermanence
Every year during this time, I can’t help but hanker for a taste of sugarcane infused with hoa bưởi, or pomelo blossom. Only hoa bưởi’s tender aroma can accentuate the flavor of this humble snack several folds.
A Botanical Illustrator Captures Vietnam's Flora on Paper, One Species at a Time
When science and art commingle in a botanical illustration, it’s as if a magical world appears, where colors, brushstrokes, and lighting work together to not only replicate but also breathe life into nature’s best creations.
Lúa Ma, the Mekong's Ancient Wild Rice Varieties Holding Secrets to Climate Resilience
“It’s been so long I can barely remember. It’s delicious, fragrant, soft but not sticky,” says Trần Văn Lựa, 53, a farmer from Đồng Tháp Province, south-west Vietnam, recalling the taste of wild rice. As a child, he would harvest the grain during flood season, when wild rice flowers. Today, however, it is a rare sight.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cầy Mực, the Fluffy Bearcat Whose Pee Really Smells Like Popcorn
Vietnam is home to a diverse range of species, from the elusive sao la to Hanoi's pungently fragrant hoa sữa. As an ode to the wondrous nature of the country, we're introducing a new article series, Natural Selection. Each article will feature a species of plant or animal native to Vietnam — starting with the laidback cầy mực (binturong).
As Saltwater Intrudes More of Mekong Delta, Durian Farmers Struggle to Stay Afloat
Nguyễn Văn Quại, 63, walked slowly on the muddy dirt path in his yard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped beside a tree split in half, its branches dipping into the stagnant water of a narrow moat, and gestured towards the rest of his leafless crop — their trunks yellow, their bark cracked and brittle.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
On Vietnam's Internet, You're a Mom, I'm a Mom, Everyone Is a Mom
I am a mom. Well, not in the most conventional meaning of the word — I am childless, and it’s still biologically impossible for men to give birth the last time I checked, but for most of my existence on the Vietnamese cybersphere, I have been using the designation “mẹ” amongst my closest friends.
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.
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.
Brian Letwin in Development
Quang Ninh's Stone House
The Stone House from, you guessed it, Vo Trong Nghia Architects, was built back in 2011 but just caught our attention.
Brian Letwin in Tech
Vietnamese Students Win 2 Awards at Intel Science Competition
2 Vietnamese high school students received awards for their projects at last week’s 2014 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (Intel ISEF) held in Los Angeles, California held May 11-16, r...
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] Changes Over Time: Saigon's Canals (2003 - 2014)
A major feature of Saigon’s recent urban development has been the implementation of major infrastructure projects including upgrading canals across the city.
Brian Letwin in Tech
‘Less Addictive’ Version of ‘Flappy Bird’ Coming This August
Get ready for an uptick in your blood pressure. ‘Flappy Bird’ is about to re-enter the world in a ‘less addictive’ form, according to the game’s creator, Dong Nguyen.
Brian Letwin in Environment
Frenchman Swims the Length of the Mekong River to Highlight Pollution
While many of Saigon’s canals have been scrubbed and cleaned, the Mekong River is in bad shape. To highlight the polluted state of the region’s most important waterway, one which is used simultaneousl...
Brian Letwin in Development
Future Saigon: Lim Tower 2
You may have noticed the large building going up on the corner of Vo Van Tan and Cach Mang Thang 8. This Lim Tower 2, a project being developed by CotecCons with financing from the JSC investment corp...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Vietnam Reverses Ban on Local Online Gaming Companies
Vietnamese authorities have reversed a 4-year-old ban on the development of local online games after acknowledged that it has not only failed to limit their usage, but has allowed foreign firms to dom...
Brian Letwin in Health
7 Reasons Why Vietnamese Food is Good for You
While you may have to watch out where you’re buying your produce in Vietnam, the cuisine itself is about as healthy you can get. The Huffington Post recently talked to the Vietnamese owners of Pho, a ...
[Photos] Looking Back at the Development of Phu My Hung (2003-2005)
Saigon South, the largest new urban area in Vietnam got its start in the mid-1990s through a joint-venture between a Taiwanese development company and a city development agency. The Phu My Hung New Ci...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Why Twitter Won't Take Off in Vietnam
As the world’s largest social network, Facebook, continues its massive expansion in Vietnam, many have wondered why Twitter, which ranks second, is ignored. One of our favorite tech writers, Anh-Minh ...
Nearly Gone But Not Forgotten: 213 Dong Khoi
The magnificent art deco apartment building at 213 Dong Khoi has nearly been reduced to a pile of rubble to make way for a 14-story City Administration Center.
Brian Letwin in Health
It's Harder Than You Think to Find Safe Produce in Vietnam
Mind the VietGAP. According to a recent report in The Guardian, Vietnam’s sole safety certification mechanism is at best ineffective and, at worst, pulling the wool over the eyes of Vietnamese consume...
Brian Letwin in Development
Sustainable Home Design for Vietnam's Low-Income Earners
It’s all about the green. Earlier this week we looked at a sustainability-focused kindergarten by Vo Trong Nghia Architects. While that project seeks to educate Vietnam’s youth, in the same compound, ...
Brian Letwin in Health
Brew Nation: Vietnamese Consume 3bln Liters of Beer Each Year
While some raised doubts about a WTO report that found Vietnamese women outdrink Russian (and Vietnamese) men, there’s no question that Vietnam is a country that loves its beer. So much so in fact, th...
[Video] Stressed? Why Not Try Some Laughing Yoga?
There’s a famous phrase, “Laughter is the best medicine.” A group of Hanoians are putting this to the test and mixing it with another highly-touted health booster – yoga.
