How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art
Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.
I Saw the World's Most Handsome Bird Right in Vietnam's Hidden Backyard
Everywhere I go in Vietnam, I keep my eyes peeled for the incredible birds that call this country home. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I scan the horizon above low hills for migratory hawks. I stare into breaks in the foliage for passing buttonquail. I peer into rice paddies, fingers crossed for a cryptic snipe. And, of course, there’s Facebook. I refresh Facebook over and over again, waiting for the arrival of the mandarin duck. Its scientific name is Aix galericulata, which one assumes means “prettiest goddamn duck in the world.”
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush and that one tree in the front yard of our school.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate
A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes in the distant darkness, your trip is doomed and should be abandoned immediately. And if someone brings one back to the village, make all efforts to return it to the jungle, lest you invite sorrow and ruin into your home. Don’t let its meagre stature, a mere 500 grams, and slow, cuddly demeanor confuse you; the cu li guards the gates to hell.
The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope
Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?
In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity, 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.
Uyên Đỗ in Tech
There's a Cordial Vietnamese Greeting That Has Been Floating in Space Since 1977
At this very moment, while you're reading these lines, a silver “bird” of human design is hurtling away from the Sun at roughly 60,000 kilometers per hour, slipping past the boundaries of our solar cradle and into the endless quiet of the cosmos.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
How a Self-Taught Documentarian Spreads His Boundless Enthusiasm for Vietnam's Nature
Why “Sticky Discovery”? This was the first question I asked during my interview with the man behind the YouTube series of...
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.
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam Set to Overtake China as World’s Counterfeit Goods Capital
Due to rising labor costs in China, many counterfeit goods manufacturers are moving their operations to Vietnam. As the country becomes increasingly intertwined with the global economy via free trade ...
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 ...
