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...
The Global Waste Trade Fuels the Rise of Waste Colonialism in Southeast Asia
In August 2025, Malaysian campaigner Wong Pui Yi stood outside the UN headquarters in Geneva and made an appeal to Global North nations: “Stop treating the Global South as the rubbish bin for plastic waste you cannot handle.”
Pedaling for a Purpose: The Coastal Cycling Challenge Bringing Homes to Quảng Ngãi
During February and March, a group of volunteers from Saigon spent five days cycling up the coast, starting in Thảo Điền and ending up in the mountainous district of Trà Bông, nestled deep in Quảng Ngãi Province.
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Voọc Cát Bà: The Endangered Primate of Karst Land
Imagine being born one color, and growing up into a very differently hued adult.
Vietnamese Indie Studio Skrollcat Announces 'Hoa 2,' Sequel of 2021 Award-Winning Game
In 2021, the first Hoa title came out just in time to soothe our pandemic anxiety. Five years later, will Hoa 2 be up for the job in this new era of fuel crisis and global instability?
The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Modernist Architecture
Since the mid-20th century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, etc. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global modernism.
Vietnam's Woolly Bat Is Being Hunted to Extinction to Be Halloween Decorations
With hues of orange and black on its wings and a furry, fluffy face, the painted woolly bat is a stunner. But its beauty has become a deadly liability. People want to hang the bats — dead and stuffed — on their walls, display them as collectibles and even set them in jewelry.
In Search of Ba Khía, the Mangrove Crab That Captures the Soul of Cà Mau
The tide is low tonight. The mud flats, enveloped in the mangrove forest’s darkness, are dotted with the sporadic flares of headlamps. On bundles of exposed mangrove roots, shadows cast by black crabs crowd out one another. In my hometown, we call them “ba khía.”
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.
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.
