Đuông Dừa, the Mekong Delta's Unique Squishy Snack and Enemy of Coconut Trees
Towards the deep end of our home, several coconut trees’ fronds started browning and falling off, straight from the bud. For the last few weeks, tiny holes have gradually appeared on the coconut trunk and shoot, from a few to numerous, giving off an unpleasant funk of rotten sap. My dad says that these trees are infested with đuông, and we must chop them all down lest we lose the entire grove.
Oliver Newman in Society
Chạm Vào Xanh, the Social Enterprise Normalizing Joy for People With Disabilities
Hồng’s parents took her out of school in Grade 5. They weren’t facing financial issues, her grades weren’t bad and she had no behavioral setbacks. It was just because she has cerebral palsy.
Đàng Trong Cafe Marries Gò Công's Nhà 3 Gian Design With Modern Cafe
Major metropolises like Saigon and Hanoi might boast the most concentrated distributions of coffee shops in Vietnam, but a new crop of fresh faces in other up-and-coming towns have emerged in the scene, offering sterling brews, spacious seats, and, in some cases, delightful interior design that blends modern cafe conventions with uniquely local flairs.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
A Folk Symbol and Cash Animal, King Cobras Just Really Want to Be Left Alone
The king cobra, or rắn hổ mang chúa in Vietnamese, has great personal branding. For proof, one need look no further than the recent flower display on Nguyễn Huệ celebrating the Year of the Snake: the largest, most impressive statue bore the telltale hood of a cobra.
How You Can Think and Live Sustainably
Frequently touted as environmentally friendly options that help preserve the planet, cotton tote bags require so much energy and freshwater to produce that you must use one at least 7,000 times to make it an effective alternative to plastic bags. Finding out that purchases, habits, and initiatives you thought were good for the planet, such as using tote bags, are in fact not likely to help our current climate crisis can be disheartening. Recognizing how the sustainability movement is rife with performative acts, corporate greenwashing and good intentions thwarted by misinformation threatens to discourage people from the entire concept.
Paul Christiansen in Sports
Adding Billiards to Saigon's Pantheon of Pastimes
The clink of cue sticks on eight-ball muffling the clank of whisky glass ice cubes and the slap of cards as boozehounds hide their addictions in the shadows of sport and hobby? Dense plumes of Bastos smoke obscuring illicit activities and immoral affairs? Are Saigon's pool halls the seedy dens of patriarchal indulgence their reputation and pop culture representations suggest?
Khôi Phạm in Society
In Vietnam, ‘Golden Babies’ Are Choking Public Services, Parents and One Another
The year is 2013. Linh lies awake in the attic bedroom of her cozy childhood home in Saigon. Tomorrow is her first day at primary school, and sleep doesn’t come easily with the all butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She’s worried, but mom assured her that she would be okay, because she is special.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
The Role of Sand Batteries in Responding to the Climate Change Crisis
How does a sand battery work?
Brian Letwin in Development
Why Sustainable Development is Vital For Vietnam's Future
Green building is starting to take off in Vietnam. Over the past few months, we’ve seen a number of ‘green’ homes sprout up across Saigon, using open floor plans, sustainable materials and plants that...
Brian Letwin in Development
World Startup Report @ Saigon Hub
From the organizer: The World Startup Report is a social project to help understand and connect the different startup ecosystems in the world.
Brian Letwin in Tech
Free WIFI Coming to Saigon Buses
In a bid to increase the ridership on Saigon’s 270 bus routes, the city will implement free WIFI for passengers.
Brian Letwin in Development
H&P Completes Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavilion
Local architects, H&P, have long focused on the use of environmentally-friendly materials for their designs. Earlier this year, they released a set of renderings of low-cost bamboo housing de...
Brian Letwin in Tech
New Vietnamese Food App Delivers Instant Gratification
Taking advantage of the Vietnamese love of food and photos, Tran Quang Vinh, a former fashion designer, has released iOS app - Foodshot.
Brian Letwin in Development
Bitexco Tapped to Develop Thu Thiem Urban Area
After years of land clearance delays, lack of investors and stagnation in the real estate market, the Thu Thiem new urban area project may gaining steam as Bitexco has been assigned to manage the proj...
Brian Letwin in Development
The Coolest House in Binh Thanh? (2)
Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.
Brian Letwin in Development
The Coolest House in Binh Thanh?
Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.
Brian Letwin in Development
Construction Restart at Lavenie Crown?
The Lavenie Crown was one of the many victims of Saigon’s real estate crunch. Slated to begin construction in 2012 on the site next to Diamond Plaza, the project came to a halt as the main investor, K...
Brian Letwin in Development
From French Villas to Slums, Da Lat's Lost Charm
Da Lat, once a sleepy French vacation town, full of ornate villas and majestic pine forests, is in danger of losing what charm still remains. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the city’s pine tr...
Brian Letwin in Health
HCMC Schools Introducing Balanced Meals to Fight Obesity
McDonalds might not have opened its first Saigon outlet yet, but growing youth obesity rates are already a major public health issue. To combat the epidemic, HCMC schools are instituting standard lunc...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Vietnam Ponders Regulations on Free Chat Apps
Free chat apps such as Viber, Wechat, Whatsapp and Line have become extremely popular in Vietnam. Providing free chat and calls, domestically and internationally, these tools appear on the majority of...
Vietnamese Tech Startup of the Month – August Edition
As Vietnamese tech startups gain popularity and increased funding, the potential for growth in this market is massive. TechinAsia, our favorite source for tech-related content in Vietnam, does an exc...
Brian Letwin in Development
Da Nang Taps IBM to Design Advanced Traffic System
Why is it that Da Nang keeps getting all the cool toys? As if free, city-wide WIFI weren’t enough, the city has signed a deal with IBM to install a high-tech traffic management system.
Brian Letwin in Development
[UPDATED]Plan to Move Saigon's Electrical Wires Underground Facing Major Delays
[Update Below] In an effort to clear Saigon’s skies, in 2009, city authorities signed off on a plan to move messy electrical wires underground. But the project, scheduled to be completed by 2015, is f...
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam's North-South Railway Set for Major Upgrade
Vietnam’s North-South Railway has been in need of a major upgrade for a long time. Beyond issues of speed and comfort, the system’s infrastructure is in poor condition, causing chronic delays and inef...
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam Contemplates Opening Real Estate Market to Foreigners
To boost investment in the ailing real-estate sector, the Ministry of Construction has proposed that foreigners residing in Vietnam be given the opportunity to purchase property. Thanh Nien reports:
Brian Letwin in Development
Proposed Plan Would Completely Reorganize Saigon’s Districts
A new urban administration plan proposed by the HCMC People’s Committee would completely reshape the city’s urban structure. Say goodbye to Districts 2 and 7! According to city authorities, Saigon ha...
Brian Letwin in Development
Inspiring Green Building Planned for Da Nang
We love green design and Vietnam is a great place to put it into practice. While we’ve covered some awesome green residential designs in the past, a planned ABBANK building in Da Nang is taking a slig...
Brian Letwin in Health
[Updated] 75% of Pho Noodles in Saigon Found to Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals
[UPDATE BELOW] On the heels of yesterday’s news that nearly every street drink contains high levels of bacteria and heavy metals, a new report has found that 80% of rice noodles tested contained ...
