Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
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.
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.
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.
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?"
4K Turkey Dash For the Orphans @ The Crescent
On November 17, come down to the Crescent to join Transcend People’s 4k Turkey Dash for the Orphans and Operation Smile in Vietnam.
Report: Vietnam in Top 10 for Worst Air Pollution
Break out the face masks - Vietnam is in the top ten countries with the worst air pollution in the world. The ranking comes from the recently released, 2012 Environmental Performance Index (EPI) whic...
Brian Letwin in Development
Video: What Will it Take to End Poverty in Vietnam?
A recent video produced by the World Bank tells the story of two brothers born in a poor family, one living in the mountainous area, one migrating to the city, to respond to the question: What will it...
Vietnamese Architects Unveil Awesome Modular Bamboo Home Design
Vietnam is a land of floods and storms. While Vietnamese have long accepted this reality, mother nature has had profound impact on individuals and the country as a whole. Though some look for ways to ...
Report: Vietnamese Online Shopping Market Climbs to $2.77 Billion
3 reports on Vietnamese online shopping trends have been released recently with drastically different numbers. But no matter which is correct (one has to be correct, right?), it’s clear that web purch...
Trend: HCMC Students Getting High on Cough Medicine
Drugs may be incredibly illegal in Vietnam, but according to a recent report, like their western counterparts, some teenagers have discovered the magical powers of cough medicine. The difference is, i...
FALSE: Street Vendor Caught Using Rat Meat in His Soup
Last week, a report entitled, “The shocking truth about hu tieu street vendors,” wherein a hu tieu vendor was caught using rat in his soups, spread like wildfire across Vietnam's social media networks...
Start Your Engines! Vietnam Motor Show 2013
Whether we like it or not (for the record, we don’t) cars are becoming increasingly popular in Vietnam. To showcase their newest models, 15 auto brands have set up shop at the Saigon Exhibition and C...
Vietnam Burns Through 4.17 Billion Packs of Cigarettes per Year
According to the Vietnam Tobacco Association, the country consumed 4.174 billion packs of cigarettes in 2012. With a population around 90 million, that’s good for an average of over 46 packs a year pe...
Errors Abound in Vietnamese Textbooks
Vietnamese parents are once again up in arms about their children’s education in what looks like yet another example of inconsistency and lack of attention to detail that so many have sadly come to ex...
Celeb. Chef, Bobby Chinn's Crusade for Safer Food in Vietnam
Vietnam may have some of the best food in the world but the country has recently struggled with food safety issues. Over the past few months, stories about tainted noodles and street drinks have been ...
How Saigon's Largest Canal Cleaned up Its Act
You’ve likely observed groups of men fishing along the banks of Saigon’s Nhieu Loc-Thi Nghe Canal and wondered how fish could survive in its waters. Apparently it’s a bit cleaner than we may think.&nb...
Students Need Their Sleepy-Sleepy Time
Renowned for their love of sleepy-sleepy time and the obligatory after lunch snoozes, Vietnamese parents are once again up in arms at the hours of a normal school day.
Thrift Shop 2 - Make it a Better Place! @ Saigon Outcast
Saigon Outcast and Work Hard Play Hard got back to collaborate again for their second ‘Thrift shop 2 – Make it a better place’ event. The aims of the event are to raise awareness of “Recycle, reuse a...
[Updated] Ministry Approves Increased 3G Fees
[Update Below] Vietnamese telecommunication companies are awaiting a decision by the Ministry of Information and Communication that would double 3G fees in the country.
Brian Letwin in Development
[Updated] Saigon Bridge 2 Completed Ahead of Schedule, Will Open Tomorrow
[Update Below] After only 17 months of construction, Saigon Bridge 2 was completed yesterday and will open to traffic in early November. The new, VND1.5 trillion (US$70.75 million) bridge, 987.3 mete...
Brian Letwin in Development
US to Provide Vietnam with Nuclear Fuel
Add the US to the list of nations helping Vietnam secure a nuclear future. The country joins Japan, Russia and South Korea as advisers and suppliers for Vietnam's planned nuclear power plants.
Beware of Fake Doctors in Vietnam
Quality is always something to be aware of when living in Vietnam. From motorbike helmets to pho noodles, shoddy products can profoundly affect your wellbeing. Now you can add doctors to this list – p...
Brian Letwin in Tech
[Updated] Vietnam Releases First Domestic Smartphone
[Update Below] Well, we may be a step behind North Korea but Vietnam has just released its first, domestically produced smartphone fittingly named the Lotus.
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam Announces Plan for 8 Line, $16 Billion Railway
Taking the train in Vietnam is set to get faster and more convenient by 2020. Last Friday, the Vietnam Railways Administration (VRA) announced plans to change the face of rail in Vietnam with eight ne...
