'Slow/ed/ing Architecture': When Architects Ruminate on Architecture Together
The super cute duo that make up the design studio “Exutoire” are Bùi Quý Sơn and Paul-Antoine Lucas. Life and work partners, they moved back(ish) to Vietnam from Oslo last year, and are currently preparing the opening of the exhibition “OUTLET: Slow/ed/ing Architecture” in Saigon.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Octopus? In My Cà Mau Swamp? It's More Likely Than You Think.
Worms live in the ground, birds live in the air, cá lóc live in lakes and octopuses live in the ocean, right? Wrong! Octopus can also live in the river.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
In Awe of the Mekong Delta's Majestic Sluice Gates
A row of impenetrable watchtowers tasked with inflicting ruthless law and order upon a dystopian borderland seething with marauders, bandits and brigands? No. Sluice gates.
A New Company Headquarters Brings a Green Respite to Industrial Đồng Nai
Hammocks, koi ponds and mature trees are not typically associated with industrial parks.
Paul Christiansen in Architecture
The Pedestrian Bridge That Teaches You the Values of Patience
“We need the sweet pain of anticipation to tell us we are really alive.”
Honda to Cease Production of Super Cub 50cc, Vietnam's Beloved Bike, in November
By the end of 2025, Honda will cease the manufacturing of all motorbikes with 50cc engines, including the beloved 50cc Super Cub, to comply with stricter emission standards.
The Unhinged Genius of the Caty Dragon Fruit Noodles Meme
- Dragon fruit has existed in Vietnam for hundreds of years, but it wasn't until the 21st century that it made its debut in instant noodles.
Sấu Ushers in a Hanoian Summer of Sweet-and-Sour Nostalgia
A former coworker called me to playfully nag me about my previous plan to visit Hanoi: “Are you waiting for all the sấu to drop before making a move?”
Chris Humphrey in Society
The Rustic Beauty of Hanoi's Red River Brick Factories
Living in a city as culturally rich and absorbing as Hanoi, it’s not unusual to discover new secrets in a place you thought you knew completely. The depth of the capital really is astounding. And yet,...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Ugly Truth of the Life and Impending Demise of the Hoàn Kiếm Turtle
Everyone knows the mythological story of the Hoàn Kiếm turtle.
I Went Cloud-Hunting and Found Peace Atop Đà Lạt's Tea Hill
Northern California is blessed with serene nature. Growing up there, pathless trails and cloudy mountain peaks were my safe havens, and when returning home on break from college, it was a tradition to...
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 migrato...
Amid Bảo Lộc Hills, a Wooden Cafe Floats Amongst the Clouds
In the middle of nowhere Bảo Lộc, perched on the side of an alternative national road is the wooden carapace of Nguyen Coffee, a veritable “Noah’s ark” welcoming travelers in for a short break to enjo...
Amid a Resort, This Thatched Hut Houses a Zero-Waste Water-Bottling Plant
A humble production hut built with recycled bottles, local timber, thatched roof and simple granito concrete floors is used as a bottling facility for drinking water.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep
Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into acco...
[Photos] Katinat Cafe's Gò Vấp Location Is an Industrial Glass Fortress
Cement, air, water, sand, and gravel: concrete is a simple material. Same for glass, that spread of super-heated quartz sand.
The Nocturnal Thrill of Capturing Vietnam's Elegant Fauna in Wildlife Photography
For most people, walking in the jungle at night would sound like a bad idea. A lack of knowledge and many misbeliefs, unfortunately, create bad assumptions about the wilderness after dark. And snakes,...
The Mekong Delta Loses Sand Too Fast Due to Extraction, It's Time for a Sand Budget.
Many people will be familiar with the dread when your income no longer covers your expenses; when you’ve exhausted your savings and are sinking ever deeper into debt. In the Mekong Delta, a similar do...
Michael Tatarski in Tech
How Going Digital Could Help Vietnam's Farmers Take Their Produce to the Next Level
In this digital age, farming, especially in developing countries like Vietnam, has maintained a general perception of being an analog, hands-on practice.
On a Hill in Huế, a Glass-Filled Home Welcomes Natural Light With Open Arms
Are hills simply mountains that lack ambition?
Đắk Lắk Receives $2.2m in Financial Support to End Elephant Rides by 2026
To be distributed between now and the end of 2026, the VND55 billion (US$2.2 million) provided by the Animals Asia Foundation (AAF) will be used to help tourism centers in Đắk Lắk Province b...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Khỉ Vàng: The Shit-Stirrer, Snack Thief, and Petty Criminal of Vietnam's Forests
I’m not a fucking idiot — That’s what I thought while looking at the sign hung from the door of my hotel room in Đà Nẵng.
Losing Myself (and My Work Stress) in the Wacky World of Jazz Dance
Since I started my foray into jazz dance, the most common question I’ve gotten has been “What, you can dance to jazz?”
What Creating a Sign Language App Taught Me About the Hardships of Vietnam's Deaf Community
In neighborhood communities, deaf children are often bullied by their hearing friends, according to my classmate Nguyễn Tài Minh.
Award-Winning Open Home in Hanoi Invites Generational Connections
CH House, a multi-generational abode that fosters harmonious family connectivity amidst Hanoi's discordant din, recently won the Dedalo Minosse International Prize for clients commissioning a house in...
Biên Hòa Cafe Embraces Industrial Design for a Transient Existence
If your dwelling is temporary, how much care do you pay to your surroundings?
Hanoi Is Not Building Dragon-Inspired Longest Structure in the World, Official Says
A 700,000-square-meter dragon-shaped building will remain a futuristic fantasy in the capital's Tây Hồ area, but it might be fun to indulge in its flashy design for a moment. The structure, meant...
Xanh Hà Nội Aims to Plant 1m Trees to Improve Hanoi's Living Environment
Amidst glooming effects of global warming, Xanh Hà Nội’s efforts since 2017 have played a crucial role in trailblazing a community-reliant framework for keeping Vietnamese cities green.
