Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk

Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trapped inside music boxes: the water hyacinth.

in Sports

Saigon Heat Wins Intracity Rivalry Over HCMC Wings, Closing Out VBA Regular Season

Families of fans filed into the “Fire Pan” on September 3, wearing red, white, and black jerseys. The atmosphere hums with anticipation.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Vignette: Local Ox Rampages Airport, Stops Flights, Gets Put in Museum in Huế

Name a famous buffalo.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Vignette: Behold Vietnam's Oldest Rock, a Memento Mori of Human Insignificance

While lamenting how long it had been since I’d last sent a postcard, a coworker at Saigoneer revealed that she is too young to have ever seen a stamp in person, let alone affixed one to a letter. The fashions I wore in high school have come full circle and are once again in style. New slang terms initially baffle and then enrage me. I read popular music festival fliers without recognizing a single name. 

in Parks & Rec

Tiny Tracks, Big Passion: Inside the Miniature World of Vietnam's Model Train Enthusiasts

“When you turn it on, the train is not only moving, but it can make sounds too. The sounds are so authentic that when I listen to it, I feel like I am sitting on a real train right now,” Minh Tú, a Saigon-based model train aficionado, shares with me the satisfied feeling every time he gets a mini train to run.

in Architecture

A Delta Nest in Cao Lãnh Fit for a Solitary Poet

Who says a single person can't nest?

in Environment

Learning to Coexist in Peace Is the First Step to Protect Vietnam's Last Remaining Elephants

A trail of enormous footprints, criss-crossing slabs of cracked concrete, lead to a battered ranger station in Vietnam’s Pù Mát National Park. Park staff say the wild Asian elephant that left the tracks is as friendly as it is lonely.

in Parks & Rec

In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity and 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.

Back Society

in Sports

Long Jumper Proposes to Sepak Takraw Partner After Winning Gold at SEA Games

In a rare moment of levity, a SEA Games proposal tied everything up in a neat bow after a medal-packed day for Vietnam.

in Health

World Economic Forum Names Vietnam Health Startup Among Promising Tech Companies

Selected because of its contributions to digital health care, Docosan was one of 100 companies globally to receive the distinction.

in Development

At Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge's Launch, Exuberance and Selfies Galore

After seven years under construction, the Thủ Thiêm 2 Bridge officially opened for traffic at 5pm, April 28. This was a much-anticipated project for Saigoneers, with over VND3.1 trillion in investment...

in Environment

Searching for the World's Largest Woodpecker Species in Yok Đôn National Park

You first know she’s approaching by the sound of her wings; her broad shadow flashing across the forest floor. Even from far below, her body looks enormous. At half a meter long, she is roughly five t...

Michael Tatarski

in Natural Selection

Mangroves: The Everyday Superheroes Protecting Vietnam Against Climate Change

When you think of ways to combat the inevitable ravages of climate change and sea level rise, what comes to mind?

in Tech

Vietnamese Indie Game 'Hoa' Wins 3 Awards for Best Art Direction, Music at Webby

The dreamy platformer snagged trophies for Best Art Direction, Best Music/Sound Design, and People’s Voice Best Art Direction at the awards honoring the "Best of the Internet."

in Parks & Rec

Wind, Sun and the Ocean: The Aerial Thrills of Paragliding Over Đà Nẵng

Paragliding means heaving in a lungful of air, bracing against a gale’s resistance, letting one’s mind ponder the vastness of the ocean below, floating in the middle of the sky, and — for me this time...

in Environment

Vietnam Might Fine Supermarkets, Malls for Single-Use Plastic Bags in 2026

Large retailers providing single-use plastic bags could be subject to fines beginning in 2026.

in Architecture

[Photos] T3 Architects Turned a Modernist Villa Into a Celebration of Chocolate

Looks like we'll be working remote today.

in Tech

Vietnamese Game 'Hoa' Nominated for Best Art Direction, Music in 2022 Webby Awards

If you spent your 2021 lockdown escaping into the wondrous, whimsical world of Hoa, the locally developed video game, now is your chance to show your support for the creators.

in Architecture

[Photos] A House in Đồng Nai Designed for the Warmth of Tết Gatherings

Family gatherings might be a touchy subject for many of us who don’t connect well with some family members, but if one was to design a house with cordial meals and warm banquets in mind, what would it...

Brian Letwin

in Parks & Rec

Slugging It Out at Saigon’s Baseball Cage

For much of my adult life, in the months from February to October, my mood was dictated by the results of New York Mets games. 

in Health

Hanoi Opens First Milk Bank at National Children's Hospital

The milk bank will provide pasteurized milk for more than 1,000 babies at the Vietnam National Children's Hospital in Hanoi to reduce the risk of late neonatal infection amongst infants unable to...

in Development

FLC Group to Help Build $5bn Railway From Vientiane to Hà Tĩnh

All aboard!

Linh Pham

in Parks & Rec

House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body

I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — t...

in Sports

Alleged SEA Games Branding Designs Draw Criticism for Numerous Typos

The 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games), set to take place in two months, have faced a number of hurdles since it was announced years ago.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Kiến Ba Khoang: A Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment

People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, disease...

in Society

Photography Project Shows Hanoi Through the Eyes of Migrant Workers

Some came from the mountains, some were born near the sea — all have come to Hanoi to make a living. They are the migrant workers of this city, yet to them Hanoi is more than just a place to work. Thr...

in Development

Enormous 'City Within a City' Planned for An Phú, Thủ Đức City

It will feature a wide range of building styles and features.

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?"