Ride-Hailing Changed How We Commute. Can Ve Chai-Hailing Change How We Recycle?
Mentions of ve chai might evoke images of uncles and aunties pushing around their cart or perched on bicycles, ferrying a host of plastic bags and scrap metal, and occasionally calling out: “Đồng nát sắt vụn bán nào…” This familiar scene, no matter how nostalgic, might change soon.
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.
[Photos] This Nam Dinh House Is an Ode to Vietnam's Beloved Banana Trees
Maison A in Nam Dinh Province was built for a client's aging mother. She is very fond of the banana trees that once occupied the space and the new house has the broad-leaf plant in abundance.
Coca-Cola Removes Slogan Deemed 'Vulgar' by Culture Department
Coca-Cola’s latest promotional campaign has been embroiled in online controversy after it was deemed “vulgar” by a government agency.
Cases of Dengue in Hanoi Increase Threefold From 2018
At least 548 dengue fever patients have been admitted to hospitals in Hanoi this year, marking a threefold increase from the same period last year.
First-Ever Permanent Blood Donation Center Opens in Hanoi
Last Saturday, the National Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion (NIHBT) opened a blood donation center in Hanoi, which marks a first for the capital.
7-Eleven Japan to Replace Plastic Onigiri Wrapping With Bioplastic Version
Bioplastics, which are derived from plant- and animal-based materials, are believed to be less harmful to the environment than petroleum-based plastics because they produce less greenhouse gas.
[Video] In Remembrance of a Green Ton Duc Thang Past
October 2017 spelled the death of Ton Duc Thang Street in spirit after Saigon maintenance workers started slaying its trees to make way for bridge construction.
[Photos] This Delta Brick House Eases Modernity into Tradition
The high nail gets the hammer, so this new home in Tra Vinh aims to blend in with the traditional homes surrounding it.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
How Vietnam's Robusta Farms Could Transform Into Vital Carbon Sinks
Coffee is one of Vietnam’s most important agricultural products, a crop that grows so well in the country’s Central Highlands that it has become the world’s second-largest coffee producer.
Vietnam Officials Find No Competition Violations in Grab-Uber Deal
Vietnam's Competition Council (VCC) has ruled that Grab broke no competition laws when it acquired Uber.
Meet the Nguyen Hue Security Guard Who Fixes Bikes for Free
A wholesome story about a cool security guard might be the best way to perk up your day.
Da Nang to Get 2 New Centers for Transplant, Stem Cell Therapy, Neurosurgery
The two centers are going to be located inside the Da Nang Hospital compound.
Water Pollution's Effects on Human Health Can Reduce 3.5% of Vietnam's GDP
If not addressed, pollution alone could cost Vietnam US$12.4–18.6 million a day by 2030, the World Bank warns.
Khoi Pham in Society
Many Homes in Vietnam Lack Toilets. But Thanks to Women, That's Changing.
At daybreak, when crickets croon and Tan Xuan Commune is still awash in darkness, Chung is already awake. “We will support you in getting access to funding,” she chants several times in front of a mir...
Saigon Becomes 55th Vietnam Locality Infected With African Swine Fever
On June 11, the disease, which is disastrous for pork production but poses no health risks to humans, was identified at a farm in District 9.
Vietnam Has a New Homegrown Social Media App. It's Called 'Hahalolo.'
The homegrown app promises to bring new experiences to the community of traveling enthusiasts.
Fulbright University Breaks Ground on New 15-Hectare Campus in D9
In three years, District 9 in Ho Chi Minh City will be home to Fulbright University Vietnam’s flagship campus and dormitories.
Dong Nai Removes Entire Commune to Make Room for Long Thanh Airport
From June 1, Suoi Trau Commune in Long Thanh District, Dong Nai Province no longer exists on Vietnam's administrative map.
[Video] Wheels of Steel: Tearing Across Saigon on Japanese Fixies
Just 10 years ago, the fixed-gear bike was an unfamiliar concept in Vietnam; now, there’s a thriving community of riders here in Saigon with enthusiasts from all walks of life.
Public Bicycles Are a Hit in Hoi An, Not So Much in Saigon and Hanoi
In 2018, Hoi An announced that it had officially launched a project to establish a bicycle network to make transport more sustainable.
[Photos] Blending in With Nature at a Rustic My Tho Coffee Shop
Set at canal-level, the serene coffee shop pays homage to the residents of the Mekong Delta who for centuries have built homes and communities betwixt channels, swamps and lakes.
