in Environment

As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding

In April 2023, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high water.

Khôi Phạm

in Environment

What I Talk About When I Talk About Vietnam's Penguin Trashcans

Compared to the average Vietnamese, I might be thinking about trashcans a smidgen too much — not just any trashcan, but the infamous penguin-shaped trashcans that are ubiquitous at every corner of our public spaces.

Linh Phạm

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 — three dance studios.

in Environment

Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants

With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.

in Ẽplain

How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media

Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial online space to connect local netizens.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under construction during our August visit. Gargantuan machines for laying pulverized gravel inched aside to let our 7-seater pass so we could reach the home of Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy to check in on her small fish drying home business.

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity

In the Vietnamese language, the word “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will. Chó cỏ is the general term for the adorable mutts, usually mixes between Vietnam’s native dog species, born without the prestige of named breeds, while gym cỏ and net cỏ denote the casual gyms and internet cafes in one’s neighborhood. In the same vein of logic, may I put forth a new name for a special genre of Vietnamese fruits: trái cỏ?

in Architecture

How Vietnamese Architecture Adopted Modernism and Made It Our Own

Ask a person on the street what Vietnam’s distinctive style of architecture is, and the answer you get might be traditional architecture, like the historic curves of northern Vietnam’s village temples or the ornate regality of Nguyễn-Dynasty palaces. This time-honored style is widely accepted as the hallmark of Vietnam’s cultural wealth. What’s more fascinating but lesser-known is how this cultural vestige — which distinguished our architecture from that of China and Japan — has also managed to evolve in the new age, finding ways to exist right in the middle of our modern lifetime.

Back Society

in Architecture

[Photos] Old Quarter Building a Bridge Between Space and Urban Density

This spacious building, designed by G8A Architecture & Urban Planning, stands out amid the city's claustrophobic Old Quarter.

in Sports

U-23 Vietnam’s Doan Van Hau to Play in Top Dutch Football League

Hau, who is playing full-time for Hanoi FC, is going to the Netherlands on a one-year loan contract.

in Environment

Da Nang to Spend $62.5m on Major Project to Combat Beach Pollution

The US$62.5 million project to improve the water environment in Son Tra District received approval from the central city of Da Nang. 

in Development

New Cat Lai Bridge Project Linking Saigon-Dong Nai Recently Approved

Once finished, Cat Lai Bridge will replace the Cat Lai Ferry.

in Tech

Amazon Is in Vietnam, but Not to Sell Products. Not in the Next 5 Years.

Despite the retail behemoth's recent establishment of Amazon Global Selling Vietnam and the hiring of a former-Alibaba top manager to serve as CEO, the company won't start selling to customers in Viet...

in Society

How Vietnamese Runners Are Taking on 70km-Long Mountain Trails, and Winning

Ever wondered if you’ve got what it takes to run 70 kilometers? How about scaling 2,300 meters of mountain? Better still, could you imagine doing both of these things at the same time?

in Education

Reasons for an Extended Exploration of District 7

Sweet smoke from chili-slathered strips of juicy beef spills onto the streets and rises into the leafy trees that cast shade on the wide sidewalks.

in Tech

Grab to Invest $500m to Expand Operations in Vietnam

In response to what it considers a surging market, the ride-hailing giant has announced plans to invest heavily into its Vietnamese business.

in Society

Vietnam's Startup Scene Goes From Regional Laggard to Leader

Vietnam has transformed its startup ecosystem from the second-least active to the third-most active among ASEAN countries, trailing only Indonesia and Singapore.

Paul Christiansen

in Sports

On Dreaming of a Time When Vietnam Loves Basketball as Much as Football

How lucrative is being a professional basketball player in Vietnam? To help make ends meet, “some work at fast-food restaurants,” admits Ho Chi Minh City Wings small forward Nguyen Ky Quan.

in Tech

Online Ticketing Company TicketBox Acquired by E-Commerce Firm Tiki

The deal is part of Tiki’s strategy to complete an “all-in-one” ecosystem and marks its entrance into the entertainment sector.

in Tech

Surprise! A New Homemade Social Media Platform in Vietnam Is Called 'Lotus'

Following Hahalolo and Gapo, another Vietnamese social media platform has entered the market with a rather "inventive" name.

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species

Amid increasing awareness of the environmental and health dangers of plastic, a creative new group has joined the fight against this global scourge.

in Society

Girls and Boys in Vietnam Are Equally Vulnerable to Trafficking, Study Shows

A report, titled 'Casting Light in the Shadows: Child and Youth Migration, Exploitation and Trafficking in Vietnam,' was conducted by children's rights research and consultancy institute Coram Interna...

in Sports

How a Power Couple Built a Dedicated Home for Powerlifting in Saigon

In full "ninja" attire, I braved congested streets under the scorching sun looking for the address. Finally, having spotted a sign that reads 'OldSchool Barbell System’ tucked deep inside Binh Thanh D...

in Architecture

[Photos] In Hue, a Minimalist Tree House for Adults

Climbing trees and crafting a cozy tree house out of scrap materials might be a fond childhood memory for many. This new house in Hue provides its tenants with the same experience, except with the ame...

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

How the Mekong's Mangroves Can Survive Against the Threat of Development

While Southeast Asia is known as one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, home to booming metropolises like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur, it also hosts some of the planet’s m...

in Environment

Who's Really To Blame for Southeast Asia's Ocean Plastic Crisis?

Our oceans are littered with plastics. Indeed, we are regularly exposed to images and stories of whales and sea turtles choking to death on plastic trash. Ocean plastic is clearly a problem, but what ...

in Health

Hanoi Health Center to Offer Rewards to People Who Bring in HIV Patients

The health center is positive their new reward system will help increase detection rates for the dangerous virus.

in Development

[Video] Waterfall and Indoor Gardens: Inside Long Thanh Airport's Terminal 1

The construction of the airport is expected to kickstart next year to meet urgent air travel demand.