Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
A Case for the Sweet-and-Sour Tamarind as Saigon's Official Municipal Tree
What is the municipal tree of Saigon? In popular culture, Hanoi is perhaps intricately linked with the paralyzing but often romanticized aroma of hoa sữa, while just over a hundred kilometers to the e...
Paul Christiansen in Travel
Ruminate on Our Natural Legacies While Surrounded by Cây Sao at Ao Bà Om
I never pass up an opportunity to reflect on chò nâu and its dipterocarp relative, cây sao. The massive trees that gracefully drag bare limbs upwards to unfurl canopies far above our heads were brough...
Requiem for a Bàng Tree That Was Cut Down in Front of My Home
Curiosity drove me downstairs into the downpour. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the municipal workers — clad in orange-and-green uniforms, their clothes soaked — gathering around a crane. Thei...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
To Appreciate Tao Đàn More, Study the Park's Past, Present, and Future
Shallow shrub and fern roots tussle to send shoots, tendrils and stalks up and outwards, sprawling across uneven ground and grasping at patches of light. A musky, funky, fetid soil stink emanates from...
Keeping Cool in Thủ Đức With This Humble Abode’s Well-Ventilated Design
Thick multi-layer brick walls, shaded areas, water features, and natural ventilation allow this private home to stay cool amidst the city's stifling heat.
A New Reading Space in Trà Vinh Creates Comfort From Recycled Materials
“A book must be the axe for the frozen sea inside us,” according to famed Czech writer Franz Kafka.
'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 prep...
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.
New Renderings Show Saigon's Plans to Revamp Quách Thị Trang Square
At an estimated cost of VND157 billion (US$6.17 million), the controversial renovation work on the square in front of Bến Thành Market is set to begin this fall and be completed by April 2025.
Hidden in the Heart of D5, an Architectural Vestige of 1970s Vietnam-Korea History
For years now, the verdant pine green pavilion in the heart of Hòa Bình Park in District 5 has been a familiar landmark for denizens of Chợ Lớn.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams
I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush an...
Khôi Phạm in Culture
What to See, Taste, and Do If You Have a Free Morning in Tân Định
There’s not much you’ll need to do to persuade me to drive, walk, crawl, scuttle or skate along the Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal — I adore its shaded, tree-lined pavements that much.
On a Hill in Huế, a Glass-Filled Home Welcomes Natural Light With Open Arms
Are hills simply mountains that lack ambition?
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.
In Huế, a Glass Cottage to Spend the Rest of Your Life With Your Beloved
If somehow your relationship manages to survive illnesses, conflicts, and external temptations to endure until both of you are in your sunset years, how would you spend the rest of your life?
[Photos] This Buôn Ma Thuột House Is a Cottagecore Dreamland
In recent years, the Central Highlands has slowly become one of the most sought-after regions in Vietnam for young people to travel and live in.
Saigon Plans to Add 10ha of Public Parks by End of 2022
The additional parks are part of a goal to have 3–4 square meters of green space per Saigon resident by 2030.
[Photos] At Hanoi's Astronomy Park, an Earth-Bound Journey to the Stars
Vietnam's major cities are infamously short on green space, so any new park is noteworthy — particularly when they are as uniquely designed as the Astronomy Park in Hanoi's western suburbs.
Felled Heritage Trees on Nguyen Binh Khiem Cause Outrage Among Saigoneers
Over the weekend, some Saigoneers were shocked to see images surfacing online showing city maintenance workers chopping down heritage trees along Nguyen Binh Khiem Street.
A Factory Where 'Dead Plastics' Are Reborn as Contemporary Furniture
Saigoneer arrived at PLASTICPeople’s factory on a Friday afternoon after a long-winded ride on National Highway 1A. The sides of the road we took there were casually strewn with unpruned bushes, depos...
5ha of Coastal Protection Forest Destroyed by Solar Power Project: 'It Was an Accident'
While carrying out site clearance for a solar power project in Binh Dinh Province, workers unlawfully destroyed a large swath of local coastal protection forest.
[Photos] In Quang Ninh, a Dilapidated Park Receives New Lease on Life
The 1990s Quang Ninh Park was nearly abandoned in need of a revamp to attract local exercisers and loafers alike.
D1 Proposes VND32.5bn Revamp Project of Me Linh Square Park
The VND32.5 billion (US$1.4 million) effort will focus on repairing the Trần Hưng Đạo Statue, planting ornamental trees and performing road repairs.
Saigon Approves Removal of 178 Trees for Bach Dang Wharf Renovation Project
They were nice while they lasted.
After Storm Noul, Hue Mourns Its Unnamed Victims: 10,000 Trees
Last weekend saw the arrival of Storm Noul, which wreaked havoc on the central coast of Vietnam, causing massive destruction and displacing many families.
The Delay Continues for Saigon's Parking Lot Project Under Tao Đàn Park
Ten years after it was first approved, construction of the parking lot below District 1's Tao Đàn Park has again been delayed.
Saigon Begins Redesigning Park Project in Front of Opera House
When complete, the 1,300-square-meter area will feature trees, vegetation, grass and pathways for communal use.
Saigon Launches Citywide Tree Inspection After Falling Phượng Kills Student
In the near future, some students from Saigon’s public schools might witness the removal of their favorite canopy trees.
Saigon Announces Plan for 150-Hectare Multi-Purpose Park in D12
The park will be located in Thanh Xuan and Thoi An wards.
[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.
