In Nam Định, a Village Goes All out in Festivities to Honor Their Holy Ancestor
Comprising a range of ceremonies and traditional activities reflective of Vietnam’s rice-growing culture, Keo Hành Thiện Pagoda’s annual festival is a momentous occasion for locals to pay respect to t...
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
In 'Water: A Chronicle,' Nguyễn Ngọc Tư Wades Into the Mekong via Vignettes
“When you’ve lived to a certain age, you don’t ask whether or not something is true, you ask which truth it is.”
In 1965, Life in Cần Thơ Was Tightly Interwoven With the Mekong River
With more than 1.5 million citizens and many indicators of a modern metropolis, from the international airport to several Vincom malls, Cần Thơ is firmly established as the Mekong Delta's largest...
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.
Gỏi Đu Đủ Reflects the Mekong Region's Culinary and Cultural Wisdoms
As the cicadas begin to sing in the tamarind canopies along Pasteur Street after the first monsoon rain, vivid scenes from my formative years flash by in my mind. My cheeks became flushed and my eyes ...
Paul Christiansen in Saigon
The Nhiêu Lộc-Thị Nghè Canal's Comeback Story
Water has no hometown.
Paul Christiansen in Loạt Soạt
Khải Đơn's Poetry Debut Won't Shy Away From the Mekong Delta's Untold Complexities
Environmental devastation, irresponsible development, economic imperilment, social ills, war legacies and the abandonment of cultural traditions and connections: these multifaceted, interconnected rea...
In the Mekong Delta, Ferries Are Childhood Friends and Daily Companions
The Mekong Delta is called Đồng bằng Sông Cửu Long in Vietnamese — the Nine Dragons River, for the way the mighty Mekong splits into multiple strands as it nears its final destination, the East Sea.
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 trappe...
A Delta Nest in Cao Lãnh Fit for a Solitary Poet
Who says a single person can't nest?
Another Hoàn Kiếm Turtle Dies in Hanoi, Setting Back Conservation Efforts
It’s reported that a “Hoàn Kiếm turtle” living in Hanoi has died, further impeding efforts by conservationists to keep the species from extinction.
I Grew up Among Ducks in the Mekong Delta. They Always Remind Me of Home.
On a recent ritual walk around my suburb, I was held up by the sight of a middle-aged man with his “fur kid.” I introduced myself and when he heard the word “Vietnam,” his eyes lit up and with a smile...
Linh Phạm in Travel
On a Walking Tour, Mulling Over the Glorious Past and Odious Present of Tô Lịch River
We began our journey in front of a bank where the street Trần Nhật Duật turned into Chợ Gạo.
Beach Camping and Bamboo Rafting in Northern Vietnam's Largest Wetland
An overnight stay in Xuân Thủy National Park, Nam Định Province means potential bug bites, snake encounters and pungent ocean air, but also a rewarding quest into the wild wetlands of northern Vietnam...
Once Home to Hanoi's Greatest Tailors, Làng Cựu Is Fading Into History
Làng Cựu, a village about 40 kilometers south of Hanoi, houses nearly 50 mansions that showcase the best of French and Sino-Vietnamese architecture from the turn of the century. It was built with the ...
Michael Tatarski in Loạt Soạt
A Study of the Mekong Through Stories Told on the River
Much like humanity, great systems of the natural world rely on connectivity to thrive.
Linh Pham in Culture
Banana Island Is a Peaceful Oasis Amid Hanoi, but for How Much Longer?
As the xe ôm is about to reach the halfway point of Long Biên Bridge, I tell him to stop.
Vọng Cảnh, the Picturesque Hill in Huế That Even Emperors Cherished
The poetic Hương River flows calmly, the fresh air and breeze whisper through the lush pine forest, a coming sunset colors the peaceful natural spectacle. All of this can be experienced during a late-...
Paul Christiansen in In Plain Sight
Finding Fun and Revelation Aboard Saigon's Wayward Waterbus
Cement, clay, clapboard, spackle, rebar, piping, plaster smears, paint drips, pencil scrawlings: to witness the rise of a building, observe its innards, is to marvel at the pretense of an ego, for wha...
New Bridge Project Sparks Controversy Over 'Confusing' Indochina Design
Tran Hung Dao Bridge, an upcoming project across the Red River, has recently received mixed reviews around its Indochina-inspired design.
Without Ride-Hailing, Public Buses, Saigon's Taxis Are Thrust Into the Frontline
Through the windows of a taxi cab making its way through deserted Ho Chi Minh City, the once-bustling Vietnamese metropolis is almost unrecognizable as empty street after empty street rolls by.
[Photos] Expansive Views of 1950 Saigon from Above
How often do you think about the Saigon River?
Saigon Starts Vaccinating Delivery Drivers, Requiring Armbands, QR Code
Some protection is on the way for a crucial part of the city's lockdown lifeblood.
Linh Pham in Environment
How China's Upstream Dams Affect Communities Along the Red River
Flooding and biodiversity among concerns for people in Vietnam below the cascade of Red river dams.
Saltwater Intrusion Might Damage 40,000ha of Crops in Mekong Delta, Experts Say
Saltwater intrusion will threaten huge stretches of fruit plantations in the coming days and weeks.
Ambitious Expressway, Drainage Tunnel Proposed Along To Lich River
The To Lich River could become a crucial urban artery of Hanoi should the proposal is approved.
[Photos] Get Set, Row: The Aquatic Exuberance of Soc Trang's Ooc Om Bok Festival
Also called the Moon Worship festival, Ooc Om Bok is one of the liveliest festivals in the Khmer calendar.
Dams, Sand, Rice: The Life and Possible Death of the Mekong Delta
What would Vietnam be without the Mekong Delta?
Envisioning the Mekong's Future Through the Eyes of 5 Regional Filmmakers
The future of the Mekong Delta is uncertain. The river and the people that rely on it are facing the impact of climate change, extreme weather conditions, rising sea levels, saline intrusion, hydropow...
A Staycation to Explore in Saigon
The dawn rays of sun falling on the Saigon River resembled miraculous flames as we approached. Across the water, green palms trees shimmered as the occasional bird flicked across the surface, singing ...
Hanoi Approves Design of New Tu Lien Bridge Over Red River
It will be called the Tứ Liên Bridge and was designed in part by Sun Group.
Searching for Elegance Along the Saigon River
The Saigon River slithers like a magnificent serpent with scales made of sunlight.
Vietnam Proposes New Driver's License Class for Teenage Drivers
The draft amendment would require all drivers aged 16–18 to have a license to operate motorized scooters with an engine capacity of up to 50cc and electric scooters that travel no more than 50 ki...
Laos Proposes Sixth Planned Mekong River Dam
The planned US$2 billion project will be developed by Datang Sanakham Hydropower company, a subsidiary of China’s Datang International Power Generation Co. Ltd.
Hanoi Commences Project to Build Sewer System Below To Lich River
An underground sewer is being constructed beneath the To Lich River to lead wastewater to a treatment plant project.
The Virtues of Cruising on the Saigon River
With sunlight shimmering on skyscrapers that stretch proudly above the horizon across from untrammeled patches of green space, Saigon appears most attractive when viewed from the river.
Vietnam, Other Mekong Nations Launch Joint Program to Tackle River Plastic Waste
A regional workshop was recently held to discuss plastic pollution in the Mekong River.
Ben Tre Declares Emergency as Saltwater Intrusion Reaches Alarming Levels
An environmental emergency has been declared in the Mekong Delta province of Ben Tre after local saltwater intrusion reached alarming levels
Does Grab Affect Student Drivers' Study? Officials Want to Impose Limit on Part-Time Work.
In the face of ride-hailing services’ robust growth, policymakers are concerned that too many university students are ride-share drivers, which might affect their school performance.
Serious Drought Expected to Hit Lower Mekong Countries Through Early 2020
The next few months could be rough for regional agriculture.
Southern Vietnam, Including Saigon, Will Be Submerged by 2050, New Data Shows
A new research paper from Climate Central reveals an even more harrowing future for coastal cities around the world, including in Vietnam, compared to previous predictions.
