BackStories » Vietnam

in Sports

Saigon Powerlifter Lê Văn Công Earns Vietnam's First, Only Medal at Paralympics

Even though Vietnam’s delegation finished the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris without any medals, our Paralympics team managed to clinch one bronze from powerlifting.

in Asia

Vietnamese Staff Member Wins 7-Eleven Japan's Annual Customer Care Contest

A Vietnamese national recently surpassed over 2,000 other contenders to claim the top spot in a customer service contest in Japan.

in Saigon

How Saigon's Free Water Coolers Quench Thirst and Spread Kindness

In recent years, stories about climate change's impacts on the lives of Vietnamese people have been increasingly making the news.

in Music & Arts

Illustration Series 'Phố Trong Hộp' Preserves Our Street Corners in a Tin Can

The cheeky illustration project “Phố Trong Hộp” (City in a Box) was conceived when its author Khánh Băng started merging Vietnam’s quaint street corners with some of the country’s most iconic FMCG pro...

in Environment

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 Environment

Saigon Students Win Science Contest Silver Medals for Bodhi Tree Leaf Teabags

Sustainable teabags made from bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) leaves earned Ngô Trần Thảo My and Nguyễn Thiên Ngân silver medals at an international event that fosters global awareness of environmental i...

in Vietnam

While Seeking Lost Pets, Nha Trang Man Rescues 31 Dogs From Slaughterhouse

A man living in Nha Trang has earned kudos from animal lovers across Vietnam for saving 31 local dogs. 

in Saigon

All Aboard Bus 146, Home of Plushies, Rubber Chickens and a Side of Humanity

“Cute” doesn’t seem like a fitting descriptor for any mode of public transport, but a bus in Saigon is driving straight into the heart of Saigoneers for being the quintessence of “smotheringly ad...

in Environment

Vietnamese Students Win Earth Prize for Dragon Fruit Peel Biodegradable Sanitary Pads

A trio of Vietnamese high schoolers claimed the top prize in the environmental awareness competition The Earth Prize 2022 thanks to their project which turned dragon fruit peels into biodegradabl...

in Architecture

VTN Architects Win Asia's Most Influential Designer Award

Võ Trọng Nghĩa, founder of the prolific namesake architecture firm, VTN Architects, has racked up several awards this year, including the Asia's Most Influential Designer Award at the 2021 Designer of...

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 Vietnam

Buddhist Peace Activist Thích Nhất Hạnh Passes Away at 95

The Vietnamese Zen master passed away at age 95 after an influential life promoting mindfulness, compassion and nonviolence.

in Sports

Acrobatic Giang Brothers Shatter Guinness World Record in Stair-Climbing

Next step: finding a practical application.

in Society

In Lockdown, Saigoneers Draw Strength From an Unexpected Wealth of Support: Each Other

They largely didn't know each other, except for their flatmates. Then the COVID-19 outbreak began, and they got closer. They are now more accommodating, caring and loving.

in Society

How Hanoi Residents and Collectives Look out for the City's Most Vulnerable

“He was so happy to be given rice. And he didn’t have a smartphone or anything like that. I felt I had helped someone that really needed help, and I felt very happy about that.”

Michael Tatarski

in Food Culture

'Đùm Bọc' Uses Vietnamese Food to Raise Funds for Covid-19 Relief in Vietnam

Residents of New York City are in for a treat.

Paul Christiansen

in Music & Arts

Born Into Traditional Craft, a Young Sculptor Finds Joy in Carving Pop Culture

“Even though they know deeply that it’s beautiful, they cannot feel it because it’s not familiar to them,” Duy Trần says of younger generations that gaze upon the traditional wood sculptures in his fa...

in Sports

Thanh Hoa Groom Runs 19km to Bride's House on Wedding Day

If recent developments in Vietnam’s COVID-19 outbreak have dampened your spirit, here’s a wholesome pick-me-up.

in Architecture

2 Vietnamese Projects Win Jury Prize at Architecture Awards by Architizer

A number of architecture projects in Vietnam have made the list of finalists or even won prizes at the A+Awards organized by Architizer.

in Music & Arts

Meet Tô Đậm, the Young Artists Bringing Mural Arts to Schools in Rural Vietnam

Tô Đậm is a non-profit organization founded by artists who share one thing in common: they all love to paint and travel. Their collective works cannot be found at any galleries or museums, even if you...

in Saigon

Fabulous Saigon Corgi Becomes Pandemic Star for Candid Disinfecting Photo

It’s hard not to be the center of attention everywhere you go when you’re a fluffy corgi.

in Vietnam

How a TikTok Video Reunites a Missing Husband With His Family After 13 Years

The wife had been searching for her husband for 13 years after he had wandered off under the spell of a mental illness.

in Hanoi

Hanoi Truck Driver Saves Toddler Falling From 12th Floor of Apartment Building

The incredible story serves to remind us that the bravest superheroes are the ones that we encounter in everyday life.

in Vietnam

2 Vietnamese Academics Receive Noam Chomsky Award for Scholarly Contributions

Two academics from Vietnam have recently been honored for their contributions in scholarly publications to further trans-national research.

in Food Culture

When Life Gives You Flavorful Vietnamese Cashews, Make Vegan Cheese

“Firstly, I had to find my calling, but in the end, it all came down to creating something and then seeing others enjoy it."

in Music & Arts

How a Controversial SEA Games Mascot Design Inspired an Art Campaign

The upcoming 31st Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) will take place next year in Hanoi and some nearby provinces.

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Donate Over VND300m for Victim of Vicious Cobra Attack

While the snake bite victim is currently stable, he’s facing many complications from the venom.

Paul Christiansen

in Film & TV

How Famed Filmmaker Việt Linh Built a Family Around Art

“The lonely sound of a lute cannot cure your pain. You need Tơ’s singing to bring you serenity.”

in Hanoi

Hanoi Family Finds Long-Lost Daughter in Quarantine After 24 Years Missing

In the time of unprecedented hardships, a family in Hanoi found the light at the end of the tunnel. 

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Professor Among 10 Winners of Prestigious European Mathematics Prize

A Vietnamese professor recently clinched a prestigious prize for young individuals who have made significant contributions to the development of mathematics.

in Hanoi

Inside Hanoi's 'Zero Dong' Supermarket for People Affected by Covid-19 Pandemic

In Hanoi, the Hanh Phuc (Happiness) grocery store gives essentials to locals in need for free. 

Paul Christiansen

in Literature

Saigoneer's Guide to What to Read While Social Distancing

“In good times arts are magical, and in tough times they are essential. That’s when you need them the most. Art makes you human.”

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside a New School for Lao Cai Children, Built by Hanoi Architects

While some students in Saigon bemoan slow internet that hampers their distance education at home, there are communities in Vietnam’s remote areas whose only school can barely withstand the elements.

in Vietnam

Vietnamese Teacher Among 50 Finalists for Global Teacher Prize 2020

The Global Teacher Prize is an annual award given out by the Varkey Foundation, a global philanthropic organization based in the UK.

in Culture

[Photos] Road Safety Campaign Pokes Fun at Vietnam's Traffic Offenses

Titled “Traffic in Wonderland,” a road safety campaign features a series of photos taken on Vietnam’s streets, with added cheeky drawings.

in Sports

2 Fans Fly to the Philippines With 60kg of Food for Vietnam's Female Football Team

Wholesome.

in Society

An Evening With the Grass-Roots Volunteer Group Helping Saigon's Homeless

The group meets at the Saigon Central Post Office in District 1 at 10:30pm. Although it is late in the evening, there are still tourists loitering around the building, one of the city's primary attrac...

in Sports

[Photos] This Football-Themed Wedding Album Taken During Bão in Saigon Is Peak Vietnam

Instead of bemoaning the fact that their wedding photo shoot coincided with the much-anticipated recent AFF Cup 2018 final match, a couple in Saigon decided to go with the flow and turn their bridal a...

in Sports

Football Fans Pull Bão All-Nighter as Vietnam Wins AFF Cup Again After 10 Years

After an entire night of revelry, it still feels like a dream that Vietnam has once again claimed the top position in the AFF Suzuki Cup.

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside Hue's Award-Winning Dormitory for Students in Need

A quiet courtyard, accentuated by a lone plumeria tree; rows of rooms in wood texture; walls of lattice that dot the interior with mesmerizing patterns every time the sun comes up: welcome to Betania....

in Arts & Culture

[Illustrations] Local Artist Turns Saigon Street Snapshots Into Wholesome Postcards

If you’ve been fond of our Saigon Postcard series, you’ll come to love these wholesome illustrations by a local comic artist.

in Sports

[Photos] Ambulance, Tractor, Hearse: A Compilation of Vietnam's Football Shenanigans

It is a nationally known fact that after every big football win, Vietnam's road network will be flooded with flown flags, vigorous chants, and random objects blaring odd noises.

in Sports

Companies All Over Vietnam Let Workers off Early to Cheer on National Football Team

From small startups to big corporations like VietJet, local companies are – for the first time – going all out to support Vietnam’s national U-23 team in the upcoming football match.