Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
Phạm Phú Vinh in Architecture
Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People
In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm. It not only represents the Vietnamese architectural identity in post-colonial eras, but also exemplifies its cultural autonomy.
Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project
Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Hoa Sữa, Poetic Icon of Autumn in Hanoi or Nasal Health Enemy No. 1?
It was early in the day. I opened my window to let in the very first rays of the morning sun, just to catch a waft of that distinctive floral aroma lingering in the cold air. This year, autumn came ea...
Plastic Waste Is Choking the Mekong River and Every Nation on Its Path
On Son Island in Vietnam’s Mekong Delta, Le Trung Tin scatters fish feed into his ponds, where dozens of snakehead fish leap through the surface in synchronised bursts. “I taught them how to do that,”...
Viet Nam Tinh Hoa Emerges: A New Identity, The Same Excellence
“Our new branding is a more authentic reflection of who we are: rooted in Vietnam, yet drawing strength from NLCS (North London Collegiate School). While it may have been easier to remain as NLCS, our...
The Childhood of Côn Đảo's Baby Turtles Caught on Film
In July, I visited Côn Đảo National Park as part of a group of International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) sea turtle volunteers to see first-hand conservation efforts aimed at the loca...
WWF-Viet Nam’s “Elements of the Mekong Delta” Networking Dinner Shines a Light on Climate-Resilient Products
As part of a project aimed at empowering communities in the Mekong Delta that are facing serious threats from climate change, WWF-Viet Nam assists local households in raising plants that are more resi...
Ward off Your Monday Blues by Joining Me on Beginners' Skateboard Night
Usually in life, niche topics are commonly associated with unpleasant stigmas and misunderstandings — skateboarding in Vietnam is no exception. Once, I admittedly was influenced by such one-sided assu...
Pure Passion Turns Dark: The Unexpected Dangers of the Wild Turtle Trade
Seeking a companion during quarantine, Khánh*, a 25-year-old Hanoian, bought a baby turtle through a Facebook group.
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...
Uyên Đỗ in Environment
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...
How the Ghosts of iPhones Past Haunt Vietnam's Low-Income Communities
The current e-waste crisis in Vietnam is one example of global environmental apartheid.
Exploring the Power of an International Community at International School Ho Chi Minh City
Success at the International School Ho Chi Minh City (ISHCMC) can be measured according to many metrics. From IB DP test scores well above the world average to impressive academic careers post-graduat...
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.
Saigon's VOH Radio Building, a Marvel of Architect Lê Văn Lắm's Modernist Intuition
In the middle of the 20th century, Vietnam grew to become one of the world’s prominent centers of modernist architecture. Saigon at the time was an economic and cultural heart of the region, with many...
Waste-to-Energy Plants Might Be the Remedy for Vietnam's Struggling Landfills
Lam Van Quyet lives three kilometers from the Tây Bắc waste facility in Ho Chi Minh City, but he knows exactly what time the garbage trucks arrive there.
New Proposal Plans Metro Line Linking Long Thành Airport, Thủ Thiêm
Let the paperwork begin!
Modular Shading, Sliding Doors Blur the Line Between Interior, Exterior at Bà Rịa House
Located 130 kilometers from Saigon, this humble housing project in Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu is a prime example of living enough rather than living large. Even though the family owns a lot spanning a total area...
Is Dã Tràng Vietnam's Cutest Sand Artist or a Folk Symbol of Fruitless Pursuits?
Strolling along Vietnam’s beaches when the tides are low, one might encounter a number of whimsical patterns created by countless sand pellets. These are the works of a tiny species of crustacean call...
5 Iconic Buildings in Saigon That Showcase Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
Take a stroll along any random street in downtown Saigon, one is bound to bump into a hodgepodge of architectural styles. Sleek but boring international-style skyscrapers, tranquil Buddhist pagodas, a...
Behavioral, Developmental, and Emotional Issues Facing Children in Vietnam: Finding Hope and Support
Students unable or unwilling to follow classroom instructions and lessons; children verbally or physically abusing teachers, classmates, and family members; young people experiencing depression and ev...
I Know Where the Caged Bird Sings: The Joy of Saigon's Birdsong Competition
One by one, motorbikes arrived, carrying the tell-tale cages covered with cloth and parked in the gravel lot beside the coffee shop where Saigoneer sat listening to the caged birds suspended above a p...
