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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
[Video] Saigon's 'Guardian Angel' Lives in a Hẻm in Phu Nhuan
Unbeknownst to many Saigoneers, their home city has a “guardian angel,” or at least that’s how residents in a neighborhood in Phu Nhuan District refer to Do Van Ut, a local xe ôm driver.
[Photos] Grab a Creamy Japanese Cheese Tart From Saigon's Latest Glass House
Is this the fanciest cheese tart shop in Vietnam?
Khoi Pham in Society
H'Hen Nie's Pageant Win Sparks National Conversation on Racial Diversity
Vietnam’s new Miss Universe, 25-year-old H’Hen Nie from the E De ethnic minority in Dak Lak Province, has quickly become one of the most beloved winners in the history of the contest in the country.
Saigon's Air Pollution Is 4 Times Deadlier Than Traffic Accidents: Expert
The smog currently engulfing Saigon reflects increasingly dangerous air pollution levels.
Vietnam Establishes State-Run Cyber Security Command Center
In Hanoi on Monday, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc announced the establishment of the Cyberspace Operations Command which is tasked with protecting Vietnam’s control of the Internet and overseeing IC...
[Photos] A Look Into the Ultramodern Side of Saigon With the 'Concerto House'
Just a short drive away from downtown Saigon, the Concerto House epitomizes the city’s contemporary school of thought when it comes to architecture.
Michael Tatarski in Development
This New Map of Every Planned Saigon Metro Line Will Leave You Drooling
A Saigon-based blogger and rail enthusiast has released an updated map of the city's long-dreamed of metro system.
Saigon, Dawn of the City of the Digital Nomads
Every profession has its own grind. For those of us who sit behind a desk, the day-to-day routine can quickly turn monotonous: you drive to work, sit at your desk, scroll through emails, make phone ca...
[Video] Into Saigon's Urban Landscapes With Humans of Sài Gòn
Have you ever wondered about the humans behind Humans of Sài Gòn?
VTN Architects Bring Vietnam's Bamboo Design to China in Massive Restaurant Project
Vietnam's architect extraordinaire is adding his signature design style to various international destinations.
Vietnam Is Southeast Asia's Top Football Team in 2017: FIFA Ranking
Vietnam is officially Southeast Asia’s top football team as of 2017.
Brandon Coleman in Society
[Photos] Catholic Neighborhoods in Saigon Celebrate Christmas With Elaborate Nativity Scenes
Unlike most of the western world, Saigoneers see Christmas as less of a time for cozy gatherings at home with family and friends but more as an oppotunity to take to the street to bask in the festive ...
Vietnam PM Directs Education Ministry to Ban Sales, Advertising of Soft Drinks in Schools
Are soft drinks to blame for Vietnam’s impending child obesity epidemic?
[Video] In Saigon, the Christmas Spirit Lives in Tuan's Garbage Cart
Is this Saigon’s most festive garbage cart?
How the Creater of Zalo, Vietnam's Home-Grown Chat App, Went From Hacker to Manager
Vietnam's popular chat app and social media platform, Zalo, was born from its creator's curiosity about hacking.
Scientists Discovered 65 New Species of Plants and Animals in Vietnam in 2016: WWF Report
The Greater Mekong region continues to prove its important role as one of the world’s most biologically diverse ecosystems.
[Photos] Inside Binh Thanh's Xóm Nước Đen by the Cau Bong Canal
In recent years, development in Saigon has exploded, giving rise to towering skyscrapers, office towers and residential complexes throughout the southern hub. But even as the city’s modernization hits...
[Photos] Chau Doc's 'Corrugated Metal' Home by the River
After a makeover, a once-precarious home in Chau Doc has been transformed into a contemporary home without looking out of place in a traditional riverside neighborhood.
A Cafe in Hanoi Is Replacing Its Waitstaff With a Robot
Are you sick of human interaction? This café in Hanoi might have just the solution to your blight.
