Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment
People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.
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.
Dangerous North Korean Hacker Group Targets Vietnam, Japan, Middle East
The group, called Reaper (code name: APT37), was previously responsible for several attacks on private and public entities in South Korea, North Korean defectors, and even individuals involved with th...
Pollution, Animal Abuse Turn Vietnam's Time-Honored Tet Tradition Ugly
Many of the carps Hanoi residents released into the city’s waterways as part of a symbolic Lunar New Year ritual quickly died due to pollution.
Top Italian Football Club Juventus to Open Training Academy in Saigon
Saigon will soon become home to the first Juventus Academy in Southeast Asia.
The Value of Connected, Collaborative Education in Vietnam
Saigon is constructing new office towers, financial buildings, malls and luxury apartments at a frantic pace, but the building frenzy is not all about commerce and housing, as exemplified by the Briti...
Quang Ninh Wants to Build a Tunnel Under Ha Long Bay
To address heavy traffic and storm-related disturbances on the bridge which currently connects to Ha Long Bay, authorities have proposed a 1.3-kilometer long tunnel to serve the UNESCO heritage site.&...
[Photos] Hanoi's Stunning Koi-Inspired Cafe Has an Entire Ecosystem Inside It
Designed by a group of architects at Farming Architects, the "Koi Cafe" in Hanoi is not only an architectural gem but also a self-sustaining aquaculture and hydroponics eco-system.
[Video] A Visit to Saigon's Jade Emperor Pagoda 2 Weeks Before Tet
Every year during the month leading to Tet, Saigoneers flock to local temples and pagodas to arrange food offerings to pray for an auspicious new lunar year.
Michael Tatarski in Society
500 Startups' Investor Trek Highlights Vietnam's Robust Tech Scene
It’s no secret that Vietnam's rapidly growing tech industry is garnering the attention of international investors thanks to an active startup scene and an expanding digital economy.
[Photos] Thao Dien's 'Serene House' Combines Industrial Chic With Indochine Elements
Saigon’s “Serene House” blends austere prefab materials with Indochine elements.
Southeast Asia's Fondness of Air-Conditioning Is Putting Strains on Local Environment
As our world continues to warm up, tropical dwellers depend heavily on cooling technologies to combat their habitat's harsh elements. For most of Southeast Asia, this means cranking up the air-co...
[Video] A Tour of Saigon's 100-Year-Old Hẻm, Hao Si Phuong
What better way to learn about Saigon’s Chinese-Vietnamese heritage than to pay a visit to one of the city’s oldest residential enclaves?
Delay Threat Still Looms Over AFC U-23 Final as Heavy Snow Blankets China
There’s still a chance that heavy snowfall might affect the schedule of today’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) U-23 final match.
Vietnam Hopes to Start $50bn Project to Build High-Speed North-South Railway in 2020
The long-delayed project is expected to be actualized, beginning in 2020.
[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.
Khoi Pham in Sports
It's Official: Vietnam Beats Qatar, Advances to Final of AFC U-23 Cup
Un-f*cking-believable!
Vietnamese-Thai Wildlife Kingpin Arrested in Thailand for Smuggling $1m Worth of Rhino Horn
A notorious Vietnamese wildlife trafficker was arrested by Thai police for his involvement in the smuggling of over US$1 million worth of illegal rhino horns.
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.
