in Environment

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.

in Environment

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.

in Ẽplain

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?

in Architecture

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.

Back Society

Khoi Pham

in Society

Meet Le Duy Loan, the First and Only Female Senior Fellow at Texas Instruments in 87 Years

When Le Duy Loan fled to the US in 1975, she was still a shy and demure girl from Nha Trang who barely knew any English. Today, Loan belongs to the top rung in her field of engineering and remains the...

in Development

Singaporean Real Estate Company Pours $177m Into Residential Project in D4

Singaporean property developer CapitaLand has announced that it is planning to build its latest residential development in Saigon's District 4.

in Tech

Foreign Websites Should Process Payments Locally for Ease of Tax Collection: Ministry

The Ministry of Finance has stated its desire to have foreign digital service providers such as Facebook and Google process payments through a Vietnam-based corporation.

in Tech

Did Bkav Actually Crack Apple iPhone X's Face ID a Week After Its Release?

A group of enterprising Vietnamese "hackers" recently claimed that they had managed to crack Apple's Face ID, the iPhone X's latest form of authentication.

in Architecture

German Architect Unveils Dramatic 'Sky Forest' Tower for Thu Thiem Peninsula

A prominent international architect has unveiled plans for a spectacular skyscraper on Saigon's Thu Thiem Peninsula.

in Health

After Typhoon Damrey, 150,000 Children in Vietnam Are at Risk of Malnutrition: UNICEF

Typhoon Damrey, which struck south-central Vietnam over a week ago, has left tens of thousands of children at risk of health issues, UNICEF reports.

in Architecture

[Photos] Phu Nhuan's Piet Mondrian-Inspired Tube House

With a touch of bright colors as accents, a local architecture firm managed to make this Saigon tube house stand out from its dull and rigid neighbors in the vicinity.

in Tech

Mai Linh to Launch Xe Ôm App Next Monday to Compete With Uber, Grab

Vietnam's on-demand ride-hailing market is about to gain a new competitor as Mai Linh has announced it will launch an app-based xe ôm service next week.

in Society

Meet Vietnam's First-Ever Female UN Peacekeeper in South Sudan

In just a few days, Vietnam’s first-ever female United Nations (UN) peacekeeper will depart from Hanoi for her mission in South Sudan.

in Society

Vietnam Drops 4 Places to 69th in Global Gender Gap Ranking

Despite having the most gender-diverse work environment in Asia, Vietnam is faring poorly when it comes to the gender gap, according to a new report.

in Tech

Saigon's First Apple iPhone X Sold at Record Price of VND68m

Apple fans in Vietnam might have to shell out dozens of million of dong to get their hands on a brand-new iPhone X.

in Tech

Google and Facebook Should Be Required to Establish Offices and Servers in Vietnam: Ministry

A bill drafted by the Ministry of Public Security that would require major tech companies like Google and Facebook to establish offices and servers within Vietnam has been met with staunch opposition....

in Environment

China Shutters 80,000 Factories as Part of Massive Crackdown on Pollution

To combat pollution, China has shut down more than 80,000 factories across the country.

in Architecture

[Photos] Warm Wood Tones Add a Comfortable Touch to This Nha Trang Abode

This rustic abode in Nha Trang blends a modern structure with traditional Vietnamese design accents to create a homey atmosphere for its dwellers.

in Tech

Vietnam's Home-Grown Internet Browser Coc Coc Hits 23m Users

Coc Coc, the Vietnamese-created internet browser, has grown rapidly since its launch in 2013, and now boasts 23 million users within Vietnam.

in Society

New Saigon Heat Coach Shakes up Team Roster Ahead of Next Season

Not many professional basketball coaches guide their team to a league title and then bolt to lead a new franchise on the other side of the planet.

in Health

New Study Shows Link Between Some Traditional Herbal Remedies and Liver Cancer

Some herbs that are used in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) have been linked to liver cancer across Asia.

in Development

Phu Quoc to Transform Old Airport Into New Urban Zone

The leadership of Phu Quoc has unveiled a plan to turn the island's old airport into a new urban area.

in Society

Here's What to Expect at the 2017 AFF Futsal Championship, Hosted by Saigon

This October sees Ho Chi Minh City host its third major international futsal tournament in many years, as the best club teams from the ASEAN region meet to battle once again at the Phu Tho indoor stad...

in Health

50% of Children in Saigon Are Obese: Nutrition Experts

Hanoi and Saigon, Vietnam's two largest cities, have seen huge increases in the rate of obese children living within the metropolises over the last 20 years.