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.
Urban Rewilding: The Ins and Outs of Organic Food in Vietnam
Navigating the intricacies of a healthy, organic lifestyle can be complicated, ever under the best of circumstances. Today, as awareness surrounding organic produce grows both here and abroad, the cou...
Amid Dengue Fever Outbreak, Vietnam Confirms Cases of 'Super Malaria'
While localities in northern Vietnam are struggling to contain this year’s serious Dengue fever outbreak, epidemiologists just revealed that people living in the southern provinces are facing a strain...
Vietnam to Allow Switching Mobile Carrier While Retaining Phone Number This December
If you’ve been thinking about switching to another service provider but are reluctant to change your phone number, there’s some good news.
Typhoon Doksuri's Aftermath Underscores the Vulnerability of Central Vietnam
Typhoon Doksuri, the most powerful storm to hit Vietnam in a decade, ravaged the central of Vietnam on September 16 and took the lives of six people, drawing greater attention to the layers of harm ca...
[Photos] Saigon Architects Brighten up Contemporary Office With Bamboo Accents
Inspired by materials common found in rural Vietnam, the creative minds behind KIENTRUC O blended a contemporary office with traditional elements.
[Photos] The Last Remaining Blacksmiths of Bien Hoa
Smithy 12 is a traditional, family blacksmith brand near Bien Hoa’s Don Market, which has been active for almost 100 years. The business is not only one workshop but rather a collection of smithies he...
Saigon Puts an End to Projects to Build Apartments Under 25 Square Meters
Ho Chi Minh City officials have closed the door on a government plan to build small apartments in order to prevent overcrowding and the creation of “elevated slums.”
Vietnam Has the Most PhDs, Fewest Research Works in Southeast Asia: Report
Vietnam’s academia is filled to the brim with PhDs, but the country’s scientific journals and inventions are not catching up with the rising population of PhD holders.
Saigon Bans Western Names, Audio-Visual Tools in Primary School English Classes
Ho Chi Minh City's education department has released a new set of teaching guidelines for English-language classes at primary schools banning the use of audio-visual tools, among other rules.
Saigon Delays Construction of 2nd Metro Line to 2020
While the construction of Saigon’s first metro line has been riddled by delays, things are looking even gloomier for the next line which may take another decade to become a reality.
[Photos] Unique Thai Nguyen Primary School Criticized for Alleged High Cost, Low Attendance
A toxic rumor has cast doubt on a primary school project in one of Thai Nguyen province’s most secluded communes.
Michael Tatarski in Development
A Tale of Two Plans: Thu Thiem, Phu My Hung and Future Saigon
Across the Saigon River from central District 1’s glass-and-steel skyscrapers, the Thu Thiem New Urban Area is slowly – very slowly – taking shape. Named after the swampy peninsula on which it sits, t...
Maneuver Vietnam's Hectic Traffic in This Quirky, Locally Made Minigame
Haven’t gotten enough of Vietnam’s traffic pandemonium in real life? Now you can also experience it virtually through this quirky brand-new mobile game.
Vietnam's 2019 Education Reform Will Take Inspiration From Nordic Countries
Vietnam’s education authorities have started looking northward for ways to improve local schools and curricula.
Scientists Reveal Ambitious Plans to Build Made-in-Vietnam Satellites
Vietnamese scientists hope to build and launch domestically produced satellites within the next two years.
Vingroup Begins Construction of $3.5bn Car Factory in Hai Phong
Vingroup, Vietnam's largest real estate developer, has begun construction of an automobile production plant in an effort to expand the country's auto industry.
Vietnamese Firm Suggests Chinese Power Plant Contractor to Take on Construction of Long Thanh Airport
Although it still only exists on paper, Long Thanh International Airport is already embroiled in its first controversy regarding prospective contractors.
Poorly Planned Development Projects Leave Vietnam's Poorest Minorities Vulnerable to Natural Disasters
Since the beginning of August, flooding and landslides have devastated northwest Vietnam, leaving ethnic minorities living in extreme poverty at the highest risk of property damage and loss of life.
Female Athletes Won Two-Thirds of Vietnam's SEA Games Gold Medals: Sport Official
Vietnam performed well during this year’s SEA Games in Malaysia, finishing third, and just two gold medals shy of exceeding its pre-tournament goal.
Vietnam's Textbooks Lack Gender Diversity, Reinforce Stereotypes: Report
A new study has shown that male-centric content dominates school textbooks in Vietnam, hindering gender equality.
