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.
[Video] Kicking and Screaming: Vietnam's Centuries-Old Love of Đá Cầu
Originally a game played by ancient soldiers to let off steam, in today’s Vietnam, đá cầu, or foot badminton, is practiced by locals from all walks of life.
[Photos] Hanoi Displays Possible Designs for Long Thanh Airport
If you happen to be in Hanoi over the next two weeks, drop by Van Ho Exhibition Center at 2 Hoa Lu Street for a chance to see a slew of potential designs for Long Thanh International Airport.
Construction on D2’s Rach Chiec Sports Complex to Start Next Year
After over two decades of deliberation, construction is set to begin on District 2’s Rach Chiec Sport Complex in 2017.
Vietnam’s TicketBox Lands New Round of Investment
Vietnamese online ticketing service TicketBox has acquired a new round of funding.
In Sapa, Tourism Development Threatens to Take Away the Town’s Appeal
Known for its rustic mountain villages, incredible landscapes and ethnic diversity, Sapa is falling victim to the development epidemic that plagues several of Vietnam’s other major tourist attractions...
[Photos] Meet Saigon’s Buffalo-Herding Urban Cowboy
In the shadow of Saigon’s increasingly dramatic skyline, buffalo rancher Vu Duc Toi leads a rural life.
[Photos] MEGA City: The Soul of Saigon
Saigoneer is a proud media sponsor of the third edition of TP. Ho Chi Minh: MEGA City, released last month. The compact and concise photo book explores urban development, landscapes and people in Viet...
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] Future Saigon: City Garden Phase 2
Binh Thanh District’s skyline is set to get a bit more crowded as one of the area’s largest residential developments, City Garden, is sprouting a couple of new towers.
Vietnam May Finally Legalize Sports Betting
After almost 18 years of discussion, Vietnam’s Ministry of Finance is leading the effort to legalize sports betting.
Amid Note 7 Debacle, Samsung Cuts Pay, Work Hours in Northern Vietnam Plants
Despite promises that the Note 7 debacle would not impact workers at Samsung's factory in northern Vietnam, employees face reduced income and fewer working hours.
[Photos] A System of Chaos: Public Transportation and Saigon's Traffic Pandemonium
Saigoneer is a proud media sponsor of the third edition of TP. Ho Chi Minh: MEGA City, released earlier this month. The compact and concise photo book explores urban development, landscapes and people...
As Myanmar Grows, Yangon Balances History With Modern Development
Yangon has one of the most intact historic cityscapes in Southeast Asia, and under the current government administration, new development is rising fast. While deliberating over how to develop, Yangon...
Vietnam Might Face a Shortage of Women by 2050
After thousands of years of heavy Confucian influence in Vietnam, millions of local men may have a hard time finding a wife.
Brian Letwin in Architecture
[Photos] Saigon Architect Combines Past and Present at 4Ps Ben Thanh
In its new space near Ben Thanh Market, Saigon's most popular Japanese pizza joint, Pizza 4Ps, has managed to combine the southern hub's unique sense of place with innovative contemporary architecture...
Vietnamese Swimmer Breaks Asian Record to Take Home Gold
Yesterday, Vietnamese swimmer Nguyen Thi Anh Vien left the 10th Asian Swimming Championships (ASC) with some hardware, in addition to setting a new competition record in the women’s 400-meter individu...
Dana Filek-Gibson in Society
Take a Tour of D10’s 64-Year-Old Mosque
Since its construction in 1952, Hakeem Haji Musa Hamit and his family have been taking care of District 10’s modest Niamatul Islamiyah, a one-room prayer hall dedicated to the area’s Muslim community.
Prince William Visits Vietnam to Promote Wildlife Conservation, Drinks Coffee
Prince William is wrapping up the final day of a Hanoi visit to promote wildlife conservation efforts at the third International Wildlife Trade Conference, hosted by Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture ...
Ben Tre Businessman Gives Former Convicts, Addicts New Lease on Life
After reading his job posting in the local newspaper, many people thought Kieu Thanh Tam had lost his mind: “Help wanted: ex-convicts and drug addicts who want another chance at life.”
[Photos] Hanging on to Tradition: The Transformation of a Bangkok Neighborhood
Like many areas of Bangkok – and many Southeast Asian cities in general – the Thai capital’s Phra Khanong neighborhood is undergoing massive transformations.
[Photos] Saigoneers Tell the Story of a City Undergoing Drastic Change
Saigoneer is a proud media sponsor of the third edition of TP. Ho Chi Minh: MEGA City, released earlier this month. The compact and concise photo book explores urban development, landscapes and people...
