Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate

A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes in the distant darkness, your trip is doomed and should be abandoned immediately. And if someone brings one back to the village, make all efforts to return it to the jungle, lest you invite sorrow and ruin into your home. Don’t let its meagre stature, a mere 500 grams, and slow, cuddly demeanor confuse you; the cu li guards the gates to hell.

in Environment

The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope

Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?

in Parks & Rec

In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity, Gender Fluidity Too

“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by night, she joins her friends at the Soul Waackers, a waacking group based in Hanoi, and practices a dance style that allows her a vibrant way to self-express.

Uyên Đỗ

in Tech

There's a Cordial Vietnamese Greeting That Has Been Floating in Space Since 1977

At this very moment, while you're reading these lines, a silver “bird” of human design is hurtling away from the Sun at roughly 60,000 kilometers per hour, slipping past the boundaries of our solar cradle and into the endless quiet of the cosmos.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

How a Self-Taught Documentarian Spreads His Boundless Enthusiasm for Vietnam's Nature

Why “Sticky Discovery”? This was the first question I asked during my interview with the man behind the YouTube series of...

in Architecture

In a D7 Residence, Natural Wood Textures Hark Back to Vietnam's Traditional Homes

During a new decade when architecture projects in Vietnam are increasingly looking towards the future and influences outside the national boundaries for inspirations, Memories House decided to do the opposite by integrating old heirloom furniture and elements from the past into the living space.

in Environment

Searching for the World's Largest Woodpecker Species in Yok Đôn National Park

You first know she’s approaching by the sound of her wings; her broad shadow flashing across the forest floor. Even from far below, her body looks enormous. At half a meter long, she is roughly five times the size of the woodpeckers seen in the gardens of Europe or North America. She is the largest woodpecker left in the world, and the jewel of Yok Đôn National Park.

Paul Christiansen

in Sports

Thống Nhất Stadium Offers Unexpected Opportunities to Reflect Upon the Soul

Where do you find revelation?

Back Society

in Society

Vietnamese Universities Not Stacking Up Against Regional Rivals

The current edition of Webometrics, an initiative from CSIC, the largest public research body in Spain, which ranks universities around the world, shows that, despite their consistent national pe...

in Development

[Video] Where Horticulture Meets Corporate Culture: How a Japanese Office Brings Farming Closer to Its Workers

As humans have become increasingly urban creatures, a disconnect between our life in the city and our food sources has created numerous challenges. These include the distances our food travels, contri...

in Development

Japanese Consortium to Build Shopping Center Underneath Ben Thanh Market

Besides alleviating the city’s traffic problems, it seems that Saigon’s future metro system will also serve a commercial purpose, as local officials just put forth a proposal to bring in a consortium ...

in Development

[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of Hanoi's Future Metro

If this breathtaking photo collection, courtesy of Zing, is any indication, Hanoi’s metro system is shaping up to be a sight to behold.

in Architecture

[Photos] Maison T: A Dream Bachelor Pad in Hanoi

Nghia-Architect has unveiled an inviting new home called Maison T in Hanoi’s Dong Da District. According to ArchDaily, the residence was designed for a young man who recently returned from living abr...

in Society

Saigon's Remote Can Gio Island Gets First-Ever High School Class

Students who wished to complete high school on Saigon’s Thanh An Island will not have to travel to the mainland now that a high school class has been established right in their neighborhood.

in Tech

Vietnam’s 3G/4G Speeds Still Among World’s Slowest

Mobile internet speeds in Vietnam remain among the world's most sluggish, according to a recent survey.

Khoi Pham

in Society

Catching 'Em All in Saigon: Pokemon GO Brings More Than Old School Nostalgia to Vietnam

One of my colleagues threatened to ban Pokemon GO in the Saigoneer office after he saw me catching a Pidgey, a bird-type Pokemon, at our desk.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Development

Saigon’s Traffic Nightmare: Challenges and Potential Solutions

On one particularly horrific Monday evening last summer, I wound up in a traffic jam. Bounding over the bridge between District 1 and Phu Nhuan, my jaw dropped as I found a sea of vehicles on the othe...

in Health

Mekong Delta Grapples With Severe Doctor Shortage

The Mekong Delta region is facing a serious doctor shortage which threatens to become even more severe by 2020.

in Society

[Photos] Families Struggle to Get Ahead in Saigon's Cambodian Neighborhood

Along Vo Van Kiet Street not far from District 6’s Lo Gom Bridge, a small community of Cambodian residents lives in squalid conditions, eking out a modest living from their makeshift houses by the riv...

in Development

Hanoi Is Getting a Shiny New Horse Racing Track

After almost two decades of discussion, Hanoi’s horse racing complex is becoming a reality.

in Development

Officials Consider Another Tan Son Nhat Expansion as Overcrowding Becomes Dire

Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat is in dire need of an expansion due to overcrowding issues in the terminal, on the tarmac and even on the roads surrounding the international airport.

in Sports

Vietnam Sports Officials Accused of Attending Olympics in Place of Doctors, Coaches

While Vietnam is still basking in the glory of its first-ever gold medal – not to mention the other hardware picked up by shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh – some aren't happy with the count...

in Development

After 2 Years, Da Nang May Abandon US$104m Government Building

It seems Vietnam’s sweltering weather has claimed yet another casualty: Da Nang's US$104 million administrative building.

in Society

The Strict Stipulations Behind Takashimaya's Top-Notch Service

Along with a slew of foreign brands and mouthwatering Japanese pastries, Saigon’s new Takashimaya department store has also brought its unique brand of hospitality to the southern hub in hopes of wowi...

in Development

Vietnam: The Other, Other Asian Tiger

As we enter the final quarter of the year, it’s safe to say 2016 hasn’t exactly been the economic success Vietnam had hoped.

in Tech

A Brief History of Vietnam's Pokemon GO Adventures

Exactly one week after Niantic unleashed Pokemon GO on Vietnam, the country’s love for the colorful pocket monsters has shown no sign of waning. If anything, the Pokemon craze has only grown stronger ...

in Sports

Swimmer Joseph Schooling Beats Michael Phelps to Win Singapore’s First-Ever Olympic Gold

We’re barely halfway through the 2016 Summer Olympics, and already athletes in Rio have left a considerable mark on the history books. In addition to Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won the co...

in Architecture

[Photos] Step Inside Da Lat's Hobbit-Like 'Uncle's House'

This Da Lat abode perfectly blends modern and traditional elements to bring its owners closer to nature.