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.
[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...
Hanoi Is Getting a Shiny New Horse Racing Track
After almost two decades of discussion, Hanoi’s horse racing complex is becoming a reality.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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 ...
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...
[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.
[UPDATED] Apple Finalizing Plans to Open $1bn Data Center in Da Nang
[UPDATE] On August 11, Chairman Huynh Duc Tho of the Da Nang People's Committee informed reporters that Apple, Inc. has not confirmed plans to construct a US$1 billion data center in the central city,...
2 More Weeks for AAG Repairs, Hanoi to Get Free WiFi Network
In the ongoing saga of Vietnam’s temperamental WiFi connection, we’ve got good news and bad news.
[Photos] Past and Present Mingle in Hanoi’s ‘Attic Apartment’
When it comes to the scores of cramped and aging homes in urban Vietnam, local architects have a knack for transforming these unusual spaces into not only liveable but trendy and functional housing.
[Video] The Story of San Francisco’s Suu the Street Sweeper
When she first arrived in the United States, single mother Suu Ngo spoke no English.
[Infographic] Here's How to Get Fined While Driving a Motorbike
With an ever-changing set of traffic laws and penalties, it can be hard to keep up with Saigon's rules of the road.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Development
For Japanese Retailers, Saigon Center Opening a Sign of Good Things to Come
Across the street from a colorful, decades-old Hindu temple, motorbikes pour into the parking garage of the newly opened Saigon Center. Spiraling five floors below ground, the downtown shopping m...
Saigon’s Book Street Is Popular, Even With Declining Sales
Since its opening in January, Saigon’s downtown book street has seen plenty of visitors but fewer sales than expected.
[Illustrations] Japanese Architect Sketches Tokyo Metro Stations and the Chaos Above Them
In the dozens of digital renderings which envision a city’s future, you’ll find soaring skylines and innovative architecture but very little personality.
Laos’ Third Mekong River Dam Spells Danger for the Delta
Laos is preparing to begin construction on its third hydropower dam along the Mekong River.
[Photos/Video] Hanoi Architects Breathe New Life Into a Standard Tube House
By now, everyone in Vietnam is familiar with the standard tube house layout: a staircase in the middle, bedrooms on the sides and a ground floor that usually substitutes as a parking garage.
