Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
Phạm Phú Vinh in Architecture
Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People
In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm. It not only represents the Vietnamese architectural identity in post-colonial eras, but also exemplifies its cultural autonomy.
Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project
Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Canadian Firm to Invest $150m in New Solar Power Plant
Vietnam may be getting another solar power plant thanks to Canadian company CMX Renewable Energy Inc.
Japan to Invest $7bn in Mekong Region Over Next 3 Years
Japan is gearing up to invest US$7 billion into the Mekong region, spreading the funding across parts of Vietnam, Laos and Thailand.
Vietnamese Education Startup Receives $9m in Funding
Yet another Vietnamese education app is raking in the investment money, as tutoring service GotIt! recently announced US$9 million in seed and series A funding.
Vietnamese, Korean Computer Scientists Invent Webcam Algorithm to Read Your Emotions
One day soon, your mobile game may be able to register your joy, anger and frustration thanks to a creepily accurate webcam algorithm.
World Bank Enlists Grab and Uber to Create Open-Source Traffic-Monitoring Platform
Ever since apps like Grab and Uber came to the country, Vietnam's urban transportation has been turned upside down. On one hand, consumers are thrilled to be paying less for car rides in cities like H...
Work Begins on $4bn Hoi An Resort
Last Sunday, central Vietnam's Quang Nam province began its biggest development project to date.
Thai Retailer Buys Zalora's Vietnam and Thailand Businesses
Earlier this week, Germany-based Rocket Internet announced the sale of its online retailer, Zalora, to Thai giant Central Group.
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – The Soul of the City
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of central Vietnam. Produced with the support of t...
You're Probably Spelling These Saigon Place Names Incorrectly
Several famous location names in Saigon are believed to be misspellings of their original monikers.
[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia Transforms Rest Stop Into Bamboo Oasis
Thirty kilometers from Hanoi, local architect and global sensation Vo Trong Nghia recently completed another project fashioned almost entirely out of bamboo.
[Video] Driverless Pods May Hit Singapore's Streets by Year End
While we can't imagine testing a driverless vehicle in, say, Saigon traffic, the orderly streets of Singapore seem like the perfect place to give self-driving machinery a whirl.
[Photos] Put Your Mind at Ease in Saigon's Zen House
Embodying its name, every element of the Zen House revolves around harmony, mindfulness and originality, making this contemporary structure more a monastery than a home for the three Buddhist owners.
The World Is Down to Fund Vietnamese Startups
In recent years, Vietnam's startups have proven their worth to both the local economy and the global community.
[Video] Hanoi's Pollution Heading Toward Airmaggedon
Urban Vietnam is on a roll these days. What with a new crop of sky-high monuments on the horizon, a thriving startup economy and an ambitious set of plans for the future, cities across the countr...
[Photos] 'Da Nang: COASTAL City' – People in the City
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of Da Nang: COASTAL City, a large-format photo book exploring the urban development, landscapes and people of Central Vietnam. Produced with the su...
As Drought Continues, Mekong Climate Refugees Leave Home
It's no secret that the Mekong Delta is in dire straits. Between hydroelectric dams, drought, sinking land and the region's ever-increasing salinization, farmers in the west are facing heavy losses th...
China Slides 100-Year-Old Building to New Home
China never ceases to exceed our expectations when it comes to buildings. From monster bridge-building machines to the 19-day construction of a 57-story skyscraper to 3D printing a mansion, ...
High School Students Build All-Terrain Wheelchair
Vietnam is not particularly well set-up for handicapped people. With broken sidewalks and uneven terrain even in the most developed cities, getting around can be a challenge for those who are wheelcha...
[Photos] Meet District 2's Floating House
Bringing the concept of a flood-proof nhà sàn – the wooden stilt house most often seen in rural Vietnam – to Saigon's sinking terrain, local outfit Nha Dan Architects managed to create a contempo...
Clean Up Vietnam: Changing the Conversation
There has been much ado in recent years about Vietnam’s garbage problem. From the beaches of Phu Quoc to the forests of the Central Highlands, trash is omnipresent and impossible to ignore. To th...
