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] Join Vietnam's Fanciest Gym for Just $24,000 a Year
Though it takes some willpower to get there, nothing beats a trip to the gym. You work out, you unwind in the sauna, you take advantage of the free shampoo, and by the time it's all over, you leave fe...
Thailand Is Closing Its Controversial Tiger Temple
Thailand's controversial Tiger Temple is set to close down as a tourist attraction, as local authorities are now removing animals from the facility.
Vietnam Is Getting a Pro Basketball League
For Vietnamese hoopsters, “a league of their own” will soon be more than just a movie starring Tom Hanks and Madonna.
Construction Begins on Hanoi-Sapa Highway Upgrade
On February 27, work began on an infrastructure project which will upgrade the existing roadway between Hanoi and Sapa.
[Photos] Vinhomes Central Park Rises From the Dust
While some of the city's construction projects are lagging – see, for instance, the skeletal riverside tower at the end of Ton Duc Thang – Vinhomes Central Park has breezed ahead, rising by the d...
7 Young Vietnamese Make Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia Lists
Seven rising Vietnamese stars in media and business have earned a place on Forbes’ first-ever 30 Under 30 Asia list.
City Officials Approve Phase One Design of $2.4m Administrative Building
On February 27, city officials approved the design for phase one of Saigon's new administrative building.
Not Everyone Loves the Record-Breaking Hanoi Broadcast Tower
As Hanoi moves ahead with a plan to construct the world's tallest broadcast tower, not everyone is thrilled about the project, following last week's announcement of the 636-meter structure's approxima...
[Photos] A Vietnamese Townhouse’s Natural Rebirth
Standing out from other identical row houses on the street, an old brick residential unit known as the Cocoon House has emerged with its own unique, porous facade.
Vietnamese Travel Startup Triip Gets $500k in Seed Funding
Triip, a Saigon-based travel platform, is the latest Vietnamese startup to receive international funding after the company announced last week it had secured US$500,000 in seed funding from Shanghai’s...
[Renderings] Hanoi to Trade Open Fields for Riverside Development Complex
On the eastern bank of the Red River, Hanoi's open fields are about to make way for a high-end real estate development in Long Bien District.
Mekong Delta Faces Worst Drought in 90 Years
It is not yet the peak of dry season, but the Mekong Delta is experiencing its worst drought in 90 years.
[Photos] We Wish This Audi A8 With Built-in Rice Cooker Existed
We've all been there: it's the end of the day and you're inching your way home through rush hour traffic. When you finally make it to your house, the last thing you want to think about is making dinne...
Vietnam Ranks 131 of 180 Countries on 2016 Environmental Protection Index
Every year, American university Yale releases its Environmental Protection Index (EPI), rating the ability of individual nations to protect both human health and the ecosystem. In 2016, the numbe...
[Video] Can Tho Gets Its First Pedestrian Bridge
Can Tho's brand-new pedestrian bridge opened to residents just in time for Tet.
[Photos] Saigon's Wasp House Is a Tiny Urban Oasis
The many oddly shaped houses of Saigon are, in some ways, an architect's dream: rather than contend with the conformity of gated communities or apartment blocks, architectural minds in this city face ...
Hanoi Metro Will Open in December 2016
By the end of 2016, Hanoi's first metro line will officially be up and running.
ArchDaily Nominates 3 Vietnamese Architects for Building of the Year Awards
Global architecture website ArchDaily is currently hosting its 2016 Building of the Year Awards where, much to our delight, Vietnamese architecture is well-represented. Among its 14 categories, l...
Vietnamese Spend $2bn on Healthcare Overseas
While foreigners are coming to Vietnam for medical tourism, locals are spending US$2 billion a year on healthcare abroad.
Saigon's Tax Center Skyscraper Will Have a Helipad
At the Satra-Tax Plaza's ground-breaking ceremony on January 29, developers of the project announced the roof of the new skyscraper will house a helipad.
