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?"
Saigon Commences Metro Line, Major Administrative Hub Project in Thủ Thiêm
Municipal authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City are moving forward with a number of infrastructure projects that will majorly transform the peninsula in the future.
From the Ground up Into the Air: The Evolution of Bitexco in 25 Photos
Between Thủ Thiêm's ambitious new skyscrapers, the planned transformation of Thanh Đa Peninsula and a LEED-standard apart...
The Global Waste Trade Fuels the Rise of Waste Colonialism in Southeast Asia
In August 2025, Malaysian campaigner Wong Pui Yi stood outside the UN headquarters in Geneva and made an appeal to Global North nations: “Stop treating the Global South as the rubbish bin for plastic waste you cannot handle.”
[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.
Saigon's Hotel Majestic to Get High-Rise Addition
Since last June, Saigontourist Holding Company has resumed expansion of The Majestic, its five-star luxury hotel overlooking the riverfront.
Instant Noodles Linked to Heart Disease, Stroke: Study
As the world's second largest consumer of instant noodles – Vietnam chows down on 5.2 billion packs of the pre-cooked blocks every year – this may be hard news to swallow, but studies show t...
[Photos] Saigon's Studio8 Gets Creative With Q10 Row House
Saigon's buildings come in every configuration imaginable. Whether squeezed into impossibly small spaces or built on misshapen plots of land, the city's tube houses present a unique and interesti...
Ready to Trade in Your iPhone for a Bphone?
In what some believe is a last-ditch attempt to offload its remaining stock, Vietnamese tech outfit Bkav is offering local smartphone users the opportunity to trade in their old Apple, Samsung and HTC...
Bill Gates, British Finance Minister Pledge $4.28bn to Fight Malaria
In an effort to quash the potentially fatal illness for good, billionaire Bill Gates and British finance minister George Osborne are pledging £3 billion (US$4.28 billion) to fight malaria around the w...
Dong Nai Proposes Extension of Metro Line 1
As downtown progress on the Saigon Metro inches along, Dong Nai officials are hoping to extend Line 1 beyond the city limits.
[Photos] Check out Vo Trong Nghia's Spectacular D2 Bamboo Pavilions
Vietnam's internationally renowned, bamboo-loving architectural mastermind Vo Trong Nghia has done it again.
[Photos] Future Hanoi: Vietinbank Tower
Though its construction has slowed recently, Hanoi is expecting a pair of fancy new V-shaped skyscrapers in future.
Saigon Begins Testing 4G Service
On the heels of rival company Viettel's trial run in Vung Tau, Vinaphone has begun testing its 4G service in Saigon and Phu Quoc.
Mekong Delta Farmers Are Using Cement to Fertilize Their Fields
Much to the alarm of local scientists and officials, rice farmers in the Mekong Delta have discovered a nifty new fertilizer: cement.
