Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Is the Yeti Vietnamese? This Ancient Ape Might Hold the Answer.

Can you name a Vietnamese animal that hasn’t been hunted to the precipice of extinction or become a commodified item whose flesh, fur, or feathers are only deemed significant in relation to their practical use by humans?

in Architecture

This Suburban Hanoi House Answers 'Yes' to 'How Many Windows Do You Want?'

Do you love the tropical summer? Does bathing in the warmth of the sun spark joy in you? How many windows are enough to solar-power your everyday life? If you, too, are toiling with these existential concerns on a daily basis, perhaps this recent residential project might provide some inspiration.

in Health

A Hanoi Duo Crafts Intricate Silicone and Clay Prostheses for People With Disabilities

“The products we make are fake arms, legs, noses, ears… from silicone. The value we create is emotional healing, giving our customers confidence in themselves and their lives — the things they lack after surgeries,” Phúc shared while introducing their products. 

in Architecture

Listen to the Unique 'Dialects' Found in Regional Vietnamese Modernist Architecture

“It was my uncle who came up with the design. There are no drawings left; everything was improvised back then,” the owner of a modernist homestay in Ninh Thuận told me. No architect, just an idea and a craftsman to pour it into concrete.

in Environment

How Overreliance on Pesticides Traps Thai Farmers in a Vicious Circle of Debt

As the sun rises over the village of Ban Wichit Pattana in north-east Thailand, 62-year-old Chuchart Srithachum does his morning exercise, walking as best he can on his prosthetic leg along the street outside his home.

Khôi Phạm

in Architecture

Illustration Project 'Con Ốc Nhỏ' Archives Southern Vietnam's Diverse Architectural Facades

Riding a motorbike is the most popular mode of transport in Vietnam. Albeit convenient and fast, being on a bike, merging in and out of the ever-flowing, hurried traffic, might not afford you the slow pace needed to fully appreciate the urban landscapes and their hidden gems. Vietnamese artist Bờm Sketcher, on the other hand, is fully in support of walking as the best way to document the most fascinating corners of local streets onto his pages.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment

People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.

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.

Back Society

in Health

Dengue Vaccine Gets Green Light As Cases Soar in Central Vietnam

In the midst of a dangerous dengue epidemic in south-central Vietnam, medical professionals are giving the go-ahead to a preventive vaccine for the deadly virus.

in Development

New 30km Overpass to Link Saigon With Mekong Delta

In the midst of its usual traffic woes, Saigon may be getting glimmer of hope in a 30-kilometer flyover project, which will help to alleviate traffic on the notoriously busy Highway 1A.

in Sports

Vietnam Hopes to Send 15 Athletes to Rio Olympics in 2016

As the 2016 Summer Olympics approach, Vietnam has high hopes for its athletes.

in Architecture

[Photos] Vo Trong Nghia Adds Bamboo Buildings to Five-Star Da Nang Resort

As if its stunning day spa – modeled after the hanging gardens of Babylon – wasn't enough, Da Nang's five-star Naman Retreat just got an impressive upgrade.

in Development

The Demise of the Mekong Delta

When it comes to climate change, there's no shortage of bad news these days. On the one hand, Saigon is facing its longest drought in 60 years; on the other, several Vietnamese cities may be unde...

in Tech

Homegrown Ride-Sharing App Launches in Vietnam

As traffic in Vietnamese cities continues to get worse, one group of local graduates is using the power of technology to help alleviate the influx of motorbikes on Saigon's streets.

in Development

Da Nang Theme Park Unveils Flashy New Monorail

Between the Disneyland-esque entertainment complex planned for Ha Long Bay and Phu Quoc's ever-increasing number of larger-than-life attractions, Vietnam seems to have a thing for amusement parks...

in Development

[Photos] Majestic Banyan Tree Spared in Hanoi Road Project

It's safe to say Hanoi doesn't have a great relationship with trees.

in Tech

[Photos] Dong Nai Students Invent Vehicle That Runs on Alcohol

Eight students from Dong Nai province's Lac Hong University recently created a car that is able to join in one of Vietnam's favorite pastimes: getting drunk.

in Tech

Bkav Doubles Down: Will Launch Bpad, Bwatch in 2016

When Bkav, a local network security company, unveiled its Bphone earlier this year, company CEO Nguyen Tu Quang called it "the best smartphone in the world". The device, however, ultimately proved to ...

in Society

Hanoi Official Pushes for Plan to Reduce Private Vehicle Use

During a meeting between the central and local governments on Monday, Hanoi People's Committee Chairman Nguyen Duc Chung urged the capital to craft a plan to reduce the number of private vehicles on i...

in Development

Da Nang May Get an Underwater Tunnel

Da Nang is considering the construction of a six-lane underwater tunnel crossing the Han River.

in Development

5 Buildings That Will Rise Above Saigon in 2016

Though change has always been fast in Saigon, 2015 was a big year for the city's development, as new skyscrapers, shopping malls and infrastructure projects sprouted all over town. While some structur...

in Health

The Dangers of Saigon Street Coffee

You might want to think twice before buying your next cà phê sữa đá on the street. If you can call it that, really: “industrial chemicals” is not a phrase you want to have associated with your morning...

in Architecture

[Photos] Local Architect Puts Modern Spin on Traditional Saigon Shophouse

In many ways, this narrow shophouse-style structure designed by MM++ Architects is just like any other. The house, not unlike its neighbors, stands four stories high and occupies a slender plot o...

in Tech

Mai Linh Taxi to Purchase up to 20,000 Electric Cars

Vietnamese cities are about to get a little more eco-friendly, as Mai Linh Taxi and French car producer Renault have announced a five-year deal to import thousands of electric vehicles into the countr...

in Tech

What Google CEO Sundar Pichai's Visit Means for Vietnamese Tech

If his recent visit is any indication, Sundar Pichai is alright in Vietnam's book.

in Development

[Photos] Inside the Metro Station Beneath Saigon's Opera House

The further the Saigon Metro progresses – or doesn't progress – the more we hear about escalating costs, construction hiccups and the project's Japanese contractors seeking compensation...

in Development

Construction Begins on New Downtown Saigon Skyscraper

Earlier this month, developers broke ground on the Saigon Me Linh Tower, adding yet another skyscraper to District 1's riverside Me Linh roundabout.

in Tech

Flappy Bird Creator Releases Infuriating New Mobile Game

Mobile gamers had good reason to rejoice last week, as Flappy Bird creator Nguyen Ha Dong and his company DotGears Studio debuted a flashier second version of the original Swing Copters game.