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 Development

Take a Look at Phu Nhuan's Chi House

Everywhere we turn, it seems, local architects are coming up with new and innovative designs that not only make for some sweet pads but also help to beautify their neighborhoods.

in Development

Check out China's Monster Bridge-Building Machine

While Chinese bridges have made big headlines recently – and, later, made terrifying headlines – the technology used to construct China's everyday bridges is pretty impressive.

in Development

Cambodia Unleashes Solar-Powered Tuk Tuks

There's a sweet new solar-powered ride on the streets of Phnom Penh.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Tech

The Story Behind Google's First-Ever Made-in-Vietnam Ad

Director Bao Nguyen explains the story behind Google's first-ever TV commercial made for Vietnamese audiences.

in Development

Saigon Approves Expansion of Can Gio Tourism Project

Last week, city officials approved an additional 480 hectares of sea area for the Saigon Sunbay tourism development in Can Gio.

in Development

Saigon Is Getting a New People's Committee Building

The area around Nguyen Hue has undergone a major transformation in the last year or so. In keeping with these drastic changes, there will soon be another upgrade to the walking street, as one of the c...

in Development

[Photos] Check out the Fancy New Hanoi-Hai Phong Highway

Making the trip from Hanoi to Hai Phong will be much easier come December, when a brand-new high-speed road between the northern cities is complete.

in Tech

Check Out Google's New 3D Rendering of Hong Kong

Have you ever sat at your computer on a slow-moving afternoon and wished you could see Hong Kong the way birds do?

in Development

Saigon May Chop Down 150-Year-Old Trees in Tao Dan Park for Metro Line 2

Tao Dan Park, the green lung of downtown District 1, is about to get a little smaller, as the city's People's Committee may soon approve a plan to repurpose 2,100 square meters of the space for metro ...

in Tech

Check Out the Revamped Honda NX200 That Runs on Water

Saigon is developing at a breakneck pace. As the number of motorbikes in the city continues to climb, air pollution reaches dangerous levels in urban Vietnam, making it hard to imagine a city free of ...

in Development

[Photos] Innovative Design Sets This Da Nang Garden Villa Apart

If you're the type to spring for a beachfront resort on holiday, you know that nobody wants to stay in the garden villa. It's almost a tease, being led so close to those sweeping ocean views only to h...

in Tech

Check out Vietnam's Top 15 Most-Funded E-Commerce Startups

Just like mobile games, e-commerce is a booming industry in Vietnam.

in Architecture

[Photos] Meet Tan Phu District's Breeze House

Saigon is full of surprises. Whether it's a theme park in District 9, a hidden temple in the heart of downtown or a high-end fashion shop in Binh Chanh, things in this city crop up exactly where you l...

in Tech

Netflix Is Coming To Cambodia In 2016

No matter who you are, this is a sight you've seen at least once in your life:

in Development

Tan Son Nhat to Be Expanded...Again

Last Friday, local officials announced further plans to expand Tan Son Nhat International Airport as part of an ongoing effort to ease passenger overcrowding.

in Health

Health Officials May Require 'Rape Verification' For Certain Abortions

The Vietnamese Ministry of Health may require rape victims seeking an abortion for a fetus older than 12 weeks to verify that they have been sexually assaulted.

in Development

German Firm Wins Design Contest For Hanoi's National Conference & Exhibition Center

After a two-month contest, Vingroup has selected a winner to design its upcoming development project, the National Conference & Exhibition Center in Hanoi's Co Loa area.

in Health

Saigon Sees a Sharp Rise in Dengue Fever

This has been a tough year for dengue in Vietnam. While health officials have been cautioning for months now that the illness, passed by mosquitoes, is on the rise, dengue has reached peak levels in t...

in Development

Hanoi: CAPITAL City Book Wins Bui Xuan Phai Award

Earlier this year, German lecturer Michael Waibel released Hà Nội: Capital City, a beautiful, large-format photo book, in conjuction with Audi Vietnam and the Goethe Institute.

in Tech

Vietnamese Startups Hold Their Own Among Southeast Asia's Top 30 Tech Outfits

Vietnam's tech star is on the rise. These days, startup communities are thriving across the country, new crowdfunding laws are being developed to help burgeoning tech companies get off the ground...