in Parks & Rec

How a Dance Project Is Reframing Deaf Identity in Saigon via Movement Art

Lắng Nghe Điểm Chạm is a project aiming to expand exposure opportunities and application potentials of performing arts into the life of marginalized and minority communities of Vietnam.

in Environment

I Saw the World's Most Handsome Bird Right in Vietnam's Hidden Backyard

Everywhere I go in Vietnam, I keep my eyes peeled for the incredible birds that call this country home. Sometimes I don’t even realize that I’m doing it. I scan the horizon above low hills for migratory hawks. I stare into breaks in the foliage for passing buttonquail. I peer into rice paddies, fingers crossed for a cryptic snipe. And, of course, there’s Facebook. I refresh Facebook over and over again, waiting for the arrival of the mandarin duck. Its scientific name is Aix galericulata, which one assumes means “prettiest goddamn duck in the world.”

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

The Rise and Fall of Phượng Vĩ, the Summer Icon of Our Teenage Dreams

I was a teenage cliché. No matter how much I try to rack my brain to find any other personal connection to the incandescently red tree that is phượng vĩ, I keep going back to my middle school crush and that one tree in the front yard of our school.

Paul Christiansen

in Natural Selection

The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate

A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes in the distant darkness, your trip is doomed and should be abandoned immediately. And if someone brings one back to the village, make all efforts to return it to the jungle, lest you invite sorrow and ruin into your home. Don’t let its meagre stature, a mere 500 grams, and slow, cuddly demeanor confuse you; the cu li guards the gates to hell.

in Environment

The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope

Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?

in Parks & Rec

In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity, Gender Fluidity Too

“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by night, she joins her friends at the Soul Waackers, a waacking group based in Hanoi, and practices a dance style that allows her a vibrant way to self-express.

Uyên Đỗ

in Tech

There's a Cordial Vietnamese Greeting That Has Been Floating in Space Since 1977

At this very moment, while you're reading these lines, a silver “bird” of human design is hurtling away from the Sun at roughly 60,000 kilometers per hour, slipping past the boundaries of our solar cradle and into the endless quiet of the cosmos.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

How a Self-Taught Documentarian Spreads His Boundless Enthusiasm for Vietnam's Nature

Why “Sticky Discovery”? This was the first question I asked during my interview with the man behind the YouTube series of...

Back Society

in Architecture

Hanoi's National Assembly Building: Rethinking Modern Vietnamese Architecture

Archdaily recently caught up with GMP Architekten, the minds behind Hanoi’s new National Assembly building who, with their design, attempted to answer the question: “What is Vietnamese building cultur...

in Development

Long Thanh Airport Project Gets the Green Light

The controversial US$15.8 billion Long Thanh Airport was approved by the National Assembly this morning, ending years of fierce debates about its necessity and high price tag.

in Environment

[Photos] Photographer Captures China’s Deadly Air Pollution

Vietnam’s cities may have some work to do when it comes to improving their air quality, but compared to the smog-filled skies of China’s urban areas, we live in a relative biosphere.

in Development

Saigon Gears Up For The Construction Of Its 4th Metro Line

Preparations have been completed and railway authorities are getting ready to start construction of Saigon’s longest metro route.

in Development

[Photos] Saigon's Old Trees Are Being Swallowed by Urbanization

District 10’s Le Hong Phong, An Duong Vuong, Nguyen Chi Thanh and Tran Phu Streets are fortunate to enjoy the shade of hundreds of large trees that were planted more than 50 years ago. However, many o...

in Tech

[Video] Vietnam Young Spikes Call For Registration

The Vietnam Young Spikes Competition is the pre-selection competition for teams of young professionals to represent Vietnam and compete at a regional level, at Spikes Asia - the most prestigious Festi...

in Architecture

[Photos] This District 3 House Is Every Saigoneer's Dream

We’ve seen plenty of local architects incorporate traditional Vietnamese aesthetics into their designs, from Chapa brickwork to tube houses. But we’ve never come across something quite as stunning as ...

in Tech

Ministry Proposes 50 Text Daily Cap To Combat SMS Spam

In an effort to combat the scourge of spam texts, the Ministry of Information and Communications is considering limiting mobile phone users to 50 texts per day.

in Tech

Don't Blame Sharks For AAG Breaks: Experts

While the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable is back up and running, we’re only one shark bite away from being cast back into the internet Dark Ages. Or are we?

in Tech

Meet The Winners Of Vietnam Young Spikes 2014

Why did you apply for VYS 2014? Chuong: I am very new to the industry and would like to see what it would be like to have the freedom to do creative work instead of following the process and dealing ...

in Development

Saigon Seeks to Extend Metro Line to Tan Son Nhat

Saigon authorities are looking to expand one of the city’s future metro lines to Tan Son Nhat Airport.

in Development

[Infographic] A Guide to Petrol Prices in Vietnam and Southeast Asia

After months of cut-rate petrol prices, it’s no longer particularly cheap to fill up your tank in Vietnam. But are today’s prices higher than ever? Who sets petrol rates and what exactly are we paying...

in Tech

Vietnamese Farmers Build Solar-Powered Boat

Four farmers in the Mekong Delta have successfully produced a solar-powered boat that can reach speeds of 20kph.

in Society

Did You Know Stopping In The Shade Can Get You Fined?

Driving in the scorching afternoon sun, many seek shelter under slivers of shade provided by trees and buildings. However, under Vietnamese law, doing so could result in fines of up to VND500,000.

in Environment

70 New Species Discovered In Vietnam: WWF Report

According to a report released by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) last week, 70 new species were found in Vietnam last year, many of which are at risk due to human activity.

in Development

Girders Installed On Saigon’s First Metro Line

If you’ve zipped along the North-South Highway in recent days, you’ve probably noticed a girder-laying machine doing its thing just off of Thao Dien Street.

in Tech

Vietnam to Get 3 New Internet Cables

Following constant ruptures to the Asia-America Gateway (AAG), Vietnamese telecommunication firms and government agencies are planning to build three new cables to ensure that the country's internet u...

in Architecture

[Photos] Saigon House Recaptures City’s Fading Charm

The Saigon House (perhaps located in District 6 due to the presence of Chinese-style shrines out front), seeks to recreate the lost Vuong Hong Sen's dwellings that once dotted Saigon-Gia Dinh.

in Development

Vietnam Pushes Ahead With High-Speed Rail Line

While Saigon may soon be getting its eagerly awaited metro and BRT systems, a considerably larger infrastructure project is slowly gaining steam – a north-south high-speed railway.

in Development

TPP Deal Could Add 30% to Vietnam’s GDP

At a conference in Saigon last week, Charles H. Rivkin, the US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, said that if passed, the Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement ...