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.
Fake Rice Made With Plastic Has Allegedly Made Its Way To Vietnam
As if we didn’t have enough to worry about when it comes to local food safety, reports have surfaced that fake, plastic-based rice may have found its way into our food supply.
[Photos] New Renderings Of Binh Thanh District’s Central Park Complex
Between the Saigon and Thu Thiem bridges in Binh Thanh District sits a large plot from which steel skeletons are slowly emerging. If things go according to plan, by 2017, a massive, dense urban area w...
Vietnam’s Internet Speeds Ranked 99th Globally In New Report
The latest “State of the Internet” quarterly report found that while Vietnam ranks toward the back of the pack when it comes to internet speeds, things are looking up.
Future Saigon: The Gold View
District 4’s waterfront is about to get a major addition with a sprawling mixed-use complex across from downtown Saigon.
New Tata Deal Could Drop Car Prices To US$2,500 In Vietnam
While high prices put cars out of reach for the majority of Vietnamese, the emergence of low-cost “city cars” could soon make the four-wheeled dream a reality for the masses.
Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - People In The Capital City
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...
Da Nang Is 'Vietnam’s Singapore': Bloomberg
A recent article in the Bloomberg paints a very rosy picture of Da Nang, going as far as to call it “Vietnam’s Singapore,” due to its good governance, business-friendly policies, strong IT backbo...
Vietnam Moves to Ban Smoking at Weddings and Funerals
In a move to combat climbing smoking rates in Vietnam, heath officials have proposed banning the act at weddings and funerals.
[Infographic] Car Prices In Vietnam Compared To Its Neighbors
Buying a car is a notoriously expensive proposition in Vietnam due to the exorbitant taxes levied against them. This handy infographic further illustrates this point by comparing car prices in Vietnam...
[Photos] Inside Saigon’s Abstract 2H House
Truong An architecture and 23o5Studio recently teamed up an this abstract house in Saigon’s Thanh My Loi new urban area. The structure was designed to allow light to proliferate throughout, paint...
US$40m Earmarked For Saigon’s Silicon Valley
Looking to capitalize on Vietnam’s growing tech industry, a group of investors has been granted a license to develop "Saigon Silicon City," a project modeled after the Bay Area’s Silicon Valley.
Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - Architecture & Housing
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...
Vietnam’s Mobile Internet Speeds 2nd Slowest in the World
According to a recent survey by global bandwidth testing company Ookla, Vietnam's 3G speeds are some of the worst on Earth.
Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - Change Over Time - Part 2
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...
Metro Line May Cause Saigon Property Values To Skyrocket: CBRE
According to a report, Metro Line: Changing the Face of the Property Market, released by CBRE last Wednesday, Saigon’s first metro line may cause a significant uptick in for the city’s property values...
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] Saigon’s New Pedestrian Promenade Is Open For Business
Work has been completed on schedule for Saigon's new US$20 million pedestrian promenade on Nguyen Hue Street.
National Assembly HQ Wins Grand Prize At VN Architecture Awards
While architecture in Vietnam has taken some major strides over the past decade, it’s rare to see a government building receive high praise for its design. It looks like Hanoi's recently complete...
Vietnam’s Undersea Internet Cable Cut Yet Again
Vietnam’s notoriously fragile section of the Asia-America Gateway (AAG) cable has snapped once again in what is becoming a regular event.
[Video] A Sneak Peek Of Nguyen Hue Street’s Fancy New Water Fountain
The finishing touches are being put on Nguyen Hue Street’s pedestrian promenade that is set to open this month to coincide with the city’s Reunification Day celebrations. While not officially open for...
Hà Nội: CAPITAL City - Change Over Time - Part 1
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor of the Hà Nội: CAPITAL City photo book. Over the course of the next few weeks, we’ll be giving you an overview of the book's fantastic photos and s...
