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.
Vietnamese Patients “Wait To Die” After Slashes To Pharma Subsidies
New Vietnamese health insurance regulations which went into effect yesterday will make potentially life-saving medicine out of reach for many low-income patients. And things are only going to get wors...
Future Saigon: Saigon Centre Phase 2
After years of inactivity, construction on the massive plot next to Saigon Center at the corner of Lê Lợi and Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Streets is finally underway.
[Photos] The Striking Differences Between Chinese And Đà Lạt Produce
Fears over the safety of Chinese produce have been increasing over the past few years with stories like the “immortal apple” becoming common in the Vietnamese press.
Hanoi To Move 26,200 Residents Out Of The Old Quarter
Hanoi’s 82-hectre Old Quarter, described by some as “among Asia's best-preserved urban hubs of traditional commerce,” is about to lose nearly 40% of its residents, as city authorities seek to reduce t...
Vo Trong Nghia Unveils Modular, Low-Cost Housing Concept For Vietnam
If you caught the article we featured on Vo Trong Nghia’s “Rebel Architecture” last week, you may remember the architecture firm’s low-cost housing project in development that would cost around $3000 ...
Only 16% Of Wastewater Released Into Dong Nai River Is Treated
In what is yet another environmental challenge to the health of Vietnam’s river ways and its people is the discharging of untreated wastewater from factories and homes.
City Authorities Agree to Save Elements of Saigon’s Tax Center
While there’s no saving the Tax Center which will soon be demolished to make way for a new 40-story tower, elements of the 90-year-old building will be preserved, according to city officials...
Microsoft To Launch Vietnamese Version Of MSN Portal
The Vietnamese version of Microsoft’s MSN portal officially went online Wednesday as the company hopes to capitalize on the country’s growing online market.
New Noi Bai Terminal, Vietnam’s Largest, to Open Next Week
Hanoi’s Noi Bai Airport is set to open its shiny new $645.3 million, 4-story terminal next week after three years of construction.
Inside Nha Dan Architect’s HCMC NQ House
Nha Dan Architects, a firm specializing in commercial and residential projects, recently completed their sleek and artistic NQ House in Ho Chi Minh City which overcame some serious design challenges.&...
How Climate Change and a Drive for Profits Are Threatening the Mekong Delta
Upstream dams aren’t the only threat to the Mekong Delta.
HCMC Planning 8-Story Trade Center In Front Of Opera House
Downtown Saigon’s modern makeover continues to take shape with the city government announcing plans for a new, 8-story trade center just across from the Saigon Opera House.
[Video] Vo Trong Nghia’s 'Rebel Architecture'
In a city where building codes are either nonexistent or very lax, modern green architecture is often a hard sell. Sustainability and the long-term advantages of building for the environment and to im...
Work Begins On HCMC's $1.41B Central Park Project, Future Home Of Vietnam’s Tallest Building
Work on Vinhome’s VND30 trillion ($1.41 billion) Central Park project officially kicked off on December 13.
Half Of HCMC’s State Agency Officials Don’t Know How To Use Email
In a recent article by Dantri International, a survey conducted by the Department of Information and Communications revealed that as much as 50 percent of the higher officials in the city’s state depa...
Vietnamese Football Officials Call For Investigation Into “Incomprehensible” Loss
After last night’s sloppy 4-2 loss to Malaysia in the semi-final round of the 2014 Suzuki Cup, Vietnamese football officials plan to ask "concerned agencies" to investigate the match, the result of wh...
[Photos] 13 Old Saigon Villas to Be Demolished
According to Tuoi Tre, 13 villas in Districts 1 and 3 are scheduled to meet their demise in the near future. Though the city's Villa Classification Council is attempting to preserve many of these buil...
Thao Dien House Blends Natural and Minimalist Elements
This beautiful house in Thao Dien built by MM++ Architects is a rennovation of an existing structure that has been transformed into a natural wonderland. The design focuses on connecting the home’s li...
Could 3D-Printed Plastic Replace Metal Roofs in Vietnam?
A new project out of a Harvard spin-off, Resilient Modular Systems, has developed a system of modular roofing 3D printed from waste plastic.
[Video] Biker Drives Down Highway Using Only Feet, Takes Selfies Along The Way
This young motorist shows particular disregard for safety and common sense, driving down the highway at 60km/hour using only his feet, allowing him to use his free hands to take selfies with his passe...
