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.
New Laos Dam Could 'Kill' the Mekong Delta: Experts
“We can survive without electricity, but without water, we will die.”
Spain Pledges 3.4 Million Euros For HCMC Metro Line 5
It looks like plans for HCMC’s fifth metro line are getting a boost with the Spanish government pledging 3.4 Million Euros for the upcoming project.
Future Saigon Update: The German House
More details are emerging on the German House, the 25-story tower going up across from Kumho Plaza at the corner of Le Duan and Le Van Huu Steets.
HCMC Seeks To Lure Scientists With $7,015 Monthly Salaries
As HCMC seeks to position itself as the country’s science and technology hub, it is offering massive incentives to lure scientists.
[Photos] Vietnamese Artist Imagines A More Beautiful Hanoi
There’s plenty to love about Hanoi, but sometimes the electricity wires, dirty canals and abandoned construction sites leave a lot to be desired.
40% Of Pregnancies In Vietnam End In Abortion: Report
Vietnam’s defunct but lingering family planning policies, poor sex education programs and easy access to clinics has resulted in one of the highest abortion rates in the world, according to a recent r...
Say Goodbye to the Iconic Statue in Front of Ben Thanh Market
The statue of General Trần Nguyên Hãn that has stood in front of Bến Thành Market for decades is in the process of being permanently removed from the location to accommodate a new metro station.
Vietnamese Jeweler Begins To Ship 24k Gold Plated iPads
Some Vietnamese spend months of their salary on iPhones and iPads for a lift in status. But some go a step further, paying more than the value of the actual product to have it dipped in gold.
Vietnam Ranks First in Southeast Asia for Diabetes
Add diabetes to smoking and drinking on the list of major threats to Vietnam’s public health.
Made In Vietnam: La Dalat
Known once as “the pearl of the orient,” Saigon was Indochina’s hub of modern industry and entertainment. This environment spawned the “La Dalat,” one of the first cars to be produced in Vietnam.
[Photos] HCMC Begins To Chop Down Old Trees On Tôn Đức Thắng
The chopping down of the beautiful old trees on Tôn Đức Thắng Street has begun.
Hanoi “Running Short” Of Clean Water
According to two water companies that serve the city, Hanoi is facing some serious water shortages.
Hackers Tap Into Private Vietnamese CCTV Cameras, Put Feeds Online
In a reminder to avoid passwords like “admin” and “12345,” a group of hackers tapped into almost 1,000 Vietnamese private CCTV cameras and put them on the web for all to see.
Future Saigon: Vietcombank Tower
The next big addition to Saigon’s skyline, the Vietcombank Tower, is nearly complete after years of construction.
VNCam App Taps Into Street Cams So You Can Beat The Traffic
If you’re planning to hit the streets of Saigon or Hanoi during rush hour, VNCam, a new traffic tracking app, should be of great assistance.
[Video] New Film Highlights The Father Of Modern Cambodian Architecture
Vietnam and Cambodia have a shared colonial past and have both endured the peaks and valleys of development and war. For both, the 1960s and 70s were periods of modernist architectural innovation, esp...
Petition Against Son Doong Cable Car Has Over 10,000 Signatures
After news broke that a $220 million cable car would be built through portions of Son Doong Cave, the response was overwhelming negative. Many were stunned that a plan, meant to lure troves of tourist...
Uber Launches In Hanoi
The battle of the taxi apps is set to grow fierce in Hanoi with the arrival of Uber.
Apple Set To Officially Enter Vietnamese Market
Instead of opening an official store in Vietnam, Apple has opted to partner with a local retailer to distribute their products in the country.
Vietnamese Smokers Spend $1bn per Year on Cigarettes
Vietnam boasts 16 million smokers who pay VND22 trillion ($1.05 billion) per year to feed their deadly habit. But the actual cost of smoking is compounded by a nearly equal cost in treatment for commo...
