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.
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.
The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope
Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?
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...
Vietnam Pushes Back Construction Of First Nuclear Power Plant
At a meeting of the Science, Technology, and Environmental Committee of the National Assembly last Thursday, Deputy Trade Minister Cao Quoc Hung said that the construction of Vietnam’s first nuclear p...
iPhone 6 Arrives In Hanoi With VND40 Million Price Tag
The new iPhones have arrived in Vietnam, Apple’s hottest market, with some pretty hefty price tags.
Detailed Map Of The Entire HCMC Metro System
Saigon’s Bến Thành–Suối Tiên metro line is something of a teaser, the first of 6 that will serve the sprawling metropolis. While it's hard to say how accurate it is given a lack of official infor...
HCMC Moves To Cut Plastic Bag Use
Following in the footsteps of other large cities around the world, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment is pushing HCMC to reduce its reliance on plastic bags, reports Vietnam News.
Future Saigon: Thủ Thiêm’s Đại Quang Minh Project
The Đại Quang Minh Real Estate Corporation’s project in Thủ Thiêm is a mixed development of high-rise apartment buildings and villas that will include schools, shopping centers, cinemas, sports center...
[Video] Take A Virtual Ride On Saigon’s First Metro
Saigon’s metro system won’t be inaugurated for another 4 years or so, but while you wait, take a virtual ride on the Bến Thành–Suối Tiên line.
Brian Letwin in Architecture
[Photos] A Look At The Bygone Era Of “New” Cambodian Architecture
In the 1950s and 60s, Cambodia was developing a unique architectural style, one which blended aspects of the Modern Movement with traditional features found at Angkor. This movement, known as “New Khm...
Nguyen Hue Street To Add Massive Pedestrian-Only Promenade
It may be hard to believe given the current state of the area, but Nguyen Hue Street’s future is paved with granite sidewalks, 3D art and electric trams.
2 Slim Vietnamese Homes Featured In British Architecture Magazine
2 Vietnamese homes designed by Vietnamese architects have made Deezen Magazine’s list of “10 Super Skinny Houses.”
Saigon’s Bus Rapid Transit System Set To Launch In 2018
Along with a new metro, Saigon has launched a project to build a $155 million, 6-line bus rapid transit (BRT) system, with the first to be completed by 2018.
Final Trials Find Dengue Vaccine to Be Highly Effective
Death from dengue fever, which plagues Vietnam and other tropical regions across the globe, may soon be a thing of the past after French drug maker, Sanofi, announced that it had achieved high su...
[Photos] Inside Thu Thiem’s $87 Million Park
Perhaps Ho Chi Minh City has figured out a way to spark part of its long-stalled Thu Thiem Urban Area project – trade land in exchange for development and infrastructure.
BBGV 14th Annual Fun Run For Charity
BBGV Annual Fun Run for Charity is an event which allows you to have fun with your fellow co-workers, friends and family but also participate in something which raises money for disadvantaged people t...
Vietnam Proposes Ban On Sidewalk Alcohol Sales
A new draft decree from the Ministry of Industry and Trade that proposes a ban on sidewalk alcohol sales has come under scrutiny for being “ill-conceived and unfeasible,” according to Thanh Nien.
HCMC Authorities Push To Fast Track New Airport
With increased air traffic and pressure to accommodate more flights, HCMC authorities are pushing hard to fast track approval for the $10 billion Long Thanh Airport project, reports TTR Weekly.
Go Vap House Blends Traditional Construction With Contemporary Design
This Go Vap house built by MM++ Architects utilizes low cost materials and combines traditional construction principles with contemporary design for some beautiful results.
$189m Plan to Give 300,000 HCMC Students Tablets Draws Criticism
Last week the HCMC Department of Education proposed a plan to equip 300,000 primary students with tablets for the coming school year, reports Thanh Nien. With a pricetag of VND3 million – VND 5 m...
Brian Letwin in Development
A Look At The Progress Of HCMC's First Metro Line
Now that ground has been broken on the underground stations in District 1, construction of HCMC’s first metro system is in full swing. But with a number of major construction sites across nearly 20km ...
Brian Letwin in Development
Future Saigon: VINATEX Tower (Võ Văn Kiệt Street)
Vietnam Textile and Garment Group recently announced plans for this mixed residential/commercial tower, which will go up at the corner of Võ Văn Kiệt and Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa Streets.
Google Street View Arrives In Saigon (Sort Of)
This pseudo Google Street view map of Saigon is the brainchild of photography studio, QuangCao360.
