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.
Mekong River Region: Global Diversity Hotspot
With 367 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong Region over the past 2 years, the World Wildlife Foundation has proclaimed it to be a Global Diversity Hotspot.
International Marathon To Take Place In Sa Pa
A marathon through the hills of Sa Pa is set to take place on September 20 and 21 with more than 450 athletes from 43 countries having already registered.
[Video] How Poverty Is Stopping Vietnamese Girls From Obtaining An Education
From doing chores around the house, running a ferry service to harvesting crops, for many young girls in Vietnam, bringing in income for the family trumps education. This video captures the reality of...
Number of Vietnamese Super-Rich Has Increased by 400% Over the Past Decade
A World Bank report released earlier this week found that the number of super-rich, has rapidly increased over the last 10 years. I guess this explains the fugly castle phenomenon.
Brian Letwin in Development
Singapore Apartment Building Sets Record For World’s Largest Vertical Gargen
The new Eximbank Tower may be bringing some much needed greenery to Saigon’s skyline but Singapore’s new Tree House condominium building, which has set a Guinness World Record for largest vertical gar...
Future Saigon: Ton Duc Thang Street
Over the past 20 years, Ton Duc Thang has transformed from a tree-lined street of colonial buildings to a strip of high rise offices and hotels. The stretch along the water is of particular value to d...
Vo Trong Nghia Architects’ Amazing Brick And Bamboo Factory Renovation
Houses and schools aren’t the only tricks Award-winning Vo Trong Nghia Architects have in their bag. Completed late last year, their renovation of Viet Vuong Co. Ltd.’s HCMC garment factory is their s...
Report: Vietnam’s Internet Second Slowest In Asia
Even though internet access is everywhere, from coffee shops to public busses, Vietnam ranks near the very bottom in Asia when it comes to speed.
New $1 Billion Plant Will Allow Samsung To Make Nearly All Its Products In Vietnam
Electronics giant Samsung was recently granted an investment certificate for its new $1 billion screen plant in Bac Ninh. While it brings Samsung’s investment in the country to a whopping $6.85 billio...
PM Orders Removal Of Settlements Along Vietnam’s Train Tracks
The famous scenes of life taking place on Vietnam’s train tracks may soon be a thing of the past now that a plan to remove illegal shops and homes has been approved by the Prime Minister.
[Photos] Who Said Pollution Masks Can’t Be Fashionable?
For the throngs of women across Vietnam who sacrifice fashion for health, there may be a solution.
New Design Competition Seeks To Beautify HCMC
Saigoneer is proud to be the media sponsor for Saigon Makeover, a new design competition for graphic designers, artists and young people at large to share their creative vision of how different parts ...
3 Vietnamese Make “World's Most Influential Scientific Minds” List
3 Vietnamese scientists: Dam Thanh Son, Nguyen Son Binh and Nguyen Xuan Hung, have made Thomson Reuters’ list of the World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds.
Brian Letwin in Development
[Photos] Future Saigon: The Thu Thiem Financial Center
British design firm, Foster and Partners recently released renderings for Thu Thiem’s financial center and they’re well, dreamy?
DX Mornings 2: Why Your Products Suck @ The Cube
From the organizer: Tony Ho will show us why our products suck and how we can use design to improve user experience.
Vietnamese Bamboo House Design Highlighted At International Architecture Awards
As one of the top 3 countries most vulnerable to natural disasters, living with floods is a difficult reality for many in Vietnam.
Vietnam Climbs English Rankings In Recent Survey
Vietnam is climbing up the ranks of English proficiency based on a recent survey by Education First.
Saigon Mechanics Make Their Own Vespa 946
A group of enterprising welding technicians in District 11 are trying their hand at making their own Vespa 946. This limited edition bike from Piaggio costs about VND349 million in Vietnam and is the ...
Mastercard Brings Card Payment To Ben Thanh Market
Now you can use your credit card to buy fake DVD sets and crappy t-shirts at Ben Thanh Market.
Vietnam’s Coral Reefs On The Brink Of Extinction
Coral reefs around the world have been seriously degraded over the past 20 years and Vietnam’s are no exception. These ecosystems, which are vital to sustaining oceanic biodiversity, are very sensitiv...
