in Ẽplain

A Brief Primer Into the History of K-Pop Chế in Vietnam

My middle school memories are often peppered with the honking voices of adolescents chanting some silly chorus about household cleaning.

in Development

Saigon Metro Line 1 Announces July Launch Date, Free Rides in Phase 1

Will 2024 be the auspicious year when our legs could finally step on the metro platform for the first time?

in Health

Sweating out My Sadness on the Canal's Exercise Machines

We're all unlucky in love sometimes. When I am, I go jogging. The body loses water when you jog, so you have none left for tears.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

Charting the Flow of the Nhiêu Lộc Canal From Start to Historical Start

When I fall in love with an album, I seek out the artist's first mixtapes and demos. When I come to admire a poet, I hunt down their early poems and chapbooks. I even linger over the old highlight reels of my favorite football players' college games. Understanding where something starts allows me appreciate it more. So it is with the Nhiêu Lộc–Thị Nghè Canal.

Khôi Phạm

in Society

Nhiêu Lộc Canal Hosted Trudeau's Night Run. Why Is It Not as Famous as Obama's Bún Chả?

You know how much Vietnamese culture revolves around food by the fact that one of the first questions we pose to any foreign visitor is “What’s your favorite Vietnamese dish?” Asking about other aspects of the country could invite honest opinions that some of us might not be prepared to hear. Deep down, more than anybody else, we know that our air quality is subpar and our urban cleanliness leaves much to be desired, but our food is the one thing every Vietnamese can trust to make us proud. What easier way to foster diplomacy than to center the conversation around deliciousness?

in Architecture

In Hanoi, a Family Home Balances Commercial Hustle With Spiritual Haven

If many Vietnamese families often opt to reserve one room in their house plan for ancestor worship, this household in Hanoi decided to dedicate an entire backyard to their family altar.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

An Homage to the Mekong Delta and Its Bag-Wearing Fruits

Rats, mice, mosquitos, snakes, centipedes, caterpillars, snails, beetles and slugs: the more fertile a region is, the more pests inhabit it.

in Tech

Grindr Once Again Names Vietnam Amongst Nations With Highest Percentage of Bottoms

Started by Spotify, Unwrapped has become one of tech companies’ favorite marketing campaigns in recent years; LinkedIn, Duolingo, and even Vietnam’s own Zalo are amongst some revelers of this trend in recent years. Last year, gay dating app Grindr continued the tradition with their own annual insights, and Vietnam managed to claim a spot in the roundup.

Back Society

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Vietnamese Tech Startup of the Month – September Edition: Digi-Gps

Digi-GPS, a local Vietnamese startup, seeks to apply high-technology to our decidedly analog motorbikes. The company has launched two security-minded products to help bike owners feel secure - SmartBi...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Minimalist Nest House in Binh Duong

The Nest house was designed for a middle-aged architecture writer. The house, located on the outskirts of the new city in Thuận An, Binh Duong Province, seeks to blend urbanism with a variety of archi...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Vietnam Set to Become World’s Largest Motorbike Producer

Slowly but surely, Vietnam is becoming the favored location for large scale motorbike manufacturing. If the trend continues, analysts predict that within 10 years, Vietnam will become the global leade...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Why Sustainable Development is Vital For Vietnam's Future

Green building is starting to take off in Vietnam. Over the past few months, we’ve seen a number of ‘green’ homes sprout up across Saigon, using open floor plans, sustainable materials and plants that...

Brian Letwin

in Development

World Startup Report @ Saigon Hub

From the organizer: The World Startup Report is a social project to help understand and connect the different startup ecosystems in the world.

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Free WIFI Coming to Saigon Buses

In a bid to increase the ridership on Saigon’s 270 bus routes, the city will implement free WIFI for passengers.

Brian Letwin

in Development

H&P Completes Bamboo–Earth–Stone Pavilion

Local architects, H&P, have long focused on the use of environmentally-friendly materials for their designs. Earlier this year, they released a set of renderings of low-cost bamboo housing de...

Brian Letwin

in Tech

New Vietnamese Food App Delivers Instant Gratification

Taking advantage of the Vietnamese love of food and photos, Tran Quang Vinh, a former fashion designer, has released iOS app - Foodshot.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Bitexco Tapped to Develop Thu Thiem Urban Area

After years of land clearance delays, lack of investors and stagnation in the real estate market, the Thu Thiem new urban area project may gaining steam as Bitexco has been assigned to manage the proj...

Brian Letwin

in Development

The Coolest House in Binh Thanh? (2)

Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.

Brian Letwin

in Development

The Coolest House in Binh Thanh?

Green building is slowly but surely gaining popularity in Vietnam. For Saigon in particular, the tropical climate provides many opportunities for design firms to implement efficient, green designs.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Construction Restart at Lavenie Crown?

The Lavenie Crown was one of the many victims of Saigon’s real estate crunch. Slated to begin construction in 2012 on the site next to Diamond Plaza, the project came to a halt as the main investor, K...

Brian Letwin

in Development

From French Villas to Slums, Da Lat's Lost Charm

Da Lat, once a sleepy French vacation town, full of ornate villas and majestic pine forests, is in danger of losing what charm still remains. Earlier this year, it was revealed that the city’s pine tr...

Brian Letwin

in Health

HCMC Schools Introducing Balanced Meals to Fight Obesity

McDonalds might not have opened its first Saigon outlet yet, but growing youth obesity rates are already a major public health issue. To combat the epidemic, HCMC schools are instituting standard lunc...

Brian Letwin

in Tech

Vietnam Ponders Regulations on Free Chat Apps

Free chat apps such as Viber, Wechat, Whatsapp and Line have become extremely popular in Vietnam. Providing free chat and calls, domestically and internationally, these tools appear on the majority of...

in Tech

Vietnamese Tech Startup of the Month – August Edition

As Vietnamese tech startups gain popularity and increased funding, the potential for growth in this market is massive. TechinAsia, our favorite source for tech-related content in Vietnam, does an exc...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Da Nang Taps IBM to Design Advanced Traffic System

Why is it that Da Nang keeps getting all the cool toys? As if free, city-wide WIFI weren’t enough, the city has signed a deal with IBM to install a high-tech traffic management system.

Brian Letwin

in Development

[UPDATED]Plan to Move Saigon's Electrical Wires Underground Facing Major Delays

[Update Below] In an effort to clear Saigon’s skies, in 2009, city authorities signed off on a plan to move messy electrical wires underground. But the project, scheduled to be completed by 2015, is f...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Vietnam's North-South Railway Set for Major Upgrade

Vietnam’s North-South Railway has been in need of a major upgrade for a long time. Beyond issues of speed and comfort, the system’s infrastructure is in poor condition, causing chronic delays and inef...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Vietnam Contemplates Opening Real Estate Market to Foreigners

To boost investment in the ailing real-estate sector, the Ministry of Construction has proposed that foreigners residing in Vietnam be given the opportunity to purchase property. Thanh Nien reports: