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.
Another Hoàn Kiếm Turtle Dies in Hanoi, Setting Back Conservation Efforts
It’s reported that a “Hoàn Kiếm turtle” living in Hanoi has died, further impeding efforts by conservationists to keep the species from extinction.
Chris Humphrey in Society
The Rustic Beauty of Hanoi's Red River Brick Factories
Living in a city as culturally rich and absorbing as Hanoi, it’s not unusual to discover new secrets in a place you thought you knew completely. The depth of the capital really is astounding. And yet, I wasn’t quite prepared for the striking, rustic beauty of the brick factories on the Red River’s north shore.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Ugly Truth of the Life and Impending Demise of the Hoàn Kiếm Turtle
Everyone knows the mythological story of the Hoàn Kiếm turtle.
I Went Cloud-Hunting and Found Peace Atop Đà Lạt's Tea Hill
Northern California is blessed with serene nature. Growing up there, pathless trails and cloudy mountain peaks were my safe havens, and when returning home on break from college, it was a tradition to visit my favorite hideout place: a curvy hill near my old high school. Sitting atop the hill and looking down at the city offer a peaceful means to recharge and quiet my mind. The appearance of clouds adds more to the valley’s awe-inspiring nature.
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.”
Amid Bảo Lộc Hills, a Wooden Cafe Floats Amongst the Clouds
In the middle of nowhere Bảo Lộc, perched on the side of an alternative national road is the wooden carapace of Nguyen Coffee, a veritable “Noah’s ark” welcoming travelers in for a short break to enjoy its drinks and spectacular view of the Đá Bàn Stream below.
Amid a Resort, This Thatched Hut Houses a Zero-Waste Water-Bottling Plant
A humble production hut built with recycled bottles, local timber, thatched roof and simple granito concrete floors is used as a bottling facility for drinking water.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cây Đa: A Tree That Contains Multitudes
A book, a beer and some shade, what else does one need?
Two Illustrated Books by Vietnamese Conservationist to Have Global Release
They tell the story of a Vietnamese woman working to rescue a bear and an elephant.
Living From the Earth at Ninh Binh's Lá Library
A stone's throw away from Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh Province sits La Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building tec...
Vietnam Proposes Using GPS Trackers to Monitor Incoming Arrivals in Quarantine
The Vietnam-made GPS bracelets would allow authorities to better manage those required to be in isolation at home or in central facilities.
Linh Pham in Environment
How China's Upstream Dams Affect Communities Along the Red River
Flooding and biodiversity among concerns for people in Vietnam below the cascade of Red river dams.
Khoi Pham in Architecture
On Phu Quy Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement l...
[Photos] Hanoian Kindergarten Adds a Funky, Sunny Twist to Its Asymmetrical Design
Faced with the restrictions of rigid urban planning rules, school building projects in central areas of cities often have limited control of their land usage and surroundings.
Team Behind 500 Startups Vietnam Launches New Venture Fund
Vietnam's venture capital scene is about to welcome a new player run by veterans of the industry.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
The Hopes and Challenges of Vietnam's Ambitious Plan to Plant 1bn Trees
In October and November of 2020, a relentless barrage of nine typhoons and tropical storms slammed into Vietnam, setting off record floods and countless landslides. Nearly 200 people died, and propert...
The Aesthetic Yet Functional Role of Shade in the Genome of Vietnam's Modernist Architecture
Since the mid-twentieth century, Vietnamese architecture has started to be made from industrial materials such as concrete, steel, glass, et.. This resulted in Vietnamese modernism, a branch of global...
Hanoi to Increase Stipend for Members of Covid-19 Prevention Force by 70%
Hanoi has proposed an additional 70% increase in the stipend for the capital’s COVID-19 prevention and control forces.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Thạch Sùng: A Muse in Every Home
“I dream of lost vocabularies that might express some of what we no longer can,” wrote poet Jack Gilbert.
Vietnam to Allocate $1.1bn to Buy 150m Doses of Covid-19 Vaccines This Year
Amidst current struggles to keep pace with global inoculation rates, Vietnam plans to secure enough doses of several vaccines to immunize 75% of the population by the end of the year.
[Photos] Old Couple Finds Refuge in Lush Quang Ninh Abode
A house in Vietnam's coal country brings open air and greenery to an industrial landscape.
[Photos] The Thu Duc Pavilion Resembling a Giant Arts and Crafts Project
Remember making arts and crafts projects using wooden popsicle sticks?
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Meet 'Reporter Pangolin,' the Star of a New Campaign to Combat Pangolin Consumption
A new conservation campaign focused on pangolins has harnessed the power of social media to get its message across.
Vietnamese Developer of 'Axie Infinity' Game App Raises $7.5m in Investment
The funding is a result of the success of Axie Infinity, a popular game that involves raising, breeding, collecting, and battling virtual creatures known as Axies.
Michael Tatarski in Parks & Rec
Emerging From Complete Obscurity, Saigon Roller Derby Storms the Rink
It’s a Tuesday night in Binh Quoi, and a group is lacing up their skates at a skating rink next to a football pitch.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cầy Mực: A Critter With Popcorn Pee
Vietnam is home to a diverse range of species, from the elusive sao la to Hanoi's pungently fragrant hoa sữa. As an ode to the wondrous nature of the country, we're introducing a new article series, Natural Selection. Each article will feature a species of plant or animal native to Vietnam — starting with the laidback cầy mực (binturong).
This Earth Day, Try Insect Snacks, Electric Bikes at D2's 'Sustainability Matters' Event
What better way to celebrate Earth Day?
