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.

in Parks & Rec

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.

in Environment

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.”

in Architecture

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. 

in Architecture

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

Thanh Long: How Dragon Fruit Proves Beauty Is Only Skin-Deep

Of all my accomplishments in life, my greatest may be the creation of The Banana Line. This is a ranking tool, based on the belief that if all fruits were lined up from worst to best, taking into account taste, availability, price, consistency, portability, ease of consumption, versatility, etc., the banana would represent the exact middle; the precise median. The dragon fruit (thanh long) falls well, well below the banana line.

in Architecture

[Photos] Katinat Cafe's Gò Vấp Location Is an Industrial Glass Fortress

Cement, air, water, sand, and gravel: concrete is a simple material. Same for glass, that spread of super-heated quartz sand. 

Back Society

Brian Letwin

in Tech

With $100 Million in the Bank, CocCoc Looks to Unseat Google in Vietnam

There’s no doubt that Google is the global leader in search engines, owning a 67.5% global market share. But if the tech behemoth has one 'chink in the armor', it’s the inability to effectively h...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Massive Transportation Plan for Saigon Revealed

We’ve heard a lot over the last few years about proposed improvements to Saigon’s transportation infrastructure. These include the new Long Thanh International Airport and expanding the city center in...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Pullman Saigon Center Tops Out

The concrete skeleton  at the corner of Tran Hung Dao and Nguyen Cu Trinh topped out just before Tet and is set to open later this year.

Brian Letwin

in Health

Organic Vietnam: A Step in the Right Direction

Organic produce has gained massive popularity in the West over the last few decades. Given the importance of agriculture in Vietnam – both from economic and health standpoints – there are those who ar...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Skyline Update: Eximbank Tower

Rendering of Eximbank Tower. Get ready for a major addition to the Saigon skyline – the Eximbank Tower. On December 17th, Eximbank announced the 40 story project, led by Turner and Nikken Sekkei desi...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Skyline Update: Eximbank Tower

Rendering of Eximbank Tower. Get ready for a major addition to the Saigon skyline – the Eximbank Tower. On December 17th, Eximbank announced the 40 story project, led by Turner and Nikken Sekkei desi...

Brian Letwin

in Development

As the City Stretches – Part 1 - The Pursuit of Sustainable Development

Over the past decade, Saigon has outgrown its traditional boundaries, forcing development not only vertically but horizontally. As the sky above District 1 becomes increasingly crowded and land scarce...

Brian Letwin

in Development

Power Players: Hydroelectricity

Hydroelectric plant. This is the first article in our series “Power Players” which examines the different paths Vietnam is pursuing to feed its power-thirsty cities and industrial centers.

Brian Letwin

in Development

Bringing Back the Green

Green bedroom. Source: New York Times The idea of “going green” is gaining popularity in our fair Vietnam, and while the government talks about it on a national level, there are plenty of good exampl...