Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Huế's Fantastic Herbs and Where to Find Them, Now in Book Form
Have you ever walked past a plant and wondered "Hey, I wonder what that could do?"
Saigon Commences Metro Line, Major Administrative Hub Project in Thủ Thiêm
Municipal authorities in Hồ Chí Minh City are moving forward with a number of infrastructure projects that will majorly transform the peninsula in the future.
From the Ground up Into the Air: The Evolution of Bitexco in 25 Photos
Between Thủ Thiêm's ambitious new skyscrapers, the planned transformation of Thanh Đa Peninsula and a LEED-standard apart...
The Global Waste Trade Fuels the Rise of Waste Colonialism in Southeast Asia
In August 2025, Malaysian campaigner Wong Pui Yi stood outside the UN headquarters in Geneva and made an appeal to Global North nations: “Stop treating the Global South as the rubbish bin for plastic waste you cannot handle.”
Pedaling for a Purpose: The Coastal Cycling Challenge Bringing Homes to Quảng Ngãi
During February and March, a group of volunteers from Saigon spent five days cycling up the coast, starting in Thảo Điền and ending up in the mountainous district of Trà Bông, nestled deep in Quảng Ngãi Province.
Michael Tatarski in Natural Selection
Voọc Cát Bà: The Endangered Primate of Karst Land
Imagine being born one color, and growing up into a very differently hued adult.
Resource: A List Violations and Fees for Motorcycle Drivers in Vietnam
Considering most traffic violations in Saigon consist of a short conversation and ‘tip’ for your friendly neighborhood policeman, we were, admittedly, a bit unfamiliar with the full list of rules and ...
Facebook Gets Official in Vietnam
In a bid to increase its ad revenue, Facebook has partnered with a local advertising firm to make some money off of Vietnam’s 20 million Facebook users.
Saigon House Nominated for Archdaily's 'House of the Year' Award
Green and sustainable buildings are still in their infancy in Vietnam. However the trend is becoming more popular and slowly but surely, Vietnamese architects are entering this arena with great succes...
New Site Lets you Search Vietnamese Plane, Train and Ferry Tickets in English
As a foreigner in Saigon, you don’t need to know much Vietnamese to get by. But when it comes to travel, especially by modes that don’t include wings, things can get pretty complicated. Enter Bao...
Slideshow: A Look Inside Saigon's New Public Toilets
Last Saturday Saigon’s first batch of high-end public toilets (4-5 stars, whatever that means) were opened at Tao Dan Park, 23/9 Park and Le Van Tam Park in District 1. The facilities are part of a p...
Tet Bonuses Reveal How Teachers are Really Valued in Vietnam
Although Vietnam traditionally revers teachers and those working in education, as Tet approaches teachers working in the state system once again feel their low financial worth.
Expert: Saigon's Sidewalks a Model for Other Cities
While Vietnam frequently looks to NGOs and international organizations to make policy recommendations on topics ranging from the environment to the economy, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MI...
[Video] Saigon: Future Megacity
With Saigon's population rapidly expanding, a new set of challanges, both social and environmental have arisen. The city's growing pains have been well-documented and many argue that serious measures ...
Trend: Vietnamese Factories are Slowly Going Green
Mike Ives of The New York Times published a piece earlier this week on the growing trend of green factories in Asia, using Intel’s chip factory in HCMC as its focal point. According to the article, co...
Saigon to Add High-End Public Toilets
In what can only be described as exciting news, city authorities have launched a pilot program to add ‘5-star’ public toilets to the busy streets of Saigon.
Vietnamese Airlines Order Hundreds of New Planes but There’s Nowhere to Park Them
Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet and Jetstar have all placed ambitious orders for hundreds of new planes to upgrade and expand their aging fleets. But with the expansion of Saigon’s Tan Son Nhat still years ...
Vietnamese Teachers Told to Monitor Students via Facebook
In what is being seen as a bizarre move, Vietnamese teachers are being instructed to join Facebook and other social networks in order to ‘manage’ their students more effectively.
After Massive Auto Tax Breaks, Will Saigon Become a Parking Lot?
It looks like Saigon won’t be able to avoid the 'car age' after all. Under new import rules for 2014, autos produced by ASEAN neighbors will receive a 50 – 60% tax reduction and many fear that Vietnam...
Brian Letwin in Health
Back to the Basics: The Struggle for an Organic Vietnam
After recent health scares from chemically-laced produce and dubious Chinese imports, Vietnamese consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the fact that they don’t know where their food comes from....
Flower Power: US$190 Million Pledged to Develop Da Lat's Hi-Tech Flower Industry
Da Lat, the flower growing center of Vietnam, is about to get a huge financial boost. The municipal government recently approved a VND4 trillion (US$190 million) credit package in effort to turn flowe...
The 'Most Interesting Man in the World' Helps Clear Central Vietnam of Unexploded Ordinance
Jonathan Goldsmith, more commonly known as 'The Most Interesting Man in the World' from the wildly popular Dos Equis Beer commercials, recently teamed up with non-profit, Clearpath International to he...
Behold: The Invisible Bike Helmet
If you’re tired of bulky helmets ruining your carefully manicured style, 2 Swedes have created a product you may be interested in – an invisible bike helmet.
$1 Billion High-Tech Park Proposed for HCMC
As part of the continuing effort to modernize Vietnam’s workforce, authorities are reviewing a proposal for a massive science and technology park in HCMC.
KN House: Blurring the Line Between Inside and Out
While many of the unique homes we’ve written about in the past have been located in the south of Vietnam, we came across this gem in Hanoi. This house, built by Adrei-studio Architecture, was complete...
US and Vietnam Prepare for Epic Catfish Battle
As many Pacific Rim countries gear up for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement (TPP), an unlikely conflict is growing between Vietnam and the US. Surprisingly, it’s neither centered on human ...
