Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Reason to Cry for Cu Li, Vietnam's Deeply Misunderstood Primate
A drop of the animal’s blood renders the soil barren; entire mountains can crumble and collapse where it landed. Be wary of this slow wayfarer of the forest, for if you catch sight of its glowing eyes in the distant darkness, your trip is doomed and should be abandoned immediately. And if someone brings one back to the village, make all efforts to return it to the jungle, lest you invite sorrow and ruin into your home. Don’t let its meagre stature, a mere 500 grams, and slow, cuddly demeanor confuse you; the cu li guards the gates to hell.
The Hunt for Vietnam's Dinosaurs Has Found Nothing Yet, but There Is Hope
Why aren’t there any Vietnamese dinosaurs?
In Hanoi, Waacking Is Not Just a Dance, but a Home for Creativity, Gender Fluidity Too
“I get to express my madness.” That is what Trần Khánh Linh, also known as Lyna, says when asked why she has been waacking for the last 10 years. By day, Lyna is a jewelry and gemstone seller, but by night, she joins her friends at the Soul Waackers, a waacking group based in Hanoi, and practices a dance style that allows her a vibrant way to self-express.
Uyên Đỗ in Tech
There's a Cordial Vietnamese Greeting That Has Been Floating in Space Since 1977
At this very moment, while you're reading these lines, a silver “bird” of human design is hurtling away from the Sun at roughly 60,000 kilometers per hour, slipping past the boundaries of our solar cradle and into the endless quiet of the cosmos.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
How a Self-Taught Documentarian Spreads His Boundless Enthusiasm for Vietnam's Nature
Why “Sticky Discovery”? This was the first question I asked during my interview with the man behind the YouTube series of...
In a D7 Residence, Natural Wood Textures Hark Back to Vietnam's Traditional Homes
During a new decade when architecture projects in Vietnam are increasingly looking towards the future and influences outside the national boundaries for inspirations, Memories House decided to do the opposite by integrating old heirloom furniture and elements from the past into the living space.
Searching for the World's Largest Woodpecker Species in Yok Đôn National Park
You first know she’s approaching by the sound of her wings; her broad shadow flashing across the forest floor. Even from far below, her body looks enormous. At half a meter long, she is roughly five times the size of the woodpeckers seen in the gardens of Europe or North America. She is the largest woodpecker left in the world, and the jewel of Yok Đôn National Park.
Paul Christiansen in Sports
Thống Nhất Stadium Offers Unexpected Opportunities to Reflect Upon the Soul
Where do you find revelation?
Vietnam’s Challenges with Educational Technology
In yet another example of keeping up appearances and style over substance, many schools around Saigon are calling on parents to fund their further forays into technology in the classroom. All this com...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Going Abroad Soon? You Might Want to Pick up a Couple iPhones.
It looks like Vietnam’s rich may be using some of their rhino horn money to obtain the world’s newest status symbol, the iPhone 5s. Prices of the phones are skyrocketing in Vietnam with the coveted go...
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon to Implement $155 Million Bus Rapid Transit System
The HCMC Traffic Works Management and Construction Board has just announced plans for six Bus Rapid Transit Systems (BRT) to meet growing demand. The first line, which will run from District 6 to Dist...
Brian Letwin in Development
Vietnam’s Rich are Getting Richer
Vietnam’s economy may be slowly recovering but for the country’s rich, things are better than ever.
Vietnam as Seen From Space
If it were up to us, the majority of America's $700 billion annual military budget would be funneled to NASA (Neil Degrasse Tyson would likely agree). While this may be a pipe dream due to America's s...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Facebook Enjoying Massive Growth in Vietnam
A few years ago, it was not always an easy task to log into Facebook in Vietnam. Changing DNS settings, installing HotSpotShield or using a VPN were your best bet to log onto the site. My, how times h...
Brian Letwin in Development
Is Saigon Losing its Soul?
In a recent article for Metropolis Magazine, Carl Robinson reflects on the massive changes to Saigon’s urban character over the last 15 years. He found that the city’s colonial buildings, designed wit...
Brian Letwin in Society
Street Signs: Xô Viết Nghệ-Tĩnh
In this edition of Street Signs, we’ll tackle Xô Viết Nghệ-Tĩnh, which, in our humble opinion, is one of Saigon’s coolest streets, at least in name. And if you think Xô Viết is the Vietnamese version ...
Brian Letwin in Health
Lead Dust Choking Vietnam's Cities
Break out the facemasks. A new report has found that lead dust pollution is on the rise in Vietnam’s cities and is currently 2 – 4 times higher than accepted levels.
Brian Letwin in Environment
Rhino Horn: Instant Status Maker
Even as the illicit rhino horn market gets more and more negative press, it’s not stopping status-seeking Vietnamese from consuming the horn’s powder. In a recent piece in Times Live, a New Zealand-ba...
The Toxic Legacy of Agent Orange
As the US government claims to be worried about the use of chemical weapons all over the world, one question is still waiting for an answer in this country. Although the major issues causing tension b...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Crowdsourcing Startup, Flitto Seeks to Make Google Translate Obsolete
Whether you’re a native English or Vietnamese speaker, chances are, you’ve used Google Translate at least once. The tech behemoth’s translation service, which relies on an algorithm, is notorious for ...
Brian Letwin in Development
First Phase of Metro Line No. 5 Fully Funded
With construction is already in full swing on Saigon’s first metro line, the city is close to reaching its funding goal for the first phase of line No. 5. Most of the funding will come from the Asia D...
Brian Letwin in Development
A Day in the Life of a Saigon Drainage Worker
As much of Saigon was built on swampland, drainage is vital to the city’s development and progress. Yet with each heavy rain, large swaths of the city become inundated and streets come to resemble sma...
Brian Letwin in Environment
Environmentalism and Sustainability Gaining Steam in Vietnam
Vietnam is slowly but surely understanding the need for sustainable development and a clean environment. We’ve recently seen the erection of green homes, establishment of green-focused youth clubs and...
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.
