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.
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...
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:
Brian Letwin in Development
Proposed Plan Would Completely Reorganize Saigon’s Districts
A new urban administration plan proposed by the HCMC People’s Committee would completely reshape the city’s urban structure. Say goodbye to Districts 2 and 7! According to city authorities, Saigon ha...
Brian Letwin in Development
Inspiring Green Building Planned for Da Nang
We love green design and Vietnam is a great place to put it into practice. While we’ve covered some awesome green residential designs in the past, a planned ABBANK building in Da Nang is taking a slig...
Brian Letwin in Health
[Updated] 75% of Pho Noodles in Saigon Found to Contain Cancer-Causing Chemicals
[UPDATE BELOW] On the heels of yesterday’s news that nearly every street drink contains high levels of bacteria and heavy metals, a new report has found that 80% of rice noodles tested contained ...
Brian Letwin in Health
Study: Majority of Street Drinks Contain Harmful Bacteria and Heavy Metals
Fake coffee isn’t the only think you need to worry about when having a drink at a street café in Saigon. A joint report released by Healthplus in collaboration with the Center for Evaluation and Confo...
Brian Letwin in Tech
Looking for a Toilet? There's an App for That!
My grandfather, like George Costanza, used to boast that, given a location in New York City, he could tell you where to find the nearest public restroom. With the emergence of smartphones, numerous de...
Brian Letwin in Development
Webinar: How to Setup a Business in Vietnam
Viewed as the land of opportunity for those coming from countries with sagging economies, It's not uncommon to find foreigners who want to open a business in Vietnam. But with so many regulations and ...
Brian Letwin in Development
Serious Flaws Plague Vietnam’s Higher Education System
Thanh Nien recently published a very well-written and well-researched article about the state of higher education in Vietnam. From numerous interviews with education professionals, it’s abundantly cle...
Brian Letwin in Development
Saigon to Implement Bus Rapid Transit System
Transit authorities recently conducted feasibility studies for the Saigon’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system and hope to complete the project by 2017. Duong Hong Thanh, Deputy Director of the City Depa...
Brian Letwin in Environment
Campaign Launched to End Vietnamese Demand for Rhino Horn
Well, better late than never, we suppose. While rhinos have completely disappeared in Vietnam due to poaching, many Vietnamese are still buying and consuming illegal rhino horn for supposed hea...
