Forum Theater Brings Real-Life Situations to the Stage, and You Are the Actors
In Vietnam, a novel form of theater is quietly making an impact, not just on stage, but in classrooms, communities, and people's lives. Known as Forum Theater, this interactive art form transforms audience members from passive viewers into active participants. Developed by Brazilian threater practitioner Augusto Boal, Forum Theater was created as a space to “rehearse for real life,” allowing theatergoers to step into the shoes of others, explore difficult situations, and test out new possibilities.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
The Overwhelming Presence of Nature's Most Inspiring Sound: Cát Tiên's Gibbon Call
What is your favorite sound?
Văn Tân in Natural Selection
Hoa Bưởi's Fleeting but Fragrant Season Teaches Us to Find Beauty in Impermanence
Every year during this time, I can’t help but hanker for a taste of sugarcane infused with hoa bưởi, or pomelo blossom. Only hoa bưởi’s tender aroma can accentuate the flavor of this humble snack several folds.
A Botanical Illustrator Captures Vietnam's Flora on Paper, One Species at a Time
When science and art commingle in a botanical illustration, it’s as if a magical world appears, where colors, brushstrokes, and lighting work together to not only replicate but also breathe life into nature’s best creations.
Lúa Ma, the Mekong's Ancient Wild Rice Varieties Holding Secrets to Climate Resilience
“It’s been so long I can barely remember. It’s delicious, fragrant, soft but not sticky,” says Trần Văn Lựa, 53, a farmer from Đồng Tháp Province, south-west Vietnam, recalling the taste of wild rice. As a child, he would harvest the grain during flood season, when wild rice flowers. Today, however, it is a rare sight.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cầy Mực, the Fluffy Bearcat Whose Pee Really Smells Like Popcorn
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).
As Saltwater Intrudes More of Mekong Delta, Durian Farmers Struggle to Stay Afloat
Nguyễn Văn Quại, 63, walked slowly on the muddy dirt path in his yard, his hands clasped behind his back. He stopped beside a tree split in half, its branches dipping into the stagnant water of a narrow moat, and gestured towards the rest of his leafless crop — their trunks yellow, their bark cracked and brittle.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
On Vietnam's Internet, You're a Mom, I'm a Mom, Everyone Is a Mom
I am a mom. Well, not in the most conventional meaning of the word — I am childless, and it’s still biologically impossible for men to give birth the last time I checked, but for most of my existence on the Vietnamese cybersphere, I have been using the designation “mẹ” amongst my closest friends.
5ha of Coastal Protection Forest Destroyed by Solar Power Project: 'It Was an Accident'
While carrying out site clearance for a solar power project in Binh Dinh Province, workers unlawfully destroyed a large swath of local coastal protection forest.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lá Dứa: The OG Queen of Vietnamese Desserts
There’s a 99% chance that a Vietnamese child’s first exposure to lá dứa, or pandan, is in the form of rau câu.
Storm Conson Weakens While Typhoon Chanthu Gains Strength; Both Will Make Landfall this Weekend
As both storms move closer to land, Typhoon Chanthu has stolen energy from Tropical Storm Conson. Chanthu's wind speeds accelerated from 50 km/h to 260 km/h within just 48 hours.
Dr. Plastic, the Hanoi Duo Who Give New Life to Single-Use Plastic
Plastic pollution is considered one of the main environmental threats to our planet’s health.
[Photos] Renovation Project Brings Comfy Classrooms to Remote Son La School
It's hard to nourish the mind when the body is suffering.
With Just Few Games Left, VBA Cancels 2021 Basketball Season
There is more to life than ball.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Sao La: The Real-Life Unicorn of Vietnam
Disney’s Aladdin, Super Nintendo, digital fingerprint technology: the outside world was familiar with all these by 1992. Sao la, however, remained unknown.
Hung Vuong Hospital Opens Care Center for Babies Born to Mothers With Covid-19
As the coronavirus makes its way across Saigon and Vietnam, maternity care has become a particularly serious issue as more and more pregnant residents are getting infected.
What We Know So Far About Vietnam's Domestic Covid-19 Vaccines
Aside from buying COVID-19 vaccines from elsewhere in the world, Vietnam is also trying to create its own version, with the hope of reaching herd immunity as soon as possible.
Vietnam to Receive 10m Covid-19 Vaccine Doses From Cuba This Year
The vaccines will arrive from Cuba between now and the end of the year.
Cryptocurrency Use Surges in Vietnam
Despite it not being seen as a legally approved means of payment in Vietnam, ownership of blockchain-based currencies like Bitcoin and Ethereum are soaring here.
Gojek Launches New Car Ride-Hailing Service
But you'll have to wait to use it.
Major Upgrade Approved for Con Dao Airport
Yay?
[Photos] How One Hanoi Building Turned a Roof on its Head
Have you ever seen roof tiles and thought they would make for a great building?
Air Pollution is Robbing Hanoians of Roughly 80,000 Years of Life
Due to PM2.5 exposure, Hanoi has suffered 2,855 premature deaths, accumulating to 79,933 years of life lost.
Decoding the Language of Vietnamese Modernist Architecture
There is a common confusion between Vietnamese modernism and international modernism that doesn't include vernacular modernist structures in the historical discourse.
How One Group Is Working to Keep Children Mentally Stimulated During Lockdown
During Vietnam’s first COVID-19 wave, the charity organization Saigon Children worked to make sure vulnerable households had access to necessities like food, medicine and drinking water.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
