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.
Khôi Phạm in Architecture
On Phú Quý Island, a Curious Collection of Modernist Houses From Central Vietnam
From the 1960s towards the end of the 1970s, urban centers in southern Vietnam saw robust and widespread growth of modernist influences in architecture. Still, outside the usual foci of the movement like Saigon, Cần Thơ or Mỹ Tho, how has this unique form of vernacular architectural expression been transformed?
Văn Tân in Architecture
An Homage to Courtyards, the Heart of Traditional Vietnamese Homes
This time of the year, the giáng hương tree in my grandma’s courtyard is probably blooming with clusters of golden blossoms, enticing the kids in the neighborhood to gather around it and carefully pick off the prettiest petals to create makeshift jewelry.
Mầm in Parks & Rec
The Young Vietnamese Artisans Breathing New Life Into Animals Carcasses
Skeletons and carcasses are often reminiscent of eerie, spine-chilling scenes in horror movies. But in the taxidermy community, animal corpses are of great value for artisans to create unique works that blur the line between life and death.
As Covid-19 Batters Region, Vietnam-Hosted SEA Games Postponed to July 2022
Despite early containment success, Southeast Asian countries facing the Delta variant are channeling resources to healthcare instead of sports.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Trái Vải: The Intoxicating Harbinger of Summer
Is scarcity a source of beauty?
Street Art: Hanoi Runner Creates Drawings From Routes on Strava
Who said excercise can't be fun or artsy?
Linh Pham in Tech
Wonder How Much Air-Con Costs You This Summer? A Homegrown App Can Help.
Vietnam is facing a serious electricity shortage, yet we have no idea how much energy we use everyday.
[Photos] A 'Tropical Chalet' in Da Nang for Post-Pandemic Travel Dreams
What comes to mind when you see the word "chalet"?
Saigon Releases Update of Map Portal With Local Covid-19 Cases, Vaccination Points
If you still find it difficult to fully grasp the scale and spread of Saigon’s current COVID-19 outbreak, look no further than this new map portal.
HCMC Proposes Rail Link Between Tan Son Nhat, Long Thanh Airports
This is part of the city's suggestions for the Vietnam Railway Authority's railway development plan for 2021-2030.
Mel Schenck in Architecture
Vietnamese Architects Are Leaders in the Architecture of the Information Age
Over the past few years, Vietnamese architects have been developing a new architecture beyond modernism for small projects such as houses and schools. Architects around the world are taking notice and...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Mèo: A Complicated Love Affair
Of all the Asian and Southeast Asian countries that use the animal zodiac, only Vietnam has a cat in place of the rabbit. One theory for why is that while Chinese has a word for rabbit, it also has a ...
Nguyễn Văn Thái Becomes Vietnam's 2nd Goldman Environmental Prize Winner
He has dedicated his life to fighting wildlife poaching in Vietnam.
In the Pandemic, Hanoi's Newfound Cycling Love Sends Bike Sales Zooming
Thanks to COVID-19, gyms, yoga studios, and parks have closed, but the need for physical exercise remains.
Hanoi Engineers Create Air-Conditioned Booth to Help Doctors Combat Summer Heat
As the weather becomes hotter in Vietnam, the jobs of pandemic medical staff have also become more difficult.
Vietnam's Childhood Obesity Rate Doubles Over 10 Years, Data Shows
Are Vietnamese children spending less time on active recreations and more at home?
Learning From Stories of Made-in-Vietnam Social Innovation, as Told by 4 Experts
In Vietnam, the term “innovation” is mostly associated with technological and economic development, but what about “social innovation”?
[Photos] A Phu Tho Home Embraces Traditions and Contemporary Design
Oh, to live amongst exposed brick and polished wood.
[Photos] Hanoi Architects Grow Creative Ecosystem Inside Slender Tube House
Completed last year, the VUUV building takes the tube house structure and turns it into a multi-purpose complex filled with dynamic hangouts and creative platforms.
Saigon's Only Bonsai School Grooms Budding Artisans on a Century-Old Craft
Bonsai has often been regarded as an activity for the elderly, but the local bonsai community is experiencing an unprecedented renewal thanks to the participation of an unexpected demographic: young p...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Cây Đa: A Tree That Contains Multitudes
A book, a beer and some shade, what else does one need?
Two Illustrated Books by Vietnamese Conservationist to Have Global Release
They tell the story of a Vietnamese woman working to rescue a bear and an elephant.
Elise Luong in Environment
Living From the Earth at Ninh Binh's Lá Library
A stone's throw away from Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh Province sits La Library, an education center promoting sustainable living through sustainable agriculture farming, earthen building tec...
