in Environment

As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding

In April 2023, in the first downpour of southern Vietnam’s rainy season, the narrow rented room where Mã Thị Diệp and her children were staying in Hồ Chí Minh City was inundated by knee-high water.

Khôi Phạm

in Environment

What I Talk About When I Talk About Vietnam's Penguin Trashcans

Compared to the average Vietnamese, I might be thinking about trashcans a smidgen too much — not just any trashcan, but the infamous penguin-shaped trashcans that are ubiquitous at every corner of our public spaces.

Linh Phạm

in Parks & Rec

House Dance Hanoi Teaches You How to Free the Body

I stood on the top floor of a building on Khâm Thiên Street, feeling grateful for the cold air. I came out here to take a break from the other side of the floor, which was divided into three rooms — three dance studios.

in Environment

Inside Saigon's Grassroots Carton and Aluminum Recycling Plants

With plastics claiming many of the headlines worldwide and constituting a major issue in Vietnam, scant attention is being paid to other recyclable materials, namely cardboard and aluminum.

in Ẽplain

How Táo Xanh Forum Created a Safe Space for Gay Vietnamese Before Social Media

Before Vietnamese could hop on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to share our hot takes of the week, there was an era of past cybersphere when online forums were the crucial online space to connect local netizens.

Paul Christiansen

in Environment

As Climate Change Threatens, Flood Waters Usher In Sustainable Opportunities for Communities in the Mekong Delta

The Mekong Delta is developing faster than Google Maps can keep up with. A stretch of road that was too narrow to accommodate cars and required a transition to motorbikes just six months ago was under construction during our August visit. Gargantuan machines for laying pulverized gravel inched aside to let our 7-seater pass so we could reach the home of Nguyễn Thị Thu Thủy to check in on her small fish drying home business.

Khôi Phạm

in Natural Selection

10 Species of Lesser-Known Fruits to Get to Know Vietnam's Biodiversity

In the Vietnamese language, the word “cỏ” — meaning “grass” in the literal sense — is often used to signify that something is locally grown, no frills, and charmingly rustic; grassroots, if you will. Chó cỏ is the general term for the adorable mutts, usually mixes between Vietnam’s native dog species, born without the prestige of named breeds, while gym cỏ and net cỏ denote the casual gyms and internet cafes in one’s neighborhood. In the same vein of logic, may I put forth a new name for a special genre of Vietnamese fruits: trái cỏ?

in Architecture

How Vietnamese Architecture Adopted Modernism and Made It Our Own

Ask a person on the street what Vietnam’s distinctive style of architecture is, and the answer you get might be traditional architecture, like the historic curves of northern Vietnam’s village temples or the ornate regality of Nguyễn-Dynasty palaces. This time-honored style is widely accepted as the hallmark of Vietnam’s cultural wealth. What’s more fascinating but lesser-known is how this cultural vestige — which distinguished our architecture from that of China and Japan — has also managed to evolve in the new age, finding ways to exist right in the middle of our modern lifetime.

Back Society

in Environment

Hanoi Greenlights Pilot Project to Install Solar Panels Atop Dong Xuan Market

Some new additions to the roof of Dong Xuan Market will pave the way for more green developments in the city to come.

in Architecture

[Photos] Da Nang Architects Turn Old 1970s House Into New Coffee Shop

If only more new building projects in Vietnam could take a moment to consider which old elements can be improved, instead of going straight for the wrecking ball.

in Health

Hanoi Proposes Plan to Vaccinate 7.5m Residents Over 18 Against Covid-19

As part of a double-inoculation plan, 7.5 million Hanoi residents over the age of 18 would receive the vaccine.

in Health

First Covid-19 Vaccine Doses Arrive in Vietnam. Who Will Get It First?

Vietnam's COVID-19 vaccination drive is about to begin.

in Health

Vietnam to Receive 1st Batch of Oxford Covid-19 Vaccine Doses This Sunday

We are ready!

Govi Snell

in Environment

The Story of Hồng Hoàng: From the 1st Vietnamese in Antarctica to a Fervent Wildlife Activist

For Hồng Hoàng, a career in environmental activism in Vietnam began with a polar expedition.

in Tech

Vietnam has World's Second-Highest Rate of Cryptocurrency Use: Report

Do you crypto?

in Sports

Vietnam's Bobsled Team Prepares for Winter Olympics

If the athletes qualify, it would be the first time Vietnam has ever competed in the Winter Olympics.

in Environment

Vietnam's Plan to Plant 1 Billion Trees by 2025 Gains Clarity

Here's hoping for a greener future.

in Health

Vietnam's Covid-19 Vaccine Strategy Gains Clarity

Vietnam's COVID-19 vaccine strategy is becoming clearer.

in Tech

VinFast Approved For Autonomous Car Testing in California, Eyes US Exports

Vietnamese automaker VinFast has targeted the US market not only for vehicle export but also for testing its autonomous self-driving technology.

in Architecture

The Beauty of Saigon's Mid-Century Shophouses via Street Sketches

What was Vietnamese architecture after colonialism?

in Health

All Airport Staff Nationwide to be Tested for Covid-19

It's the latest step in efforts to combat the pandemic.

in Architecture

[Photos] T3 Architects Design Sustainable Thao Dien Co-working Space

Where would you like to work?

in Health

Vietnam Approves Oxford Vaccine; First Batch to Arrive This Quarter

Good news.

in Tech

As Companies Divert From China, Vietnam Poised to Become Major Apple Producer

When production begins, as early as mid-2021, it will mark the first time that Apple is producing a significant number of its iPads outside of China.

in Architecture

[Photos] Saigon Architects Turn Old French Villa Into Judo Dojo

A team of local architects has transformed a French building into a practice hall for martial arts.

in Health

2nd Made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 Vaccine Candidate Enters Human Trials

A second COVID-19 candidate vaccine has officially entered the human trial phase. 

in Development

How Saigon Moved 2,200km of Electrical Wires Underground in a Decade

So famous they've adorned T-shirts, Saigon's tangles of electrical wires are disappearing.

in Tech

In a Franchise First, Strategy Game Civilization Adds Vietnam as Playable Civ

This is the moment that Vietnamese fans of the Civilization video game series have been wishing for.