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.
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.
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?
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.
US Zoo Celebrates Birth of Quý Báu, an Endangered Primate Indigenous to Vietnam
Xìn chào Quý Báu!
Vietnam to Allow High School Students to Choose 5 Subjects in 2022
An upcoming program to restructure Vietnam’s high school syllabus is evoking excitement and concerns among educators.
Zalo Debuts First Vietnamese AI Assistant Named Kiki
Kiki ơi!
Michael Tatarski in Tech
Vietnam's Startup Scene Aims to Build on a Strong 2020
While 2020 will go down as one of the most grueling years in recent human history, there is positivity in Vietnam’s startup industry. In advance of the annual Saigon Startup Year-End Party on Jan...
[Photos] When Bricks Not Only Form a House's Structure but Also Unique Texture
Gardens and bricks allow Bien Hoa's Wall House to fill its lungs. It is essential we have some in our homes. But not all air is equal.
Construction of Long Thanh Airport Commences This Week
The massive project in Dong Nai Province will relieve pressure on Tan Son Nhat once completed.
Vietnam Is Negotiating to Secure 30m Doses of the UK's Covid-19 Vaccine
We are ready and waiting.
Vietnam Detects First Case of New Covid-19 Variant Discovered in UK
The individual in question was quarantined upon arrival, posing no threat to the community.
Vietnam Traffic Police Introduce Bamboo Nozzles for Breathalyzers
Vietnam’s nascent green movement is hitting the streets in a unique way.
[Photos] Floating Nest Home Re-Imagines the Traditional Vietnamese Tube House
Tube houses have long been a consistent presence in Saigon’s urban fabric - their rectangular designs matching the city’s traditionally narrow lots.
This New Female Cụ Rùa Might Save Its Entire Species From Extinction
Scientists announced that a turtle found in Hanoi's Dong Mo Lake is indeed a Swinhoe’s softshell turtle (Rafetus swinhoei), the critically endangered species Hanoi's famed Hoan Kiem turtle belonged to...
Grindr Names Vietnam Among Countries With Highest Percentage of Bottoms
Inspired by the clamorous spectacle of Spotify Wrapped, the gay dating app Grindr has come up with their own version of a year-end assessment, with some interesting data.
Vietnam to Allow Female Employees to Take Paid Menstrual Breaks in 2021
It is part of a number of regulations aimed at making workplaces more accommodating for women.
21 Vietnamese Students Test Positive for Covid-19 in South Korea Dorm Cluster
The infections are part of 1,078 new COVID-19 cases reported on Wednesday, the highest single-day total for South Korea.
Vietnam's Covid-19 Vaccine Not Ready for Mass Distribution Until 2022
As they say, patience is a virtue.
Scientists Discover New Species of Rare Iridescent Snake in Ha Giang
The iridescent, subterraneous snake belongs to one of the least-studied types of reptiles in the world.
Plan for 5 New Rail Lines Linking Saigon to Southern Provinces Approved
Go big or go home.
All F1 Contacts of Recent Saigon Covid-19 Cases Test Negative
Saigon health authorities are in the process of testing F2 contacts.
Japanese Retail Giant Takashimaya Announces New Real Estate Project in Hanoi
It's not just malls anymore.
Saigon: 2 New Community Covid-19 Cases; Several Universities Suspend Classes
Both cases are direct contacts of Case 1,347.
