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 Architecture

Saigon Student Culture Center Wins World Architecture Award

The five-story building, which includes a cinema, a 900-seat auditorium, large conference rooms, space for club activities, libraries and free areas, was praised for its eco-friendly design.

in Education

Emphasizing Mental Wellness at Australian International School

Promoting mental wellness requires a holistic approach.

in Society

Vietnam Has 3rd-Highest Sex Ratio Imbalance in the World, Report Says

Families are choosing to have more boys than girls, and experts worry this will cause problems in the future.

in Environment

Dams, Sand, Rice: The Life and Possible Death of the Mekong Delta

What would Vietnam be without the Mekong Delta?

Michael Tatarski

in Environment

Vietnam's New Nature Reserve, Khe Nuoc Trong, Is a Sign of Hope for Biodiversity

In a move wildlife conservationists are hailing as a victory, Vietnam has established a new nature reserve encompassing critical habitat for numerous species, several of them threatened globally with ...

in Architecture

[Photos] On Phu Quoc Island, Jungle-Tucked Bungalows Bring People Closer to Nature

Concrete jungle < actual jungle.

in Society

Vietnam Ranked 2nd in ASEAN in Efforts to Reduce Inequality: Report

Only Thailand rated higher than Vietnam in the region.

in Development

Hanoi Is Considering Building a Second Airport to the South

To accommodate the capital’s rising demand for air travel, Hanoi officials are considering building a second airport.

in Health

Saigon to Open New 1,000-Bed Oncology Hospital With Helipad Next Month

After years of delay, the second campus of the Ho Chi Minh City Oncology Hospital will finally open its doors to patients next month.

in Architecture

[Photos] A Glow-up Turns an Antique Shophouse Into a Hip Creative Space

Who says you can't combine work and play?

in Development

Hanoi Gears up to Start Building Metro Line 5 in 2022

The proposed route would cover 39 kilometers.

in Tech

Vietnam Will Allow Phone Use in Class for Educational Purposes

This doesn't mean students will be able to use Facebook and TikTok during class though.

in Health

US to Open Southeast Asia CDC Office in Hanoi

The office will allow the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to have an increased presence in monitoring, aiding responses to, and learning from health issues, including COVID-19...

in Architecture

[Photos] The Saigon Factory Whose Walls Are Made of Plants

Sign us up for a job here.

in Education

A Teacher’s Perspective on the Importance of Implementing STEAM in the Classroom

The world faces an uncertain future, and the youths of today are the ones that will need to respond to unforeseen challenges.

in Health

Hanoi, Saigon Report Cases of Rare Poisoning Linked to Vegan Pâté

In recent weeks, Vietnam has recorded more than a dozen cases of botulism, a rare and dangerous disease that disables its victims’ nerves, causing paralysis.

in Environment

3 Endangered Langurs Were Released Back Into the Wild in Ninh Binh

The trio of critically endangered Delacour's langurs (voọc mông trắng) had been at a conservation center in Cuc Phuong National Park.

in Tech

Vietnamese Tech Company VNG Sues TikTok for Using Zing Music Illegally

The lawsuit is related to alleged copyright infringement.

in Tech

New Decree Imposes up to VND100m Penalty on Spam Texts, Calls

Will this stop the barrage of real estate and online game solicitations attacking our inboxes?

in Development

Vietnam Plans Can Tho-Ca Mau Expressway to Improve Mekong Delta Traffic

The 130-kilometer-long highway would connect the two Mekong Delta cities by 2025.