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.
Plans to Build Hotel Complex on Da Lat's Đồi Dinh Opposed by Experts
Da Lat authorities are moving forward with a master plan to redesign the city’s central area, but the project has been controversial from the start.
Eco-Kindergarten in Vinh Recognized by Australian Architecture Awards
Designing a highly stylized and functional school not only provides kids with a conducive learning environment, it also wins international attention.
Vietnam's Healthcare Workers Infected With Covid-19 to Receive VND10m
The funds will go toward healthcare workers who get infected with the novel coronavirus.
Hanoi Proposes More Runways, Terminals in Future Noi Bai Expansions
If the plan comes to fruition, Noi Bai would get two new runways and multiple new terminals in the future.
A New Mantis Species in Vietnam Was Named After David Attenborough
If you've ever stared into nature and had the calming voice of an elderly British man enter to narrate the scene, you are probably a David Attenborough fan.
[Photos] New House by VTN Architects Blurs Line Between Man and Nature
"What, you want me to live in a house with walls?"
Da Nang Trials Group Testing for Covid-19 to Save Resources
Facing a massive number of tests to be done among residents, Da Nang is exploring more cost-effective ways to do COVID-19 testing.
Vietnam Increases Carbon Emissions Reduction Target in Next Decade
The country is now aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 9% by 2030.
New Directive Aims to Strengthen Illegal Wildlife Trade Enforcement
On July 23, Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc issued a new directive with the aim of tightening control against illegal wildlife trade and consumption.
Over 20,000 Hanoians Who Visited Da Nang to Be Tested for Covid-19
The mass testing comes as Vietnam races to stem a fresh outbreak of the novel coronavirus centered in Da Nang.
Cà Mau Announces $820m Plan to Fight Climate Change
Cà Mau is among localities in Vietnam most affected by erosion.
Mel Schenck in Architecture
The Story of Vietnam's Urban Energy and Aspirations Told via Southern Modernist Architecture
The following article is an edited excerpt from the recently published book Southern Vietnamese Modernist Architecture, presenting the history of the style, and how it contrasts with modernism in nort...
All Saigon Residents Who Visited Da Nang in July Will Be Tested for Covid-19
To reduce risks of COVID-19 infection, Saigon announced yesterday that the city would test all residents who returned from Da Nang recently.
Bring Your Own Containers, We're Going Grocery Shopping
Above a peaceful coffee shop on the quiet road of Nguyễn Khắc Nhu lies a small zero-waste refill shop trying to advocate change.
[Photos] An Airy Home for Those Averse to Air-Conditioning
To some people, air conditioners suck.
At Kyros Saigon, a Different Therapy Massage Method
Sometimes, it seems like you can’t walk 100 meters in Saigon without tripping over a spa.
Vietnam Reconsiders Nuclear Power Options in Decade Energy Master Plan
Previous plans to build nuclear power plants in Ninh Thuan Province were scrapped in 2016, but the projects might be coming back in the near future.
Saigon Unveils New Public Bus App Made by Grab
The Go!Bus app will show travelers information for bus routes and connect them to Grab cars or bikes to bring them there if the nearest station is beyond 200 meters away.
Hanoi Approves Design of New Tu Lien Bridge Over Red River
It will be called the Tứ Liên Bridge and was designed in part by Sun Group.
High Chemical Levels Detected in Air Following Warehouse Fire
Heads up, Hanoians!
