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 Health

With Promising Recovery Progress, Case 91 Might Not Need Lung Transplants

If the patient continues to make good progress in recovery, medical experts believe that he will no longer need lung transplants.

in Environment

Hanoi to Deploy Water Trucks to Keep Dust, Summer Heat at Bay

Hanoi authorities are planning to re-deploy water trucks to city streets to keep dust and heat at bay in the sweltering summer months.

in Tech

Ubisoft Opens Studio in Da Nang to Produce Mobile Games

In the near future, a select number of Ubisoft game fans in Vietnam will not only be able to play their favorite titles, but also have a role in their production.

in Development

Hanoi Officials Reject $50m Request From Chinese Metro Contractor

Hanoi officials have refused to pay the Chinese metro contractors their demand of US$50 million in advance to perform a test run on the Cat Linh-Ha Dong line in Hanoi.

in Development

Da Nang to Develop $2bn Condo, Casino Complex

The planned complex will be located directly across from My Khe Beach.

in Health

Covid-19 Update: British Pilot Shows Remarkable Lung Recovery; Case 19 Discharged

It appears the country's COVID-19 death toll will remain at zero.

in Education

How Important are Leadership Skills for Students?

Being prepared for university and a career involves far more than knowing the answers on a test. 

in Architecture

[Photos] This New Public Space in Vung Tau Is a Natural Oasis

While Vietnam’s teeming cities are generally home to innovative construction projects, there are a number in less urbanized areas.

in Health

Vietnam's 2 Most Serious Covid-19 Patients See Conditions Improve

One is now able to walk on her own, while the other has awoken from a coma and can perform basic communication.

in Health

Drug-Resistant Bacteria Flourish in Southeast Asia's Antibiotic-Filled Sewage

The fetid vapors of a sewer canal may be unpleasant, but what lurks beneath the surface can be a killer.

in Development

Hanoi's Metro Line 3 Faces Delay Due to Site Clearance Hold-Up

The above-ground section of Hanoi’s Metro Line 3 (Nhon-Hanoi Train Station) is essentially finished, though some site clearance issues might drag out the completion date.

in Development

Laos Proposes Sixth Planned Mekong River Dam

The planned US$2 billion project will be developed by Datang Sanakham Hydropower company, a subsidiary of China’s Datang International Power Generation Co. Ltd.

in Sports

Coach Park Hang-Seo Plans to Open Football Academy in Vietnam

He aims to remain in Vietnam after his coaching contract ends.

in Tech

Vietnam Startup JobHopin Closes Series A Investment Round With $2.45m

The successful round brings JobHopin's total raised capital to over US $3 million.

in Education

A BIS Student Finds Inspiration at the United Nations

 “A lot of people, especially young people, just go on with their daily lives…and they might think that global issues are way too much; that they’re out of their hands. And what I’m trying to do ...

in Education

Play, Inquiry and Holistic Education in Saigon

An activity using dry Spaghetti noodles and marshmallows might not immediately seem like a learning opportunity, but a closer look reveals the importance of play in education. 

in Environment

Saigon's Flooding Is Manageable Now, but Will Wreak Havoc in 2050, Study Says

A new study highlights the grave flood threat facing Saigon if strong mitigation efforts aren't taken in the coming decades.

in Health

Who Are Vietnam's Most Severe Coronavirus Cases? Where Are They Now?

Vietnam’s total number of COVID-19 infections remains within its healthcare capacity, so critical patients can receive top-level attention from national experts.

in Health

As Mice Stay Healthy After Injections, Vietnam Cautiously Hopeful About Vaccine Prospect

Vietnam’s COVID-19 vaccine project is going smoothly, though it will take a number of months before a useable product is actualized.

in Health

[Photos] From Boston to Saigon: A Coronavirus Quarantine Diary

On March 20, I arrived at Tan Son Nhat International Airport from the United States.