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 Development

Dong Nai Wants to Add More Lanes to HCMC-Long Thanh Expressway

Congestion between Saigon and neighboring provinces has become as clogged as the arteries of the most ardent bột chiên enthusiast.

in Tech

Gym-Booking Startup WeFit Declares Bankruptcy After 4 Years in Operation

The COVID-19 epidemic in Vietnam has claimed another victim: fitness and beauty startup WeWow.

in Education

Defining a Successful Student

Accomplishments come in many varieties.

in Architecture

[Photos] Blending in With Nature at Son La's New School for H'Mong Children

Designed by a group of Saigon-based architects, the Bo Mon District public school project unveiled a new structure for children in one of Son La’s most remote areas.

in Tech

New Job Postings Reignite Rumors of Apple's Vietnam Expansion

Over the past few days, Apple fans in Vietnam have been abuzz with speculation after the tech giant posted numerous new job postings based in the country.

in Environment

Central Highlands Coffee Farmers on Tenterhooks as Lack of Rainfall Dries Region

While the Mekong Delta struggles through a historic drought, the Central Highlands is dealing with its own lack of rainfall.

in Tech

Vsmart Climbs to 3rd Spot Among Vietnam's Most Popular Phone Brands

Vsmart, the smartphone company owned by Vingroup, is behind only Samsung and Oppo in terms of market share, according to new data.

in Development

Vung Tau Plans New Airport on Go Gang Island to Replace Existing One

Authorities of Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province have decided to move forward with a plan to construct a new airport.

in Environment

Tracing the Reincarnation of Plastic Waste in Saigon's Informal Recycling Workshops

The text message said to be ready at 4:30am at my street corner, where I would be picked up for the drive to the plastics recycling center. I had been wanting to visit the site for this article and th...

in Health

66% of Covid-19 Cases in Hanoi Are Asymptomatic, Health Officials Say

Hanoi officials have warned of increased risk of Covid-19 outbreaks, as it was reported that 66.6% of confirmed cases in the capital were found to be asymptomatic.

in Architecture

[Photos] Inside a New School for Lao Cai Children, Built by Hanoi Architects

While some students in Saigon bemoan slow internet that hampers their distance education at home, there are communities in Vietnam’s remote areas whose only school can barely withstand the elements.

in Health

After Lockdown, Bach Mai Criticized Over Clip Showing Doctors Gathering Without Masks

Hanoi’s lockdown order on Bach Mai Hospital was lifted over the weekend, but the hospital is now facing censure over a video that surfaced online.

in Health

Vingroup, Bkav Pivot to Producing Ventilators to Help Curb Coronavirus

Amid the ongoing coronavrius pandemic, several Vietnamese manufacturing companies have shifted to producing medical equipment.

Khoi Pham

in Tech

How 2 Vietnamese Software Engineers Created a Site to Track the Covid-19 Outbreak

What have you accomplished today while practicing social distancing at home? Did you work on the family’s trellises of gourds, attempt to whisk up a frothy glass of dalgona coffee, or learn a new lang...

in Development

Trains for Saigon’s First Metro Line Undergo Final Testing in Japan

On April 11, Saigon’s Urban Railway Management Board announced that the trains ordered to serve the city’s first metro line had begun their final technical inspections in Japan.

in Environment

90% of Vietnamese Surveyed in WWF Covid-19 Study Support Closing Wildlife Markets

The first survey analyzing public opinion about the connection between COVID-19 and the wildlife trade in Asia shows widespread support for the elimination of wildlife markets. 

in Health

Saigon's Blood Reserve Faces Critical Shortage as Pandemic Cancels Donation Drives

Saigon’s public hospitals will face an acute blood shortage in the next few days if the lack of donors continues.

in Health

Vietnam Only Records 4 New Covid-19 Cases Over the Weekend

The nation's tally for Covid-19 cases hit 241 on Sunday night, but Monday arrived without any new patients testing positive since the previous evening.

in Architecture

[Photos] A Da Nang House Reimagined as a 'Red Brick' Hostel

Turns out one can break down an old house into a hostel the same way one breaks down a brick of cheese into enticing nibbles.

in Health

Saigon, Hanoi to Discharge 30 Covid-19 Patients Today, Including Case 17

As the number of Covid-19 cases in Vietnam continues to rise, many patients across the country have also recovered.