Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Kiến Ba Khoang: Not an Ant, but a Harbinger of Dread and Divine Punishment
People’s skin erupted with horrific boils that burst open, spilling stinging pus across vicious rashes. According to the Christian Bible, along with water turning to blood, frogs, lice, gnats, diseased livestock, hail, locusts, darkness for three days and the killing of firstborn sons, the boils were one of the plagues God sent down to ancient Egyptians to compel them to free the Israelites.
Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Horror Game 'Tai Ương' Exposes the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of Our Culture
Natural disasters, illnesses, accidents, breakages, or even deaths: when a series of consecutive tragedies engulf a family, it’s often said that tai ương has befallen the unfornate victims. The term is also the name of a recently published Vietnamese horror game that has been making waves amongst gaming communities both nationwide and internationally, thanks to its layered narrative, chilling atmosphere, and meticulously crafted game environment.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
WildAct's Trang Nguyễn Turns to Social Media to Inspire a New Generation to Love Nature
Dr. Trang Nguyễn — a wildlife conservation scientist with a PhD from Cambridge and the founder of WildAct — needs little introduction. She has been recognized as one of Forbes Asia’s 30 under 30, called a conservation “hero” by Sir David Attenborough on BBC’s Planet Earth III, and had her inspiring story, which includes going undercover to bring down illegal ivory poaching rings in Africa after surviving cancer, covered widely. But much of her work has been behind the scenes or at least in corners devoted to conservations. Her recent arrival on the social media scene, amongst memes, music videos, and TikTok challenges, represents a shift in approach.
Phạm Phú Vinh in Architecture
Vietnamese Vernacular Modernism Is a Local Language Created by the Ordinary People
In the history of architecture, rarely have we seen such a challenging movement as Vietnamese modernism. Not only does it show how a culture evolves and expresses itself across historical epochs through its building practice, from the traditional to colonial and eventually modern period, but the language of Vietnamese vernacular modernism also reveals deeper understandings of human creative potential.
How Saigon's V.A.R Building Epitomizes Vietnam's Architectural Autonomy
Completed in 1973, the V.A.R building at 9 Nguyễn Công Trứ Street in Nguyễn Thái Binh Ward, District 1, is a prominent example of Vietnamese mid-20th-century modernist architecture designed by architect Lê Văn Lắm. It not only represents the Vietnamese architectural identity in post-colonial eras, but also exemplifies its cultural autonomy.
Quy Nhơn’s Quy Hoà Leprosy Village to Be Relocated for Mega Resort Project
Authorities in Gia Lai Province have approved plans to relocate the Quy Hoà leprosy village from its current ocean-side setting in Quy Nhơn to make room for an ambitious real estate and tourism project.
Opinion: Electric Vehicles Are Southeast Asia's Way out Amid the Global Fossil Fuel Crisis
As the Iran war crunches global energy supplies and disrupts prices, Southeast Asian leaders may need to diversify oil and gas supplies in order to protect ordinary people.
Paul Christiansen in Environment
An Ancient Turtle Named After Bánh Xèo Can Teach Us a Lot About Whimsy in Science
Nước mắm — that ruby-hued elixir; that salty, fish-flesh-sweet open secret in your favorite recipe; that indispensable icon of Vietnamese culture and, by extension, identity — owes itself to Commerson’s anchovies. That’s right, if your fish sauce comes from the central region, where it was first developed, the fish pressed with salt to produce it are Stolephorus commersonnii, a species named in 1801 after Philibert Commerson, a white Frenchman. Picture all the hardscrabble village homes suffering under the yoke of colonialism, where one of the day’s few pleasures was a humble meal made delicious by a carefully rationed dash of fish sauce and an ingredient whose name pays homage to their colonizers.
Amazon Is in Vietnam, but Not to Sell Products. Not in the Next 5 Years.
Despite the retail behemoth's recent establishment of Amazon Global Selling Vietnam and the hiring of a former-Alibaba top manager to serve as CEO, the company won't start selling to customers in Viet...
How Vietnamese Runners Are Taking on 70km-Long Mountain Trails, and Winning
Ever wondered if you’ve got what it takes to run 70 kilometers? How about scaling 2,300 meters of mountain? Better still, could you imagine doing both of these things at the same time?
Reasons for an Extended Exploration of District 7
Sweet smoke from chili-slathered strips of juicy beef spills onto the streets and rises into the leafy trees that cast shade on the wide sidewalks.
Grab to Invest $500m to Expand Operations in Vietnam
In response to what it considers a surging market, the ride-hailing giant has announced plans to invest heavily into its Vietnamese business.
Vietnam's Startup Scene Goes From Regional Laggard to Leader
Vietnam has transformed its startup ecosystem from the second-least active to the third-most active among ASEAN countries, trailing only Indonesia and Singapore.
Paul Christiansen in Sports
On Dreaming of a Time When Vietnam Loves Basketball as Much as Football
How lucrative is being a professional basketball player in Vietnam? To help make ends meet, “some work at fast-food restaurants,” admits Ho Chi Minh City Wings small forward Nguyen Ky Quan.
Online Ticketing Company TicketBox Acquired by E-Commerce Firm Tiki
The deal is part of Tiki’s strategy to complete an “all-in-one” ecosystem and marks its entrance into the entertainment sector.
Surprise! A New Homemade Social Media Platform in Vietnam Is Called 'Lotus'
Following Hahalolo and Gapo, another Vietnamese social media platform has entered the market with a rather "inventive" name.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
Loài Plastic: To Eradicate Plastic Items, Treat Them as Invasive Species
Amid increasing awareness of the environmental and health dangers of plastic, a creative new group has joined the fight against this global scourge.
Girls and Boys in Vietnam Are Equally Vulnerable to Trafficking, Study Shows
A report, titled 'Casting Light in the Shadows: Child and Youth Migration, Exploitation and Trafficking in Vietnam,' was conducted by children's rights research and consultancy institute Coram Interna...
How a Power Couple Built a Dedicated Home for Powerlifting in Saigon
In full "ninja" attire, I braved congested streets under the scorching sun looking for the address. Finally, having spotted a sign that reads 'OldSchool Barbell System’ tucked deep inside Binh Thanh D...
[Photos] In Hue, a Minimalist Tree House for Adults
Climbing trees and crafting a cozy tree house out of scrap materials might be a fond childhood memory for many. This new house in Hue provides its tenants with the same experience, except with the ame...
Michael Tatarski in Environment
How the Mekong's Mangroves Can Survive Against the Threat of Development
While Southeast Asia is known as one of the world’s fastest-growing economic regions, home to booming metropolises like Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Kuala Lumpur, it also hosts some of the planet’s m...
Who's Really To Blame for Southeast Asia's Ocean Plastic Crisis?
Our oceans are littered with plastics. Indeed, we are regularly exposed to images and stories of whales and sea turtles choking to death on plastic trash. Ocean plastic is clearly a problem, but what ...
Hanoi Health Center to Offer Rewards to People Who Bring in HIV Patients
The health center is positive their new reward system will help increase detection rates for the dangerous virus.
[Video] Waterfall and Indoor Gardens: Inside Long Thanh Airport's Terminal 1
The construction of the airport is expected to kickstart next year to meet urgent air travel demand.
Mobile World Launches New Affordable Phone Chain Called ‘Super Cheap Phones’
Small mobile phone retailers are afraid the move might hurt their businesses.
[Photos] Here's the Winning Entry of Saigon's September 23 Park Design Contest
A new prize-winning design for Saigon’s September 23 Park, reverts the entire park's surface to public spaces and amenities reserved for pedestrians and local residents.
Da Nang Signs Partnership With Facebook to Improve Disaster Response, Warning
This is the first time Facebook is partnering with a local government in Vietnam for a public service campaign.
HCMC Approves Project to Reduce Congestion at Nguyen Van Linh-Nguyen Huu Tho Crossroad
The total cost for the project is VND830 billion (US$35.4 million).
