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.
Public Bicycles Are a Hit in Hoi An, Not So Much in Saigon and Hanoi
In 2018, Hoi An announced that it had officially launched a project to establish a bicycle network to make transport more sustainable.
[Photos] Blending in With Nature at a Rustic My Tho Coffee Shop
Set at canal-level, the serene coffee shop pays homage to the residents of the Mekong Delta who for centuries have built homes and communities betwixt channels, swamps and lakes.
Food Delivery Service Vietnammm Acquired by South Korean Tech Startup
Vietnam's competitive food delivery services landscape welcomes a new player.
Vietnam's Low Birth Weight Rate Among the Lowest in Asia-Pacific: Report
A recently published paper produced by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UNICEF, and the World Health Organization (WHO) looks at birth weight data in 148 countries from 2000 to 2015.
Cashless Payment Reaches Saigon Public Schools in Pilot Program
'Cashless Schools' is a program established in 2014 at secondary and high schools in Saigon.
How Creativity, Activity, Service IB Projects Prepare Students for University
A bare, multi-color back slips into a river made with dollops of vivid blues and greens.
[Photo] Two Years After Eviction, 3A Station Lot Remains Sparsely Developed
The 2017 flattening of youth culture hangout 3A Station to make room for high-rise projects broke the hearts of many Saigoneers .
[Photos] PR Campaign Stirs Controversy Online for Depictions of Pregnant Rape Victims
After a slew of sexual abuse cases involving children, the topic has entered the public discourse as one of Vietnam’s most contentious issues in the past year.
Measles Cases Continuing to Rise Across Hanoi
Over 1,100 people are currently being treated for measles in Hanoi, a ten-fold increase compared to the same time last year.
Paul Christiansen in Society
How to Juggle Newfound Attention as an Introvert and One of Forbes' 30 Under 30
With a devious grin on her face, Hau snatched the oversized plush pillow resembling a tree trunk from my hands, exclaiming, “Mine! And third steal so no one can take it away.”
Vietnam Drinks 15% More Beer Each Year. A New Alcohol Control Bill Tries to Curb That.
In 2018, Vietnam's total beer consumption reached over 4.67 billion liters, according to Nielsen statistics.
Google Assistant Is Now Available in Vietnamese on Android Phones
After years in development, Google Assistant is now officially available in Vietnamese.
[Photos] Viettel's New Offside Studio Is a Fusion of Geometry and Nature
Viettel is one of Vietnam’s largest telecommunication companies. Mentions of its name usually conjure up the vision of a steadfastly traditional conglomerate that’s omnipresent but uninteresting. That...
LG to Close Factory in South Korea, Move Smartphone Production to Vietnam
The South Korean multinational electronics company has production plants in South Korea, China, Vietnam, Brazil and India.
'Void' Event to Raise Funds for New Mental Health Hotline
May is Mental Health Awareness Month and tomorrow brings an event to Hanoi aiming to raise funds for a new mental health hotline for Hanoi and Vietnam.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
The Fight to Save Cat Ba's Langurs and Unique Ecosystems
While approaching Hai Phong, a major city on Vietnam’s northeast coast, it is impossible to miss signs of the country’s fast-growing economic might. GDP growth hit just over 7% in 2018, and forei...
Vingroup Announces Electric Bus Service 'VinBus' With 2020 Launch Date
The non-profit enterprise aims to help develop urban public transport systems and reduce pollution in major cities across Vietnam.
Michael Tatarski in Society
On Its 10th Anniversary, a Look Back at H2H Charity Ride's Hanoi-Saigon Journey
On April 26, the H2H charity bicycle ride completed its 10th edition. Short for Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, the endeavor has evolved from a ragtag group of friends to a much more organized operation ov...
Why Vietnamese Demand for Rhino Horn Is Unlikely to Decrease Anytime Soon
Vietnam is one of the world’s largest consumers of rhino horn, contributing to the continued poaching of rhinos in the wild. Last year in Africa 1,100 rhinos were killed by poacher...
Moderate Rice Consumption Might Help Reduce Obesity Rates, New Study Shows
The secret behind Vietnamese and other Asians’ slender figure might lie in the region's rice consumption, a recent study shows.
