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.
Vietnam Ranks 4th Among Countries With Most Liver Cancer-Related Deaths: WHO
Due to heavy drinking, lack of awareness and insufficient early screening, 20,000 Vietnamese die of the liver cancer every year.
Unknown in Vietnam, Local Ride-Hailing App FastGo to Expand to Indonesia, Myanmar
Homegrown ride-hailing app FastGo just announced that it’s preparing for a launch in Myanmar and Indonesia.
[Photos] From Mui Ne to Can Tho: A Visual Exploration of Life in Southern Vietnam
Leaving behind the mountains and valleys of northern and central Vietnam, I was welcomed by the landscapes of southern provinces: beautiful, windy beaches, sprawling rivers in the Mekong Delta and bus...
[Photos] Hanoi Architects Unveil Low-Cost House for Vulnerable Communities
In Vietnam’s rural regions, local homesteads are constantly facing threats of natural disasters like flooding and soil erosion. An architecture firm has recently devised an affordable housing project ...
Lack of Space, Booming Tech Scene Drive Saigon's Office Rents to Highest in 5 Years
Driven by a dearth of suitable office space and the flourishing of local companies, the monthly cost to rent an office in central Saigon is skyrocketing.
Fitness, Flexibility and Mindful Meditation: There's Something for Everyone in Saigon's Yoga Scene
During Saigon’s lunch hour, you won’t find Jiva sitting on any street side. That’s because she’s busy leading the city’s lunchtime renegades, a group that sacrifices that precious hour of eating to ge...
Nearly One-Third of All Vietnamese Suffer From Mental Health Problems
Roughly 30% of Vietnamese people are suffering from mental health problems, with depression rating as the most common.
Kit Humphrey in Society
Q&A: New British Ambassador Gareth Ward on Improving Education, Inspire Me Festival and Human Trafficking
Gareth Ward took up his role as the British Ambassador this July. He’s already enamored himself to the Vietnamese public on social media through his Vietnamese language skills, and photos of him havin...
Vietnam Imposes Harsher Penalties on Street Vendors, Eateries to Address Food Safety Concerns
A new resolution will increase fines for street vendors who do not wear gloves as well as organizations that sell diseased animals or use banned chemicals.
Thi Nguyen in Society
With the End of the Tuoi Tre Rape Allegation, Vietnam's #MeToo Sizzles Out. What Now?
In April this year, a sexual assault allegation surrounding a female intern and a Tuoi Tre editor made national headlines and prompted an outpouring of discussions that paved the way for Vietnam's #Me...
[Photos] Former Street Kid Reveals the Reality of Hanoi’s Homeless Youth
I grew up in a very poor family in Nam Dinh Province. When I was 14, I traveled to Hanoi to shine shoes, in the hope that I could earn money and support my family. But after a year and a half working ...
Update: Grab Announces Partnership With Local E-Wallet App Moca
Grab users who have been enjoying the app’s services via cashless payments might need to take note of this new update.
No Turnbuckles, No Ropes, No Problem for Saigon's Pro Wrestlers
Damien Wolfe rained down blow after blow on spindly Phong Tran (not pictured above), with onlookers jeering and questioning his humanity. Then, out of the blue, Phong sprang to life and leapt into the...
Saigon Architects Clinch Sustainability Award at Regional Event in Tokyo
Architecture firm Tropical Space received distinctions in the categories of sustainable design and single family residential project at the Architects Regional Council Asia (Arcasia) Awards for Archit...
Michael Tatarski in Development
[Photos] A Visit to Landmark 81, the Roof of Saigon
Over the last year, Saigon's skyline has become dominated by a skyscraper in Binh Thanh District.
68% of Vietnamese Children Suffer Physical, Mental Punishment From Parents: Experts
Misguided attempts to discipline children can result in real harm to their psychological well-being.
Vietnam's First Gran Fondo Cycling Event a Hit in Hue
For cycling addicts and ‘casuals’ alike, there’s a new event in Vietnam to start training for.
Saigon’s Modernist Apartment Units Get Sleek Makeovers
Through a dark alley off Pasteur Street, a set of scuffed stairs leads up a cramped corridor, past a restaurant's food-strewn kitchen and through a tight hallway where a deep silence replaces the moto...
Cu Chi Is Geting a State-of-the-Art Organic Farming Complex
An eye-catching planned project in Cu Chi will introduce a new type of farming to Vietnam.
Experts Think Building Dedicated Paths for Cyclists, Pedestrians Could Ease Vietnam's Congestion, Pollution
By 2030, the amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the environment will triple that of 2015's amount.
