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 Is Taking Bold New Steps to Reduce Emissions, Including Utilizing Pig Waste
While a controversial suggestion to reduce emissions by banning motorbikes in the capital by 2030 has been suggested, some in Vietnam are also beginning to create biogas from pig waste.
Vietnam Drinks Fast and Furiously, but Not Responsibly, WHO Says
It's doesn't take long to notice that drinking is a big deal in Vietnam.
Soil Bank Established in Southern Vietnam
Vietnam's sand deposits are on the verge of depletion due to high demand from construction projects.
Hanoi Opens First Private Robotic Surgery Clinic
Medical automation has officially arrived in the capital.
Google Maps Introduces Motorbike-Specific Navigation Mode in Vietnam
The feature was first developed in India.
[Photos] New Saigon Coworking Community Brings Jungle Greenness Into Office Space
Working in an enclosed space can be stifling at times, which is why the architecture group G8A recognizes the need to reconnect with nature.
Sophia the Robot’s Message to Vietnam: 'You Are Already Halfway There'
On July 13, an international conference on Industry 4.0 in Hanoi featured Sophia, a social humanoid robot, as a guest speaker, and she had a message for Vietnam.
When Work and Life Take up Most of Their Day, Saigoneers Turn to Night-Time Gym Sessions
Tight schedules and a hectic lifestyle don't prevent some young Saigoneers from getting in shape.
Inside the Success of Hoi An's Program to Manage Waste, Reduce Plastic Use
Over half of the plastic pollution in the ocean comes from five countries, including Vietnam, China, the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia.
[Photos] This Minimalist Da Lat House Catches Light Like Lungs Catch Air
This photographer's private home was designed around the trees in the abandoned nursery it was built on.
In Vietnam's Nascent Anti-Plastic Movement, Straws Are the First to Go
Saigon needs real solutions for its plastic problems.
Vietnam's First Autonomous Car Project Begins Pilot Phase
Yay or nay?
Phu My Hung's Perpetual Stink Is Due to Climate Change and Season-Related Factors: Official
The head of Ho Chi Minh City’s environment agency said that climate change and seasonal weather patterns spread Da Phuoc Landfill’s stink to surrounding areas.
[Photos] Sludge, Syringes and Toxic Chemicals: A Day in the Life of Saigon's Sewage Workers
Here is a series of images taken by photographer Thanh Nguyen, highlighting the underground and rarely seen work of sewage workers of Saigon.
Coach Sau's 15 Years of Free Swimming Lessons for Mekong Delta Kids
For a country that’s half-surrounded by the ocean, it’s unfortunate that a large percentage of Vietnamese children still don’t know how to swim.
Sophia the Robot to Give a Presentation in Hanoi Later This Month
Sophia, an AI-equipped social humanoid robot from Hong Kong’s Hanson Robotics Ltd that has been a Saudi Arabian citizen since October 2017, will speak alongside scholars and authorities at an internat...
[Photos] An Airy Vacation Home in Vinh Phuc
A combination of high-tech modeling and traditional materials enhance shade and ventilation.
Da Lat Is Going Through Its Own Climate Change. And Greenhouses Are to Blame.
In the last decade, the proliferation of greenhouses has had a detrimental impact on how we view Da Lat. Experts warn that more serious consequences could include a shift in the city's delicate climat...
Hanoi Hospital Performs Record-Breaking 16 Organ Transplants in a Month
A hospital in Hanoi performed 16 life-saving organ transplants over a recent one-month period, a national record.
[Photos] Escaping the Chaos of Saigon in Thu Duc's Green Hideout
This impressive home in Thu Duc District seems like the perfect retreat for lovers of peace and quiet in Saigon.
