On the 12th Day of Christmas Saigoneer Gave to Me: 12 Birdcalls From Across Vietnam
Almost everywhere we go in the world, birdsong abounds.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Crickets Are More Than Just Chirpy Reminders of Our Childhood
Cricket song. You read the words and immediately hear the chirping. That thrilling trill of strummed air. Humans have been hearing that quivering echo since we first came into existence. And over time, we’ve attached a variety of meanings to it and the creature that makes it.
The People Building a Virtual Vietnam in the Pixelated World of Minecraft
Minecraft is now a modern classic world-building game allowing players to construct elaborate buildings using isometric cubes. Thanks to this endless stream of materials, one can theoretically build anything in the game world if they have enough patience and attention to details.
In Đà Nẵng, a Close-Knit Surfing Community Rides the Waves
Đà Nẵng does not feel like a surf town. The gaudy beachside nightclubs are a far cry from the bohemian vibes of Hawaii or San Diego, and the coastline is more synonymous with basket boats than surfboards. Look for it, however, and you’ll find a subculture of beach breaks, skate bowl surf shacks, board rental huts, and passionate surfers within a tight knit but welcoming community.
As Infrastructure Lags Behind, Saigon's Poorest Hardest Hit by Worsening Flooding
In April this year, 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.
How One Saigon Gym Is Re-Inventing Fitness
Technology has fundamentally altered how Saigoneers travel around the city, find and eat food, form and maintain relationships and make purchases. Such innovations can profoundly change how one approaches fitness here as well.
A Glimpse Into the Epic Underground Shows of Vietnam Pro Wrestling
Back in 2018, Saigon witnessed the birth of Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW), the first and only Pro Wrestlers in the whole of ...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
An Ode to Lục Bình, Vietnam's Invasive, Destructive, Beautiful Aquatic Jerk
Knotted gnarls of lush stems, leaves, vines; a verdant scrimmage of tangled plant matter kept afloat by buoyant bladders accented by pleats of pink petals that resemble the skirts of ballerinas trapped inside music boxes: the water hyacinth.
In Pre-Pandemic Central Vietnam, the Stages of Life Are in Full View Outside
The multiple stages of life are never far from view on the streets of Vietnam.
[Video] The Fiery Spectacle of Vietnam's Professional Wrestling Scene
In skimpy shorts, menacing facepaint, and sometimes even impressive props, members of the Vietnam Pro Wrestling (VPW) club engage in energetic “battles” that incorporate flying acrobatics and dynamic ...
Ná Nả: How a Grassroots Initiative Enriches the Lives of Ethnic Minorities
Khang A Tủa is attending university in Ho Chi Minh City, but he took the last semester off to run a project supporting people of the H’Mong ethnic minority.
Vietnam Announces New App to Unify All Previous Covid-19 Apps
One app to rule them all.
The Unexpected Lure of Watching Streamers Drive a Truck Across a Virtual Vietnam
As the months-long lockdown drags on — though with some light at the end of the tunnel — and with in-person programs being canceled or put on indefinite hiatus, demand for virtual entertainment has na...
Khôi Phạm in Tech
Review: Vietnamese Indie Game 'Hoa' Is a Soothing Oasis in the Age of Anxiety
There is an exquisite but hard-to-name feeling that engulfs me every time I finish watching a particularly outstanding movie. It’s a lingering mixture of awe, fulfillment, wistfulness, anguish, contem...
In Lockdown, Saigoneers Draw Strength From an Unexpected Wealth of Support: Each Other
They largely didn't know each other, except for their flatmates. Then the COVID-19 outbreak began, and they got closer. They are now more accommodating, caring and loving.
How Hanoi Residents and Collectives Look out for the City's Most Vulnerable
“He was so happy to be given rice. And he didn’t have a smartphone or anything like that. I felt I had helped someone that really needed help, and I felt very happy about that.”
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Voi: From Hai Bà Trưng's Fearsome Companions to Tourism Servants
Does art need a purpose?
[Photos] D2's Okkio Cafe Is an Architectural Homage to Wong Kar-Wai
Today's architecture feature will be familiar to frequent visitors of Thao Dien.
Michael Tatarski in Environment
A New Documentary Tells the Story of Ethical Elephant Tourism in Dak Lak
While some documentaries come together after years of planning and storyboarding, others happen almost by chance.
UNESCO Recognizes Nui Chua, Kon Ha Nung as Vietnam's New Biosphere Reserves
They are in Ninh Thuan and Gia Lai.
Vietnamese Company Buys 50m Doses of Spanish Covid-19 Vaccine
Another vaccine will come to Vietnam in the future.
Love in the Time of Corona: Long-Distance Relationships When You're Just 1km Apart
In an ever-moving world, “long distance” has become a well-established concept in modern relationships. It’s easy to spot couples with one half living in a different time zone among our social circles...
Without Ride-Hailing, Public Buses, Saigon's Taxis Are Thrust Into the Frontline
Through the windows of a taxi cab making its way through deserted Ho Chi Minh City, the once-bustling Vietnamese metropolis is almost unrecognizable as empty street after empty street rolls by.
95% of Hanoi's Residents Over Age 18 Have Received At Least One Dose of a Covid Vaccine
According to Vietnam’s COVID-19 Vaccination Portal, about 95% of resident Hanoians aged 18 or above have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine. On Sunday alone, the city administered 573,829 ...
5ha of Coastal Protection Forest Destroyed by Solar Power Project: 'It Was an Accident'
While carrying out site clearance for a solar power project in Binh Dinh Province, workers unlawfully destroyed a large swath of local coastal protection forest.
Khôi Phạm in Natural Selection
Lá Dứa: The OG Queen of Vietnamese Desserts
There’s a 99% chance that a Vietnamese child’s first exposure to lá dứa, or pandan, is in the form of rau câu.
Storm Conson Weakens While Typhoon Chanthu Gains Strength; Both Will Make Landfall this Weekend
As both storms move closer to land, Typhoon Chanthu has stolen energy from Tropical Storm Conson. Chanthu's wind speeds accelerated from 50 km/h to 260 km/h within just 48 hours.
Dr. Plastic, the Hanoi Duo Who Give New Life to Single-Use Plastic
Plastic pollution is considered one of the main environmental threats to our planet’s health.
