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.
Saigon Students Win Science Contest Silver Medals for Bodhi Tree Leaf Teabags
Sustainable teabags made from bodhi tree (Ficus religiosa) leaves earned Ngô Trần Thảo My and Nguyễn Thiên Ngân silver medals at an international event that fosters global awareness of environmental i...
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
The Prehistoric Permanence of Cá Sấu, Vietnam's Farmed Predator
I’ve always hated cá sấu. Not because they’ve threatened my safety or had any real impact on my life whatsoever, but simply because they survived. When a meteor cratered into Earth 66 million years ag...
In Sơn La, Nà Khoang School Serves Both Students and the Local Thái Community
It's a flower's imperfections that make it beautiful.
From the Lab of Forever Wheelchair, Hope for Vietnam's Handicapped Animals
The ability to roam and frolic around is essential for our canine and feline companions' well-being, but too often, it can become a privilege for cats and dogs living with disability and immobility fr...
Health Ministry Stresses 'LGBT Is Not a Disease' in Response to Rise in 'Gay Cure' Clinics
Vietnam’s Ministry of Health recently issued an official dispatch stressing that homosexuality is not a disease.
In Huế, a Glass Cottage to Spend the Rest of Your Life With Your Beloved
If somehow your relationship manages to survive illnesses, conflicts, and external temptations to endure until both of you are in your sunset years, how would you spend the rest of your life?
Hanoi Students Create Green Material From Durian Rind to Aid Oil Spill Cleanup
A group of university students has created an aerogel material from durian rind which can help clean up oil spills.
Gõ Nước: An Endangered Tree That Offers Hope for Conservation Efforts
Is it true that the more names something has, the more beloved it is? Consider all the nicknames you have for your best friends, or the myriad of terms people have invented for deities. If one can ass...
Hanoi Unveils Design for New Floating Opera House Near West Lake
Hanoi is planning to build a 13,000 square-meter floating theater near West Lake with a capacity of around 3,500 seats.
[Photos] A House in Sơn La Cocoons Its Residents Around a Quiet Courtyard
In many up-and-coming urban areas in Vietnam, empty plots of land are sectioned off and sold as narrow puzzle pieces that will eventually become towering tube houses facing the chaos of arterial stree...
How Exotic Pole Dance Challenges Both Personal Limits and Gender Stereotypes
Flashing flares of neon lights hug the body of a dancer who’s spinning around a pole in the raucous thrum of music and sensuous gasps. In the mind of the average Vietnamese, pole dancing is often asso...
In Đà Lạt, Greenhouses Revolutionize Farming, but at What Environmental Cost?
Plastic greenhouses in the city of Đà Lạt may protect farmers from the impacts of erratic weather, but the environmental toll of agri-plastics is building in the agriculture-dependent region.
[Photos] This Buôn Ma Thuột House Is a Cottagecore Dreamland
In recent years, the Central Highlands has slowly become one of the most sought-after regions in Vietnam for young people to travel and live in.
Scuba Diving at Nha Trang Island Temporarily Banned Due to Poor Coral Health
Hòn Mun, a 5-square-kilometer square island about 10 kilometers off the coast of Nha Trang, will be closed to swimmers and divers indefinitely to protect the area's severely damaged coral.
Due to Bidding Red Tape, Pasteur Institute HCMC Runs Out of Vaccines
Saigoneers wishing to inoculate themselves or their children have recently been turned away at the Pasteur Institute in HCMC as the institute struggles to secure its vaccine supplies.
Đom Đóm: Why the Light Is Going Out for Fireflies in Vietnam
Much like their brief existence on Earth, once-common fireflies are quickly disappearing from Vietnam’s natural and oral histories.
In Ninh Thuận, a Bamboo Scientist Builds the 'Great Green Wall' to Protect the Soil
In Ninh Thuận Province, not far from the South-Central Coast, Dr. Diệp Thị Mỹ Hạnh, a botanist, is growing a "wall" of bamboo.
Vietnamese Students Win Earth Prize for Dragon Fruit Peel Biodegradable Sanitary Pads
A trio of Vietnamese high schoolers claimed the top prize in the environmental awareness competition The Earth Prize 2022 thanks to their project which turned dragon fruit peels into biodegradabl...
Award-Winning Children's Book on Conservation to Release Sequel Tomorrow
Saving H'non: Chang and the Elephants, a sequel to the critically acclaimed children’s book by Trang Nguyễn, is scheduled to hit shelves on June 11 following the success of Saving Sorya: Chang and the...
Lê Xuân Ái, Vietnam's Dedicated Turtle Conservationist, Passes Away at 63
Last week, Lê Xuân Ái, the former director of Côn Đảo National Park, passed away at the age of 63 after years of battling cancer. He had made great contributions to the revival and preservation of sea...
