The best way to measure Saigon’s 20th-century evolution is by honing in on the changes of a single street.
From the 1950s onward, District 1’s Le Lai Street, then known as Rue du Colonel Boudonnet, has transformed from a charming colonial road overlooking September 23 Park and the city’s former train station into a bustling connector which joins Ben Thanh Market with the Cong Quynh roundabout a short distance away.
Thanks to Flickr user manhhai, we have a record of the street’s development over the years. Here’s a look at Le Lai from the 1950s through 1975:
1950s.
1959.
1959.
1961.
Date unknown.
1965-1966.
1966.
1966.
Date unknown.
1970.
1972.
1972.
1975.
[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]
