Tim Doling

in Vietnam

Revisit 1990s Saigon in 'L’Amant,' the Film Adaptation of Marguerite Duras' Famous Novel

When filming the movie adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ 1984 autobiographical novel The Lover, French director Jean-Jacques Annaud made extensive use of Saigon locations. Here’s a run-down of the local landmarks to watch out for when you view the movie.

in Vietnam

Vibrant Watercolor Paintings Take Us Back to Northern Vietnam in 1890

Way before colored photography appeared, generations of our ancestors had to rely on the finesse of painters to create visuals records of their everyday routines. This collection of watercolor paintings from the 1890s is a particularly vivid example of that, depicting lively scenes of Vietnam two centuries ago that are full of humor and personality.

in Vietnam

From North to South: Memories of 1990s Vietnam via the Lens of a French Photographer

What do you miss most about the 1990s?

Tim Doling

in Saigon

The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 2

By the 1920s, the old Bình Tây Market and much of the surrounding land had belonged to Quách Đàm, so he proposed to the colonial authorities the demolition of the existing building and the construction, “on an area of not less than 9,000 square metres,” of a new and much larger Bình Tây Market, to serve as the new central market of Chợ Lớn. This is Part 2 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 1 here.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1

Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once the modest headquarters of Cantonese millionaire and philanthropist Quách Đàm. This is Part 1 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 2 here.

in Vietnam

Visit a Serene Đà Nẵng in 1991 During a Time Before the Tourism Boom

As a special municipality of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng is considered by many as one of the most livable cities in the country, with lower costs, delicious local cuisine, and a languid, wholesome pace of life. This, in conjunction with readily available modern services, has turned the coastal metropolis into a magnet luring young professionals away from the chaos of Saigon and Hanoi, and attracting snowbird tourists from Russia, China and South Korea seeking tropical warmth.

Linh Phạm

in Hanoi

A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists

My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the importance of Hanoi's largest lake. 

Tim Doling

in Saigon

A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool

Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace ( Cung Văn hoá Lao động ) ...

Back Heritage

in Saigon

[Photos] Napping in Saigon Through the Decades

Can you hear the snores?

in Saigon

[Photos] Expansive Views of 1950 Saigon from Above

How often do you think about the Saigon River?

in Vietnam

[Photos] Rare Photos From Above Show a Sparsely Developed Da Lat in 1966

When we think of Da Lat today, we imagine a fully formed city of flowers, fruits and mountain photoshoots.

in Asia

[Photos] Travel to a Bustling Singapore in 1979 Through Doi Kuro's Lens

While some Southeast Asian cities were completely unrecognizable from their current self in 1979, Singapore at that time was already on its way to becoming the region's most developed location.

Marc Dinh

in Vietnam

Chợ Âm Phủ and the Embattled History Behind Hanoi's Book Street

19/12 Street was once a mass burial ground for those who died in the National Resistance against France in 1946. The event shaped the history of the city and the relationship that thrived for 71 years...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Da Lat's Charming Green Landscapes as Seen in 1969

The mountain escape was a thriving farming area long before the recent boom in organic produce. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] An Enchanting Hue and Da Nang in 1967 Captured by Winfield Parks

Travel back to a time when drones were just airplanes.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Peek Back at Saigon's Enduring Street Vendors in 1950

Where else can you buy whatever you need without having to step inside a building?

in Asia

[Photos] A Dynamic Bangkok in 1984 via the Lens of Photographer Doi Kuro

Before the days of mega-malls and the Skytrain, Bangkok was still plenty busy.

in Asia

Vintage Illustrations From 1931 Showcase Native Birds of Indochina

Somebody definitely paid attention in art class.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Amble Around Downtown Tay Ninh in These Photos From 1965

Just a short car ride from Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh remains among the favorite spiritual destinations of worshipers in the region to visit for a weekend getaway.

in Hanoi

[Photos] A Game of Trade: Hanoi’s First International Trade Fair Complex

Hanoi has had many names in its life time; among the lesser-known ones is Ke Cho, which literally means "the market people."

in Saigon

[Photos] 10 Black-and-White Images of Saigon in 1970

A trip to Saigon in 1970 by photographer Jerry Bosworth yielded a small cache of black-and-white images that vividly depict a city in flux.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Long Xuyen, an Enterprising Mekong Delta Trading Hub in the 1920s

Founded on the banks of the Hau River, Long Xuyen began as a trading post and has prospered into one of the Mekong Delta’s major cities today.

in Hanoi

[Photos] Black-and-White Photos Depict a Spirited Hanoi in 1973

The capital in 1973 provided many examples of normalcy amidst upheaval. 

in Saigon

[Photos] Rare Aerial Photos Depict the Urban Contours of Saigon in 1950

In the French photo book titled Indochine – Couverture. Saigon-Cholon – Photographie Aerienne 1950, a fascinating set of aerial images showcases the urban layout of Saigon in 1950.

in Saigon

[Photos] The Frenetic Energy of 1960s Chợ Lớn

Comic books and bread, cigarettes and rickshaw rides: Saigon has always reveled in the exchange of goods and services for money. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] Fly Over Vietnam in the 1930s via These Rare Black-and-White Shots

What if you had a time machine and traveled 90 years into the past with a drone?

in Vietnam

[Photos] Immerse in the Small-Town Charm of 1960s Vinh Long

Thanks to its tangled snarl of canals, estuaries, streams and rivers, one associates the Mekong Delta with boats.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Arduous Pilgrimage to Chùa Hương Over 30 Years Ago

Every year, with the arrival of spring comes a grand journey.