in Saigon

Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor

The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.

in Vietnam

From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam

How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress. 

in Vietnam

From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'

In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians. 

in Vietnam

How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?

In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.

in Hanoi

Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White

In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer. I walked the streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.

in Hanoi

A Rare Album by Photographer Bruno Barbey Brings Us Back to Tết in 1994 Hanoi

What do you remember most about the 1990s? Do you remember the fashion, the old-timey technology, or the lack of traffic? And if you were just a wee child, do these memories stay with you?

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

The First Asian in Space Was Vietnamese. He’s Still Alive Today.

Most Vietnamese schoolkids grew up learning about Phạm Tuân as the first Vietnamese in space, but few know that he was also the first Asian person to clinch the honor.

Back Heritage

in Saigon

[Photos] Cho Lon's First-Ever Post Office, as Seen in the 1920s

Located at the junction of Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Chau Van Liem and Cha Va Bridge in today’s Saigon, the post office of District 5 is a well-known landmark in the mind of denizens living in the area. Not...

in Asia

[Photos] Remarkable Color Photos Document Life in Japan Over 100 Years Ago

Even a century ago, Japan was a little weird.

in Saigon

[Photos] Views of 1954 Saigon-Cho Lon From a USS Rochester Sailor

The USS Rochester CA-124 was a heavy cruiser that was first launched after World War II.

in Hanoi

Part of Historic Building, Meant to Be Preserved, Destroyed After Miscommunication

Part of a historic building, meant to be saved from demolition and recognized as a heritage site, has been bulldozed thanks to a miscommunication. 

in Vietnam

[Illustrations] Everyday Life in 1923 Northern Vietnam Through 10 Rare Sketches

It was a simpler time in Vietnam 100 years ago — just people going about their life without a single phone in sight.

in Saigon

Saigon to Preserve Part of Old Binh Loi Railway Bridge

The new Binh Loi railway bridge, built 12 meters away from the old one, has been open for public use since September last year.

in Saigon

[Photos] A French Photographer's Portrait of Saigon in 1866

It took millions of years for dinosaurs' ferocious claws to evolve into the soft wings of a hummingbird and even longer for simple algae to transform into towering pine trees; change has been much mor...

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Record of the Past in Pre-1975 Nhạc Vàng Album Art

Modern album art doesn't hold a candle to the hand-drawn song sheets of pre-1975 Vietnam.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Stroll Along Saigon's Tet Flower Streets in the 1960s

Flowers never go out of fashion.

in Hanoi

[Photos] An Artist's Sketches Capture the Charm of Indochina's Street Vendors

These illustrations of vendors working on Hanoi streets during French colonial rule are half-sketched, half-painted, which adds to the air of memories fading. 

in Saigon

[Photos] A Brief Tribute to Saigon’s Old Electricity Substations and Their Iconic Logo

Have you ever spotted these substations peppered across downtown Saigon and wondered what the initials CEE stands for?

in Vietnam

[Photos] An Aerial Perspective of Pleiku and Kon Tum in 1970

In today’s Vietnam, Pleiku in Gia Lai Province is the Central Highlands’ third-biggest city, after Da Lat and Buon Ma Thuot.

in Saigon

Thu Thiem Church, Convent Classified as City-Level Heritage Sites by Saigon

After years of precarious existence in the face of constant development in the Thu Thiem Peninsula, the two Roman Catholic institutions have finally achieved protected status.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Walk Down Memory Lane: 1990 Saigon Caught on Camera

Once among the 1990s’ most recognizable icons, xích lô is now a rare species on Saigon streets that’s reserved only for tourists.

in Vietnam

A Meandering Photographic History of the Red River and Long Bien Bridge

Upon its completion in 1902, Hanoi’s Long Bien Bridge was the second-longest of its kind in the world — it was only a few hundred meters shorter than Brooklyn Bridge in New York City. 

in Saigon

[Photos] The Wilderness of Suburban Saigon in 1904

In 1904, the entirety of Saigon was confined to the area we know as District 1 today. Apart from the neatly planned city center and Cho Lon’s bustling trade town, the city’s peripheral regions were ov...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Daily Life in Northern Vietnam in the Early 1900s

Daily life in northern Vietnam was a little different over 100 years ago.

in Saigon

[Photos] Aerial Shots of a Past Saigon Without Towering High-Rises

Saigon represents constant transition.

in Asia

[Photos] 21 Rare Old Photos Showcase Kuala Lumpur's Unique Architecture

If you’ve enjoyed our collections of old Saigon photos so far, this set of rare images of Kuala Lumpur taken throughout the 20th century might pique your interest.

in Heritage

How the Storied Caravelle Balances History and Modernity

Expensive imported cars idle in front of Saigon’s century-old Opera House, where inside a local orchestra is performing a medley of wartime songs, 19th century European standards and modern American f...