The Legends of Thăng Long Tứ Trấn, the 4 Guardian Temples Protecting Hanoi
In the edict to move Vietnam’s capital to Hanoi, Emperor Lý Thái Tổ described this land as the middle of heaven and earth, the center of the four directions. Such a place would bring peace and prosperity, he believed, and deserved sacred protection.
Regent Phu Quoc's Spa Attracts Guests with International Wellness Expertise
What do royal families, tennis superstars and celebrities like Gweneth Paltrow and Naomi Campbell have in common?
Slices of Life in Saigon, Huế, Hanoi in 1989 on Film
What is it about coming across old photos that tugs on our heartstrings so much, even when they depict a time when some of us weren’t alive yet?
Exploring Chợ Quán Asylum, Saigon’s Oldest Prisoner-of-War Camp
In a secluded corner of Saigon’s Bệnh viện Nhiệt đới, or Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a prison continues its century-long existence hidden from public memory and discourse.
Mang Thít, Vĩnh Long's 'Kingdom of Brick Kilns,' Is on Its Last Legs
Along the rivers and canals of Mang Thít, clouds of smoke from the Mekong Delta’s last brick kilns languidly stream into the air.
[Video] Vintage VHS Travelogue Takes You to Đà Lạt in 1992
Get ready for a road trip with nostalgia riding shotgun.
The Splendor of Hát Bội, as Depicted in Vintage Posters for the 1889 Paris World's Fair
From the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, hát bội left a major mark on the hearts and minds of many viewers, including French colonizers. The French brought this form of folk performance art to the 1889 Exposition Universelle in Paris, a world’s fair organized to showcase international cultures. Scenes of hát bội can be seen on promotional materials, souvenirs, and lithograph prints from back then.
[Photos] Look Back at Hanoi's Nội Bài Airport in 1995
In February, 1995, Yuichi Kobayashi, a Japanese businessman, came to Vietnam with a mission to set up a factory here.
[Photos] On the Cusp of a Tourism Boom, a Pristine Sapa of the 1920s
During the last decade of the 19th century, French colonists occupying northern Vietnam (then Tonkin) decided to conduct a census survey on the region’s ethnic minorities. The first convoys reached La...
[Photos] A Child Wedding of Tay Ethnic Minority in Lao Cai in 1920s
The rare set of photos depict a wedding ceremony in the 1920s between young members of the ethnic minority Tay people in Bac Ha District of Lao Cai Province.
[Photos] Vintage Tourism Posters Showcase Past Vietnam's Natural Landscapes
If you’ve never been to Vietnam before, would these colorful vintage poster entice you to book a ticket?
[Photos] Striking Black-and-White Images of Hue's Imperial City in 1896
Just two weeks ago, we published some monochrome photos of Hue taken earlier this year. Yet in this series, we can browse another black-and-white selection of images from the city, this time from ...
[Video] Rare Newsreels From 1930 Show Harsh Realities of Life in Colonial Saigon
In an extremely rare collection of disjointed clips, Saigon in 1930 appears like the setting of a haunting fever dream.
[Photos] The Small-Town Placidity of Hue in 1966
Neat perpendicular lines of trees that make up the Imperial Palace grounds, the meandering Perfume River hugging central Hue, clusters of red-roofed houses like tiny Lego pieces scattered across a bed...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
From Botany Institute to Amusement Park: The Evolution of Thao Cam Vien Sai Gon
Local parks such as the Jardin d’Espagne and Jardin de la Ville, now Tao Dan Park, were a focal point of Saigon’s early urban development. But no green space carried such significance as the Jardin Bo...
[Photos] 16 Rare Images of 1900s Vietnam as Part of French Indochina
In a mishmash of sketches and grainy photographs, Vietnam’s landscapes in the 1900s feels almost surreal.
[Photos] Old Da Lat's Majestic Charm, Captured in a Series of Timeworn Postcards
In these postcards of early twentieth-century Da Lat, we see a town that’s a far cry from its modern, tourist-packed self: colonial houses line its hills, and barely a soul walks down the narrow footp...
[Photos] 13 Black-and-White Shots of Saigon in 1962
Badass girl power, young love and vintage cars: the streets of Saigon in 1962 seemed much cooler than they are today, when pavements weren't riddled with debris and construction sites.
[Photos] The Ceremonial Tradition of a 1920s Hanoi Funeral
In Vietnam, there is a powerful sense of importance carried within the belief of life after death. This can be seen in the way family members create shrines and pray for those who have passed away, in...
[Photos] 17 Photos of 2002 Saigon as Seen From Above
2002 might not seem like a long time ago, but Saigon’s urbanscapes have grown so much in the last ten years that these scenes offer some surprising insights into our city 17 years in the past.
[Photos] Out and About on Nguyen Hue Boulevard in the Late 1960s
Horse-drawn carriages, flower shops with white-tiled basins and a multitude of parked bikes: these were what used to occupy the length of Nguyen Hue Boulevard in the 1960s before it became the walking...
[Photos] 10 Remarkable Black-and-White Shots of Saigon in 1967
Lush bunches of fresh bananas at a market, a street-side merchant selling embroidered artworks to tourists, and Buddhist worshipers praying at a local temple — these Saigon scenes are rather mundane b...
[Photos] From Bach Dang to An Dong: 25 Photos of 1965 Saigon
A stroll along Ham Nghi, basking in the breeze of the Bach Dang Wharf and unwinding at the Saigon Zoo: George P. Morgan, Jr. followed the typical tourist trail in the city for a day during his time in...
[Photos] A Road Trip Across Vietnam's Barren Landscapes in the 1970s
In 1971, average annual income across Vietnam was less than US$100.
[Photos] Walk Into Saigon's Rarely Seen Neighborhoods in 1966-1967
Did you know that Hung Vuong Street used to run alongside a railway connecting Saigon with My Tho?
[Photos] Vung Tau in 1970: Bars, Beaches and a Bustling Bazaar
Opposite of Saigon’s metropolitan vibes, Vung Tau in 1970 was a quiet town fit for tourism activities, as shown through these film snapshots by Australian serviceman Barry Connors.
[Photos] Striking Color Images Portray Daily Life in Hanoi 100 Years Ago
Old black-and-white photos of Hanoi sometimes feel like relics of a long-lost past. Monochrome photography often forces the viewer to use their imagination and fill in the blanks, yet these candi...
[Photos] A Stroll on the Quaint Streets of 1920s Chau Doc
Today, Chau Doc is a busy secondary city just a stone’s throw from the Vietnam-Cambodia border. Formed at the intersection between two major rivers, the town has always been a dynamic trading hub conn...
