in Vietnam

French Illustrated Encyclopedia Paints the Slices of Vietnam Life in the 1900s

"To effectively govern colonial peoples, the foremost requirement is a thorough understanding of the very people one rules over," so believed Paul Doumer, the second Governor-General of French Indochina, who spent his career imposing the imperial French government's agenda on studying the culture of their colonized subjects.

in Saigon

Portrait of a Jubilant Saigon on the Precipice of Tết in 1992

Tết in 1992 was an especially fortuitous time to be a foreign arrival to Saigon. 

in Vietnam

In 1992 Vietnam, the Streets Were Brimming With Love and Life

How has your life been transformed in the past 30 years? Changes might materialize overnight, but some tend to creep up on you at a glacial pace. Through this collection of images from 1992, mull over how Vietnam as a country has grown with every 12-month cycle.

in Vietnam

Vintage French Book Illustrations Depict a Quaint Indochina in 1903

In this rare collection of images from 1903 Indochina, life in the peninsula appears as if in a dream, with rows of colonial-style houses in between heritage trees and natural landscapes that weren’t interrupted by concrete.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Did You Know That There's a Mummy on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Boulevard?

Why is there a mummy on display in Saigon?

Brian Letwin

in Heritage

Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils

Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.

in Saigon

Relive Your Memories of Saigon Water Park via These Photos by One of Its Makers

Although water parks involve a combination of two of the most tedious human experiences, standing in lines and prolonged direct sun exposure, the now-demolished Saigon Water Park was an icon of 2000s Saigon that remains a crucial cornerstone of many city dwellers' memories.

in Vietnam

The Vintage Charm of 1995 Vietnam on Kodachrome Film Slides

While editing a retrospective of my recent work from Vietnam in the summer of 2019, I discovered 50 yellow boxes of Kodachrome slides in my basement that were shot in 1995. The images were from my first trip to Vietnam.

Back Heritage

in Saigon

[Photos] The Streets of Cho Lon, as Seen Through Old Postcards

From downtown Saigon, take Tran Hung Dao Boulevard, drive past rows of towering dipterocarp trees, and one will arrive in the colorful quarters of Cho Lon.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Two Sides of 1920s Hai Phong: Fancy Hotels and Seaside Shanties

Established in the late 19th century, Hai Phong is one of Vietnam's five municipalities and the second-largest city in northern Vietnam, after Hanoi.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Small-Town Vibes of Quy Nhon Half a Century Ago

The central coast city has been charming guests for decades with its awe-shucks charisma.

in Vietnam

New Proposals Suggest Repairing or Replacing Nam Dinh Cathedral With Replica

Back in May, a renovation plan to replace Bui Chu Cathedral in Nam Dinh Province with a newly-built replica angered the public.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Street Life in 1965 by Bruce Baumler – Part 2

Continuing the visual spectacle of Saigon from part 1 of the collection, here are more candid shots of the city’s street life in 1965.

in Asia

[Photos] The People of 1880s Indochina Captured in a Series of Striking Portraits

When French photographers Hippolyte Arnoux and Émile Gssel traveled to Indochina in 1880, they documented not only its landscapes, but also its people.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Street Life in 1965 by Bruce Baumler – Part 1

Identifying streets and neighborhoods of Saigon based on old pictures might seem like a skill exclusively reserved for those who have lived through the eras, but at times it’s like a fascinating game ...

in Asia

[Photos] An Eerie Tokyo in the 1970s by Canadian Photographer Greg Girard

Born in 1955, Greg Girard is well-known for his photography work in some of Asia's largest cities.

in Saigon

Saigon's Built Heritage Is Under Threat. How Do We Protect What's Left?

In an exclusive excerpt from his latest book, Exploring Saigon-Chợ Lớn: Vanishing Heritage of Hồ Chí Minh City, historian Tim Doling discusses the city's threatened heritage architecture and what the ...

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Hustle and Bustle of Maritime Life in 1995 Quang Ninh

Just around 150 kilometers east of Hanoi, Quang Ninh Province is home to the world-famous heritage site Ha Long Bay and Vietnam’s largest coal reserves.

in Hanoi

[Photos] Saunter Across Hanoi's Old Quarter Streets in 1896

Being alive today means seeing such an abundance of photos that they can become meaningless, yet these shots of Hanoi’s Old Quarter invoke a feeling that’s hard to define.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Mekong Delta on the Brink of a New Decade

Taken by Stewart Jackson, a member of the US Army in 1970, and archived in the gallery of the 6/31st Infantry in Vietnam, these photos depict life in Duong Diem Town, Chau Thanh, Tien Giang Province.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Visual Anthology of Life and Fashion of 1970 Saigoneers

One of Saigon's most compelling attractions has always been the people, and this collection of photos taken from the 1970s shows us just why Saigoneers are a fascinating breed.

in Hanoi

[Photos] On Hanoi’s Streets in 1979: Trams, Bicycles, Buffaloes and Peace

Postwar-era Vietnam was a time of moving forward, regeneration and establishing a new normalcy.

in Saigon

[Photos] Hiding From the Heat at Cong Hoa Swimming Pool in 1965

Saigon’s most famous swimming pool is perhaps that of the Cercle Sportif Saigonnais, a huge sporting facility on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai that was built in the 1900s for the city’s rich to frolic in every...

in Hanoi

Author Michael Vann on Hanoi's Infamous Colonial Rat Hunt

When facing a bubonic plague epidemic, is it wiser to delve into sewers and cull infected rats yourself or offer payment to Vietnamese for deliveries of severed tails instead? For Hanoi’s French colon...

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Life Semi-Aquatic With 1968 Can Tho

When it comes to old photos of Vietnam, Saigon - as one of the country’s leading tourist destinations in the 1960s - always dominates in terms of volume and variety. That makes this set of photos of C...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Take a Ride on Da Lat's Lost Railway

In the early 20th century, although Da Lat was little more than a fledgling hill station, a Swiss-built railway connected the town to the coast. With Thap Cham as its final destination, this 84-kilome...

in Vietnam

Plan to Rebuild 134-Year-Old Nam Dinh Cathedral Sparks Public Outcry

One of the oldest, most impressive cathedrals in Nam Dinh Province is about to be rebuilt due to disrepair.

in Vietnam

[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...