Sác-Lô in Hanoi: How a Pre-Industrial Vietnam Captivated Charlie Chaplin in 1936
About 90 years ago, Modern Times was released. Its title carried a warning. The film railed against the new industrial age and the misery it inflicted on workers amid the Great Depression. Yet a film about the dangers of modernity was being told through an almost-silent medium, nearly a decade into the era of sound. Charlie Chaplin, who wrote, directed, produced, and scored the film, in addition to starring in it, was deliberately resisting Hollywood's shift into the future.
The Story of Cà Mên, Vietnam’s Living Fossil From the Wartime and Subsidy Eras
During lunchtime at work, I spot a few aluminum cà mên that my coworkers bring from home to keep their lunch warm. Cà mên was once an indispensable item in my family too, but now it’s rarely used; it's limited to the few occasions when my grandparents or parents pack lunch for the kids.
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.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of Saigon's Art Deco Eye Hospital, Formerly the Clinique Saint-Paul
For those condemned to a long daily commute along that busiest of city arteries, Điện Biên Phủ Street, the clean, elegant lines of the Hồ Chí Minh City Eye Hospital offer a refreshing contrast to the surrounding urban clutter. The compound was formerly known as Clinique Saint-Paul, so many older Saigoneers still refer to it by the name Bệnh viện Xanh-Pôn.
Tuyết Nhi in Saigon
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.
An Early View of a Barely Developed Saigon in the 1860s
Dropping a modern Saigoneer into the 1860s version of the city would be a wildly disorienting experience.
Vietnam's 1969 Street Fashion Story as Told Through Honda Cubs
The very definition of cool was established decades ago in Vietnam, and it was badass women in áo dài dashing on the street in slick sunglasses.
From D4's Village Past to Now, History Keeps Wanting to Widen Nguyễn Tất Thành Street
A century before today's bulldozers, colonial planners were already wrestling with the same congested waterfront corridor — and the same promises of transformation.
[Photos] Cruising Across Vietnam on the North-South Train in 1920
It appears train travel in Vietnam has changed very little in the past 100 years.
[Photos] A Bird's-Eye View of the Capital in the 1930s
Aerial photography has been around since the 19th century. During colonial rule in Vietnam, French photographers took to the air to show sights of Hanoi in ways previously only appreciated by birds.&n...
[Photos] 17 Photos of Quiet Moments in 1963 Saigon by Pete Komada
In piecing together our collective memory of a Saigon past, old photos play an insurmountable role in providing visual evidence that the human mind might miss after decades.
[Video] This Vintage Travelogue Showcases Life in Rural and Urban Taiwan in the 1950s
In today’s Asia, mentions of Taiwan conjure up visions of futuristic technological advancements and major progress in LGBT rights.
[Photos] Monochrome Images Depict Craftmanship Across 1930s Vietnam
In this photo series, the camera's lens focuses on Vietnamese artisans in 1930, zooming on the intricate details of wood carvings and patterns from pagodas across the country, with a generous dose of ...
[Photos] Craftmanship in 1930 Vietnam as Seen in Paris' Specialized Municipal Libraries
In this photo series, the camera's lens focuses on Vietnamese artisans in 1930, zooming on the intricate details of wood carvings and patterns from pagodas across the country, with a generous dose of ...
[Photos] Misty Memories of 1930s Hanoi Show the Capital’s Former Calm
When he was 18 years old, Le Vuong bought his first camera.
[Photos] Hanoi That Once Was Through the Eyes of Le Vuong
When he was 18 years old, Le Vuong bought his first camera. The year was 1936 and one could easily purchase land in Hanoi for the same price as the camera. But Vuong wasn’t interested in real estate;...
[Photos] The Dynamic Life of Vientiane Residents in the 1990s
Even now, media portrayals of Laos are usually associated with a well-constructed image of a nation of quietude, spirituality and natural beauty untouched by rampant development.
[Photos] Monochrome Images Capture the Calmness of the Capital in 1939
The following monochrome images, taken by an unknown French photographer in 1939, capture peaceful moments in corners of the capital, from the city center to outlying villages.
[Photos] Black-and-White Photos Capture the Life and Labor in 1991 Cho Lon
Famous Japanese photographer Doi Kuro once said: "Vietnamese people’s lives are exposed on every street. That’s fascinating." Perhaps that is why photographers visiting Vietnam usually focus on the ci...
[Photos] 18 Shots From the Streets of Nha Trang in the Late 1960s
White-sand beaches stretch beyond the horizon, towering mountains sit silently in the distance: for the most part, the natural landscape of Nha Trang remains relatively unchanged between the late 1960...
[Photos] 18 Photos on the Streets of Nha Trang in the Late 1960s
White-sand beaches stretch beyond the horizon, towering mountains sit silently in the distance: for the most part, the natural landscape of Nha Trang remains relatively unchanged between the late 1960...
[Photos] What Studying Was Like in a 1920s Hanoi Girls' School
Ever wonder what school in Hanoi was like before the advent of smartphones or even simple calculators and other basic electronic devices?
[Photos] On the Street in 1970, From Saigon to Vung Tau
Since Vietnam made helmets compulsory for every trip on motorbikes years ago, it’s hard to imagine a time when this trusty headgear wasn't a part of daily life. Which makes these photos of Saigon, tak...
[Video] See Artisans Creating Traditional Dó Paper in 1930s Hanoi
The following short clip, titled Women of Hanoi, is only really connected to its titular meaning by its captions, which refer to "dusky ladies" and love notes scrawled on dó paper by street-side calli...
[Video] Witness the Profound Difference of Life in Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1931
This remarkable video reveals not only Hanoi's Old Quarter in 1931, but also scenes from temples in Phnom Penh around the same time.
[Video] Travel Back in Time to the Streets of 1980s Hanoi
Old videos of Vietnam are akin to a digital museum. This clip, set against the musical backdrop of Beethoven's 'Moonlight Sonata,' not only brings us memories of folk games, rolling trams, and th...
[Photos] Taiwan's Diverse Society Embodied in Surrealist Street Photography
Chang Chao-Tang has been regarded as one of Taiwan's most influential photographers known for his mastery of surrealism. Chang's primarily black-and-white images reveal the absurdity of everyday life ...
[Photos] A Tourist-Free Hoi An of the 1990s by Photographer Doi Kuro
Witness the casual atmosphere of central Vietnam more than two decades ago.
