A Recuperating Vietnam in 1980, as Documented by Philip Jones Griffiths
Released in 1971, Vietnam Inc. by Philip Jones Griffiths was a career-defining work for the Welsh photographer, whose candid...
By Preserving Tradition, Honoring Creativity and Showcasing Sustainability, Young Vietnamese Chefs Excel at Ngon Challenge by Marriott International
The glossy menus, sleek decor, and iconic logos of international hotel restaurants often obscure the human stories behind each dish. While catering to global guests, these restaurants often serve meals with origins in family kitchens and regional culinary traditions. Young, local chefs balance nostalgic associations with contemporary techniques and creative expression to create these menus. Returning for its second year this past September, Ngon Challenge continued to celebrate and nurture Vietnamese culinary talent across Marriott International’s hotels and resorts in Vietnam.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Lycée Chasseloup-Laubat, the Saigon School That Taught Marguerite Duras, Norodom Sihanouk
Lê Quý Đôn High School (Trường Trung học Phổ thông Lê Quý Đôn) at 110 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai Street is the city’s oldest surviving educational establishment.
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.
[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.
[Photos] Logging, Elephants and Factories in 1920s Nghe An
A little-visited mystery? A province where students study hard so they can leave the area? The birthplace of Ho Chi Minh? What comes to mind when you think of Nghe An Province?
Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Last Transmission From Dai La
In the southern reaches of the Vietnamese capital, a French villa will be demolished in the coming months following a decision by the Hanoi People’s Committee to construct a new ring road. The elegant...
[Photos] Rare Scenes of a Rebuilding Seoul After the Korean War
While Seoul may now call to mind sleek skyscrapers whose neon lights resemble the bioluminescent tentacles of benthic sea creatures, that wasn't always the case. Following the savage civil war that le...
[Photos] The Joy and Hardships of Life in 1963 Binh Phuoc
Binh Phuoc Province, located on the Vietnam-Cambodia border and known as two separate provinces, Phuoc Long and Binh Loc, in the 1960s, was an important site for many battles during the Amer...
[Photos] The Days When Hanoi Had Traditional Paper-Making Villages
Situated near the To Lich River, in the west of Hanoi, Yen Thai was a famous dó paper-making village, which began to develop rapidly in the 12th century once Hanoi became established as the capital o...
[Photos] Vintage Stamps From 1950 Depict Tourist Sites in Indochina
As if prematurely nostalgic for a colony that was rapidly slipping through their fingers, France issued a set of stamps focused on their Southeast Asian territories.
Quoc An Temple, One of Hue's Oldest, Is Dismantled for a New Structure
Citing deterioration of the roof and wooden main structures, Venerable Thich Minh Chon moved forward with a major renovation project on his temple, Quoc An, in Hue.
[Photos] A Celebration of the Hung Kings' Festival Decades Ago
Every year, the Hung Kings' Temple Festival is held to mark the death anniversary of the Hung Kings on the 10th day of the third month on the lunar calendar.
[Photos] A Dao Mau 'Mother Goddess' Ritual in 1920s Nam Dinh
Situated in Nam Dinh City, Phu Giay is considered the largest center of the Dao Mau 'Mother Goddess' religion across all Vietnam. There are more than 20 temples and mausoleums in the area dedicated to...
[Photos] Travel Through Time to Singapore in the 1960s
There used to be a time when the sights and people of Saigon and Singapore didn’t look too dissimilar.
[Photos] Memories of 1966 Saigon in 11 Film Photos
Have you ever wondered why a fascination about old images is encoded in our blood? Tattered family albums, tiny Polaroid shots, a roll of undeveloped film — these have great potential to surprise us w...
[Photos] 1885 Hanoi Revealed Through Sepia Prints, Sketches, Postcards and Maps
All too often these days, we come across monuments of historical significance, pull out our smartphone and take a picture, only for it to waste away in our maze of a camera roll, never to be looked at...
[Photos] 23 Photos of Saigon Street Life in 1969-1970
Free of international-style skyscrapers, Saigon’s urban quarters used to be all red roofs and modernist tube houses in the late 1960s.
[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.
[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.
[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.
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.
[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.
[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.
