in Hanoi

The Rickety Last Days of Hanoi's Tramway System in the 1990s

Vietnam residents are rightfully celebrating recent advances in public transit.

in Vietnam

How the National Lottery Reflects Vietnam's Socio-Economic Realities Through Time

For nearly a century, lottery tickets and their strings of lucky numbers have occupied a special role in Vietnamese society: both as a lifeline for dreams of better fortune and as a mirror reflecting the socio-economic realities of the times.

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.

in Saigon

The Forgotten History Behind Saigon's CEE Colonial Substations

Woven into the fabric of modern-day streets, the aging electrical substations of Saigon stand as quiet witnesses to a historical era shaped by the complex legacy of French colonialism.

in Hanoi

Hanoi's Soviet-Style Khu Gia Binh and Life Amid Vietnam's Growing Pains

Hanoi is often known in Vietnam as the land of a millennium-old civilization, a living archive of past Vietnam life. Each tiny alley within the capital can evoke a strong sense of nostalgia in visitors, as those locations encapsulate both wartime memories and charming quotidien moments. There’s one special place in Hanoi that has contributed to the city’s languid pace of life amid the nation’s rapid developments — khu gia binh.

in Vietnam

A Flight Over Đà Lạt in 1968–1971 Before the Tourism Boom

If you’ve taken a trip to Lâm Đồng within the last few years, these scenes seem like a distant dream of a sparsely populated and verdant Đà Lạt that’s engulfed by nature.

in Saigon

The City That Never Sits Still: Traffic in 1994 Saigon via Photos by Ed Kashi

In Saigon on Wheels, American photojournalist Ed Kashi managed to capture the pulse of a simpler Saigon.

in Saigon

With Unchecked Destruction, Saigon's Heritage Shophouse Architecture Is in Danger

The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.

Back Heritage

in Saigon

[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...

in Saigon

[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...

in Vietnam

[Photos] A Road Trip Across Vietnam's Barren Landscapes in the 1970s

In 1971, average annual income across Vietnam was less than US$100. 

in Saigon

[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?

in Vietnam

[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.

in Hanoi

[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...

in Vietnam

[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...

in Saigon

[Photos] Take a Trip Back In Time To Ong Lanh Bridge

Believed to be built in the 19th century, Ong Lanh bridge is a name that, upon its mention, often conjures up tales and myths of Vietnamese gangsters and criminals.

in Vietnam

[Photos] 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.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Visual Tour of Late 1960s Saigon by Brian Wickham

It seems that every day, we get to uncover yet another old photo collection of Saigon from the 1960s.

in Hanoi

The Hanoian Family Tracing 700 Years of Ancestral History

There’s a certain air of intrigue one feels upon entering one of Hanoi’s many labyrinthine alleyways. Anything could be around the corner: a raucous market, a hair salon or a nhà nghỉ. These areas pro...

in Hanoi

[Photos] An Idiosyncratic Car Parade in 1920s Hanoi

Street festivals have come a long way since the endearing car parades of early 1900s Indochina. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] 30 Black-and-White Photos of 1947 Vietnam's Landscapes by Michel Huet

If you enjoyed our previous article on French photographer Michel Huet’s portraits of Vietnam series, then the second batch of his work from 1947 Vietnam will pique your interest as well.

in Vietnam

[Photos] An Exploration Into Vietnam's History Through Black-and-White Portraiture

From inside aristocratic mansions to the austere fields of rural Vietnam, black-and-white portraiture has never looked so filled with life and stories.

in Vietnam

[Photos] In 1995 Vietnam, a Paradise for Honda Cubs and Xích Lô

How heartening — or rather, disheartening — to discover that flooding isn’t a problem that is unique to 2010s Saigon.

in Vietnam

A Rare Look Inside the Hue Imperial Court in 1895 in Watercolor

'La cour de Hue' (The court of Hue) is a series of painting done by Nguyen Van Nhan in 1895, during the reign of Thanh Thai, emperor of the Nguyen Dynasty at the time.

in Vietnam

[Photos] 18 Rare Photos of Northern and Central Vietnam in the Late 19th Century

During the 19th century, postcards were one of the most popular forms of media that connected Vietnam with the rest of the world.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Street Cred: The Sins and Saving Grace of Dr. Albert Calmette

If you help save hundreds of thousands of lives via medical breakthroughs and establish one of the country’s first and most advanced research institutes, but also assist in the colonial regime’s bruta...

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Children of Southern Vietnam in 1967

To see old photos of children is profound because we know, in a way they couldn't when the photos were taken, how their lives have been shaped since. 

in Saigon

[Photos] 27 Snapshots of Saigon in 1970 by Carl Nielsen

Almost five decades ago, Saigon didn’t have much in terms of high-rise buildings; however, judging by the amount of people hanging about in public spaces, street life was as much a big part of metropo...