Last Surviving Imperial Maid of Nguyen Dynasty Passes Away at 102
An important historical figure of the Nguyen Dynasty has left us this week.
[Photos] Getting Lost in Traffic on Late 1960s Chau Van Liem Boulevard
Old photos of Vietnam and cheese: two things you can never too much of.
Cột Cờ Thủ Ngữ: Overlooked Saigon Landmark Gets a Makeover
Flanked by a busy road and overshadowed by an unfinished skyscraper , you'd be forgiven if you rarely noticed the Signal M...
[Photos] Black-and-White Shots Depict Quotidian Details of 19th-Century Vietnam
These black-and-white shots are among the highest-quality documentation attempts of Vietnam at the end of the 19th century.
[Photos] An Idyllic Slice of 1957 Cambodian Life
Vietnam isn't the only country in the region to change dramatically over the last several decades.
[Photos] The Small-Town Charm of Vung Tau in the 1960s
From remembering fond memories with loved ones to selling products and even gaining clues to a grisly crime, photos have many uses.
[Photos] Views of 1993 Vietnam From Behind the Lens of a Past War Orphan
I have been carrying this film around for over a quarter-century from Hanoi to Saigon to Boston and to New York.
[Photos] A Collection of Illusory Saigon Nightscapes From 1938
A rare glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset.
Icons of Old Saigon: The Gambetta Monument
This week, we trace the saga of colonial Saigon’s monuments to French republican statesman Léon Gambetta (April 2, 1838 – December 31, 1882), whose statue was commissioned twice by mistake and th...
[Photos] Take a Trip Back in Time to 1969 Can Tho
For decades, Can Tho has been the capital of the Mekong Delta, drawing people from across southwestern Vietnam to its sleepy, riverside town. But while the city is developing a more modern edge these ...
What Phu Quoc Was Like in 1907
A translation of Pierre Rev’s description of Phú Quốc island from his 1907 book, Dans le Golfe de Siam.
[Video] This Is What Saigon Looked Like in 1945
There's something wholly captivating about old footage of Saigon. In a city that seems to transform in the blink of an eye, it's rare to find evidence of the southern hub from long ago.
Date With The Wrecking Ball: The Customs Directorate Building
The Customs Directorate, one of the city’s best-loved colonial landmarks, is the latest in a series of government buildings to face the threat of redevelopment.
[Photos] One Photographer's Journey Through 1990 Vietnam
Life moves pretty fast in Vietnam. What's here today may be gone tomorrow and, two years from now, replaced with a skyscraper or a hotel or a high-end shopping complex. Everywhere you turn, it seems, ...
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Thái Văn Lung Street
One of the city's oldest thoroughfares, the street we know today as Thái Văn Lung bore the name Pasteur Street for over half a century.
[Photos] Here's What Hanoi Looked Like In 1905
During the French colonial period, Tonkin, or Đàng Ngoài, was the name given to northern Vietnam. Situated in and around the Red River Delta, the word 'Tonkin' is a corruption of Đông Kinh, the name o...
17 Photos That Capture the Lives of Indochina's Ethnic Minorities in 1944
While the vast majority of Vietnamese hail from one ethnic group – the Kinh – the country is home to 54 different ethnicities, each with their own culture, traditions, language and style of dress.
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Trần Hưng Đạo Boulevard
One of Saigon’s youngest major boulevards, Trần Hưng Đạo was built in 1911-1913 over former swamp land to provide a more direct route between the cities of Saigon and Chợ Lớn.
[Photos] Old Photos Of Dalat’s Lost Railway
In the early 20th century, when Dalat was still a nascent town, the Swiss-built LangBian cog railway was its connection the coast. Joining the Central Highlands town with Ninh Thuan province's Thap Ch...
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Hai Bà Trưng Street
One of Saigon’s longest and busiest streets, Hai Bà Trưng is a thoroughfare of great antiquity which dates back more than 200 years.
20 Photos Of 1960s Phu Nhuan
Everyone in Saigon knows the drill: what's a shoe store today might be a phở stall tomorrow. Hairdressers become restaurateurs, office buildings turn into hotels and your favourite bánh mì cart could ...
Icons Of Old Saigon: The Maison Centrale de Saigon
One of the most hated government buildings in colonial Saigon, the Maison Centrale de Saigon (Khám Lớn Sài Gòn), or Saigon Central Prison, was a truly grim institution where thousands of unfortunates ...
30 Old Pictures Of Thu Duc District: Former Weekend Getaway
Thu Duc isn't exactly a place you'd consider going on holiday. Today, the suburban district is home to industrial centers, dusty roads, busy residential neighborhoods and rumbling transport trucks, un...
Vintage Photos Capture Hanoi On The Brink Of A New Era
In 1986, Hanoi – much like the rest of Vietnam – was at the start of a new era. Thanks to the government's Doi Moi economic reforms, the country had moved from a centrally planned command economy...
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Pasteur Street
Known for most of the colonial period as Rue Pellerin, Pasteur Street has grown from ancient inner-city waterway to one of the city’s most desirable streets.
[Photos] 20 Photos Of Southern Vietnam In 1974
These images offer a rare glimpse of Saigon and southern Vietnam in the months before the region was “liberated” by the North Vietnamese Army.
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 86 Võ Văn Tần
The ornate mansion on the corner of the Bà Huyện Thanh Quan and Võ Văn Tần junction was once the private residence of celebrated photographer Fernand Nadal, whose old sepia postcard images of the city...
[Photos] This Is What Life In Saigon Looked Like In The Late 60s
While many of the old photos we post show sharp contrasts between past and present, those in this set depict scenes that could be found on Saigon’s streets today, with a few glaring exceptions.