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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Rare Black-and-White Album Depicts a Historic Flooding in 1952 Hanoi
The extreme weather patterns in recent years might make you worry that Vietnam’s drainage network is buckling under the pressure of rapid urbanization, but looking at these rare photos taken of a flood in Hanoi over half a century ago provides strange comfort that our soggy reality today might not be all that bizarre.
Back in Time to the 1990s, When Vintage Renault Goélette Roamed Vietnam
A sturdy, stately vehicle roamed Vietnam's city streets and rural roads not too long ago.
How Hanoi's Infectious Rats and Impish Locals Bamboozled the French in 1902
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 colonial rulers, the answer to this question was never in doubt, yet the consequences led to one of most humiliating periods of their rule.
[Photos] The Children of 1967 Vietnam
Some of these kids could be our moms and dads.
Street Cred: Duy Tan, The 8-Year-Old Emperor
When the French first enthroned Duy Tan, the youngest emperor of the Nguyen dynasty, their expectation was that a boy, at the ripe age of eight, would not take much interest in imperial rule.
[Photos] Life in 1973 Saigon - Part 2
Life in Saigon in the early 1970s wasn’t easy, but that didn’t stop the city’s residents from adopting a positive outlook and happy-go-lucky approach to living.
[Photos] Life in 1973 Saigon - Part 1
You will never be as cool as the ladies of Saigon in 1973.
[Photos] The Serene, Laid-Back Vibe of Hanoi in the Mid-1990s
Hanoi in the mid-1990s was a city of rich traditions and a laid-back lifestyle.
A 100-Year-Old French Villa Was Recently Bulldozed in Hue
You might want to sit down for this: a 100-year-old building in Hue has been bulldozed due to poor maintenance.
[Photos] The Sleepy, Small Town Vibes of Central Vietnam in the Early 1960s
Before it became the modern metropolis it is today, Da Nang used to be a sleepy fishing village.
[Photos] 1972 Saigon, a City of Style
Based on this collection of black-and-white snapshots, there’s no doubt that Saigon was – and still is – a city of style.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Street Cred: Thich Quang Duc, the Monk Who Set Himself on Fire
Despite his peaceful nature, Vietnamese Buddhist monk Thich Quang Duc is known today as “the monk who set himself on fire”, serving as a symbol of protest against religious discrimination. In today’s ...
Nick Ut, Pulitzer Prize-Winning Photojournalist, Retires This Month
After 51 years as a photojournalist, Nick Ut is retiring this month.
[Photos] 1970s Vietnam: Lambrettas, Spartan Fields and Renaults Galore
In the 1970s, urban Vietnam was a Lambretta paradise.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Street Cred: Alexandre de Rhodes and the Birth of Chữ Quốc Ngữ
Among Saigon's many streets, there are only four roads named after foreigners: Yersin, Pasteur, Calmette and Alexandre de Rhodes.
[Photos] A 1973 Trip to the Market
There are few experiences quite like wandering through a Saigon market.
[Photos] The Calm Austerity of Vung Tau in the Late 1960s
Whether it's 2017 or the late 1960s, Vung Tau is a sleepy coastal town that exudes charm.
[Photos] Stroll Through 1966 Downtown Saigon
Saigon has come a long way in the last half-century. And yet, even as the city is transformed by major infrastructure projects and commercial developments, there are a few things that remain the same,...
Japanese Emperor, Empress to Meet With Vietnamese Families of WWII Japanese Soldiers
Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will visit Vietnam this week, meeting with the Vietnamese wives and children of Japanese soldiers stationed in the country during World War II.
The End of Ton That Dam's Chợ Cũ
As Saigon quickly transforms into a modern metropolis, some of the city’s beloved old relics are fading away with the pressures of development.
The Ongoing Evolution of Quach Thi Trang Square
Over the weekend, Saigon’s iconic Quach Thi Trang Square disappeared behind a wall of blue fencing in preparation for further metro construction.
[Video] A Tour of Saigon in the 1900s
Saigon has always been a source of inspiration for shutterbugs and artists to craft some of their most captivating work. However, while it’s easy to come across photographs of the city's past, video c...
[Photos] 1960s Saigon: Fruit Vendors, Honda Cubs and Bò Bía Galore
It's as true today as it was in the 1960s: to experience Saigon life, head to the streets.
