Linh Phạm in Hanoi
Street Cred: Pháo Đài Láng, Home of Ông Voi and Where the War Began
More often than not, a country’s independence is won with guns. The location where the first shots were fired for Vietnam is memorialized to this day.
Buôn Ma Thuột's Thriving Elephant Culture in 1957
In the not-too-distant past, elephants were an important part of highland lifestyles, including use in cultural activities, agriculture.
A Collection of Scenes in 1964 Saigon, Bến Tre, Biên Hòa on Film
In 1964, Saigon’s Phù Đổng Roundabout didn’t feature the towering bronze statue of folk hero Thánh Gióng. Instead of the congestion hot spot the intersection is known as today, it was actually spacious and airy, with nary a shop or bubble tea parlor in sight.
Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels
In our previous article on Vietnam’s southern citadels , we covered a mix of ancient structures and those constructe...
Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam
Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.
10 Rare Illustrations Offer Glimpses Into Life in Tonkin in 1923
What’s your typical Sunday routine? If your answer includes grabbing some noodles on the street, getting your earwax removed and mustache shaved, and maybe smoking some opium to take the edge off, congratulations, you might be living in 1923 Tonkin.
Tim Doling in Vietnam
Revisit 1990s Saigon in 'L’Amant,' the Film Adaptation of Marguerite Duras' Famous Novel
When filming the movie adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ 1984 autobiographical novel The Lover, French director Jean-Jacques Annaud made extensive use of Saigon locations. Here’s a run-down of the local landmarks to watch out for when you view the movie.
Vibrant Watercolor Paintings Take Us Back to Northern Vietnam in 1890
Way before colored photography appeared, generations of our ancestors had to rely on the finesse of painters to create visuals records of their everyday routines. This collection of watercolor paintings from the 1890s is a particularly vivid example of that, depicting lively scenes of Vietnam two centuries ago that are full of humor and personality.
[Photos] The Many Faces of 1950s Vietnam
In this collection of black-and-white snapshots, a famed French photographer finds beauty in tumultuous 1950s Vietnam.
[Photos] A Guide to Traveling 1910 French Indochina
In the days before every backpacker wandered the streets of Saigon with a guidebook in hand, one turn-of-the-century French travel firm advertised Indochina as an adventure destination for European tr...
[Photos] How Saigoneers Enjoyed Christmas in the 60s and 70s
With Christmas just around the corner, Saigoneer takes a look at how past city dwellers enjoyed the holiday season.
[Photos] Early 1980s Hanoi on the Brink of Doi Moi
The early 1980s were a complicated time for Vietnam. Still reeling from the end of a war within the country – not to mention border conflicts with Cambodia and China in the later 1970s – Vietnam was j...
[Photos] On the 1990s Tourist Trail in Hanoi
Packed with traffic, skyscrapers and a growing number of four-wheeled vehicles, today's Hanoi is a world apart from its 1990s incarnation.
Notre Dame Cathedral to Undergo Major Roof Renovation
With the recent approval of the municipal government, Saigon’s Notre Dame Cathedral will begin a major roof renovation project as early as next year.
[Photos] Saigon's 1955 Cityscapes From Above
Even without photographic evidence, it’s a safe bet that 1955 Saigon was a world apart from the frantic energy of today’s mammoth metropolis.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: The Tragic Demise of Vietnam's Most Loyal Family
Through several eras of colonization and numerous wars against foreign powers, history has shaped Vietnamese culture in a huge way. In today’s Saigon, much of this rich history is retained in an ...
[Photos] Funky History: The Traditional Packaging of Nước Mắm
Fish sauce is a touchy subject these days, to say the least. From traditional factories to mass-market producers, makers of the prized Vietnamese elixir have strived to convince the public of their pr...
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Throwback to Saigon's Original Tramway Network
As ever-increasing levels of traffic congestion and air pollution turn many of Ho Chi Minh City’s road junctions into choking bottlenecks, many hopes are pinned on plans to construct a new urban railw...
The Legacy of Hui Bon Hoa
It’s fairly common knowledge that the city’s Fine Arts Museum was once home to old Saigon’s wealthiest family, however few people know that much of the sprawling Hui Bon Hoa complex was not actually b...
In 1910, Indochina’s First Flight Departed From Saigon
Over a century ago, on December 10, 1910, the first-ever flight in Indochina took off from Saigon’s Champs de Courses, the site of which now serves as the Ho Chi Minh City headquarters of the Peo...
[Video] Saigon's Oldest Known Footage Captures Snippets of Life in 1899-1900
On December 28, 1895, Auguste and Louis Lumiere debuted the world’s very first motion picture at a cafe in Paris.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: Chu Van An, Vietnam's Educator Extraordinaire
To celebrate Vietnamese Teacher’s Day 2016, this week’s Street Cred brings you the story of one of Vietnam's most beloved educators, Chu Van An.
[Photos] Vintage Postcards Capture the Grand Landmarks of Old Saigon
Today, Saigon’s landmarks are the subject of many an Instagram snapshot – everyone, it seems, has photographed the Notre Dame Cathedral at least once – but in the days before smartphones, Saigon’s gra...
[Video] Roam the Streets of 1984 Saigon
Life in 1984 Saigon was harder than it is now, but the lifestyle of the southern hub's residents remains largely unchanged, from our undying love of street food to the eclectic mix of personalities th...
[Photos] Mac Thi Buoi's Black-and-White Past
Through the ages, District 1’s Mac Thi Buoi Street has gone by many different names. However, if this collection of photos is any indication, one thing about the street hasn’t changed: the bustling la...
Street Cred: Ut Tich, Vietnam's 'Mother With a Gun'
A woman with an indomitable spirit for combatting oppression, Ut Tich’s tenacity lives on in the minds of Vietnamese as “the mother with a gun”.
Dana Filek-Gibson in Heritage
Lost and Found: A Trip to Saigon’s Antique Market
The second he sees me, rolling down the crumbling concrete path on a dented bicycle, Chien perks up and heads in my direction.
A Brief History of Saigon's Independence Palace
Fifty years ago today, South Vietnam’s then-president Nguyen Van Thieu inaugurated the city’s Independence Palace on October 31, 1966.
