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.
An Early View of a Barely Developed Saigon in the 1860s
Dropping a modern Saigoneer into the 1860s version of the city would be a wildly disorienting experience.
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.
From D4's Village Past to Now, History Keeps Wanting to Widen Nguyễn Tất Thành Street
A century before today's bulldozers, colonial planners were already wrestling with the same congested waterfront corridor — and the same promises of transformation.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Vietnam Sound Library Races to Capture Saigon's Sounds Before They Disappear
Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! The vendor’s cleaver struck the heavy wooden chopping board again and again after slicing through duck meat. Centimeters away, a microphone hovered, capturing each strike.
Vua Versus Volcano: How the 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa Upset the Nguyễn Dynasty
On September 9, 1883, ominous smoke hung over Huế. The sun was blue-green, and throughout the day, people on the streets had no shadows. As their legitimacy relied on maintaining the Mandate of Heaven, the Nguyễn royal court was alarmed. Three high-ranking mandarins rushed to advise the Emperor to change his ways to regain Heaven’s favor. While this strange incident can be easily dismissed as another case of outdated superstitions, a closer look reveals it as a rare conjunction of astrology, power, and — given the source of the smoke — volcanism, all set against the backdrop of France’s rapid incursion into Vietnam.
1992 Vietnam Through the Lens of French Photographer Raymond Depardon
After his Saigon trip in 1972 , famed French photographer Raymond Depardon returned in 1992 to traverse the length of Viet...
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.
[Photos] Japan's Eerie 'War Tubas'
In the early 1900s, Japan’s military adopted acoustic location, using iconic “war tubas” in order to locate aircrafts and submarines.
[Photos] The Rustic Charm of 1990s Vietnam
We could wax lyrical all day about the changes Vietnam has seen since the 1990s. In the past two decades, the country's buildings have gotten taller, its tourist destinations more crowded, its urban s...
[Photos] The Black-and-White Magic of Saigon in the Early 60s
Saigon is developing at such a dizzying rate that it’s hard to picture a time when the southern hub’s streets weren’t jam-packed with vehicles. Therefore, what this collection of black-and-white photo...
Street Cred: Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Gia Dinh's Downtrodden Poet
Many Vietnamese recognize Nguyen Dinh Chieu as one of the country’s greatest poets whose nationalist and anti-colonist works depicted the dream of a society of integrity and benevolence.
[Video] Meet Saigon's Man of Poetic Photography
In the latest episode of Sai Gon Vi Vu’s documentary series Saigon’s Gentlemen, viewers are given a glimpse into the life of Tao Dan Park’s resident photographer.
South Koreans Apologize for Country's Role in American War
Last week, the Korean-Vietnamese Peace Foundation sent a statue known as Vietnam Pieta – The Last Lullaby to the Da Nang Museum as an apology for South Korea’s involvement in the American War.&nb...
[Photos] A Final Look at Binh Tay Market Before Its Renovation
Will a major upcoming renovation affect Binh Tay Market’s distinct Chinese-style architecture?
Archaeologists May Have Found Quang Trung’s Elusive Tomb
Nguyen Dac Xuan is having a good week.
[Photos] Check out Indochina's Colorful 19th-Century Bank Notes
If you ever get bored of looking at the same set of images on Vietnam’s current bank notes, this set of old Indochinese bills will provide a glimpse into what the region's denizens used to spend when ...
[Photos] What's Left Inside Saigon's Iconic Tax Center
The Saigon Tax Center, a historic icon of old Saigon, has been reduced to a metal skeleton and heaps of rubble.
Demolition of Saigon Tax Center Officially Starts Today
As you’re reading this, Saigon’s iconic Tax Center is meeting its ultimate demise, making room for a new, 40-story skyscraper.
Ancient Tombs of Saigon: The Mass Grave Under Dan Chu Roundabout
Saigoneers living in the vicinity of District 10’s Dan Chu Square may be aghast to discover that their homes could be sitting on the city’s largest mass burial site.
Khoi Pham in Saigon
Street Cred: Bui Vien, the First Vietnamese in America...or Was He?
In today’s Saigon, Bui Vien Street is commonly known as the city’s backpacker paradise, not to mention one of its many nightlife hotspots. It’s unclear whether urban planners in the southern hub had o...
