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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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...

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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.

Back Heritage

in Heritage

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: The Diem Coup (1963)

In September 1963, reporters and journalists began to hear rumblings about a coup that would ultimately topple the increasingly unpopular Ngo Dinh Diem regime.

in Vietnam

[Photos] 1971 Vung Tau Through the Lens of an Australian Serviceman

Today, Vung Tau is well-known throughout southern Vietnam as a quaint coastal town that offers tourists from nearby provinces an affordable, convenient location for a short trip that’s just enough to ...

Tim Doling

in Vietnam

80 Years of Vietnam’s North-South Railway Line

September 2, 2016 is an auspicious day in the history of Vietnam's railways, marking the 80th anniversary of the completion of the “Transindochinois” or North-South railway line.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Saigon

Street Cred: Hai Thuong Lan Ong, the Father of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Hai Thuong Lan Ong is one of the most influential figures in the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine.

in Heritage

[Photos] Take a Tour of 1990 Saigon

Coming across photo collections of old Saigon is always fascinating. The city seems to take on a new life in each era, but still somehow manages to retain its distinctive core characteristics: a vibra...

Tim Doling

in Vietnam

How a French Adventurer Became King of the Central Highlands

Many will have heard of Englishman James Brooke, the so-called “White Rajah” who in the 1840s established the Kingdom of Sarawak, or indeed of French lawyer Orélie-Antoine de Tounens, who in 1860 foun...

in Vietnam

Historic Nam Dinh Textile Factory, Once Indochina’s Oldest, Meets the Wrecking Ball

One of the largest remnants of France’s colonial legacy in Vietnam will soon meet its end.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon’s 81-Year-Old Downtown Mosque, 1958-1979

As high-rises go up and Saigon’s historical buildings come down, more than a few of District 1’s landmarks have disappeared. The Jamia Al-Musulman Mosque, however, remains in the heart of the city, ru...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: Ho Xuan Huong, a Woman Ahead of Her Time

Despite being one of Vietnam’s most prominent classical poets, Ho Xuan Huong’s existence remains an enigma to this day.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Ben Thanh Market

The southern hub has seen its fair share of transformations over the years. From French colonialism to the swinging 60s, the early days of Đổi Mới to 21st-century Vietnam, Saigon’s urban lan...

in Saigon

[Photos] A Day at the Saigon Zoo: 1967

For generations of Saigoneers, a visit to the city’s Zoological and Botanical Garden is an important milestone of their childhood. However, in the following collection of photos, we get a glimpse of t...

in Heritage

[Photos] The Transformation of Le Lai Street, 1950-1975

The best way to measure Saigon’s 20th-century evolution is by honing in on the changes of a single street.

Dana Filek-Gibson

in Vietnam

Street Cred: Princess Huyen Tran's Historic Hanky Panky

Arguably Vietnam’s most famous princess, Huyen Tran was born in 1287 to King Tran Nhan Tong and Queen Thien Cam, rulers of the Dai Viet kingdom. Throughout her childhood, Huyen Tran was your standard,...

in Asia

[Video] Take a Tour of 1930s Angkor Wat

During the 1970s, Cambodia suffered greatly at the hands of Pol Pot, whose Khmer Rouge erased not only the lives of as many as two million people but also scores of the country’s cultural and historic...

in Saigon

After Demolition Begins, City Officials Order Renovation of Century-Old Villa

After its owner caught the public's attention by demolishing portions of the building, one of Saigon’s few remaining century-old villas might finally get the renovation it deserves.

in Heritage

[Photos] Life on the River in Early 1900s Saigon

For centuries, life in southern Vietnam has revolved around water.

in Vietnam

The Story Behind Saigon's Hanoi Highway

Today’s Hanoi Highway, formerly known as the Bien Hoa Highway, was a modern road when it was built during the peak of war in the 1960s. Stretching 30 kilometers, the sweeping highway connects Saigon w...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: The Badass Tale of Co Giang

If there’s one thing you need to know about Vietnamese women in history, it’s that they were badasses. From waging wars to avenge their husbands to throwing a grenade at enemy lines, countless Vi...

in Saigon

[Photos] Inside a 1949 Saigon Opium Detox Clinic

In 1949, LIFE ran a photo essay depicting life in Saigon. The images featured candid, picturesque snapshots of life during the city's bygone cosmopolitan era. But among the lively slice-of-life p...

in Saigon

[Video] Meet Saigon's 'Man of Love Letters'

In the latest installment of Sai Gon Vi Vu’s documentary series Saigon’s Gentlemen, we follow the life story of Duong Van Ngo, the last remaining public letter-writer at Saigon's Central Post Office.