Tim Doling in Saigon
From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple
The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese soldiers who died while fighting in World War I.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of the Saigon-Mỹ Tho Line, Indochina’s First Railway
Inaugurated on July 20, 1885, the Saigon–Mỹ Tho line was the first railway line in French Indochina.
Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor
The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.
From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam
How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress.
From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'
In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians.
How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?
In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.
Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White
In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer. I walked the streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.
A Rare Album by Photographer Bruno Barbey Brings Us Back to Tết in 1994 Hanoi
What do you remember most about the 1990s? Do you remember the fashion, the old-timey technology, or the lack of traffic? And if you were just a wee child, do these memories stay with you?
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.
[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...
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.
[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.
[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...
[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...
[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,...
[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...
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.
[Photos] Life on the River in Early 1900s Saigon
For centuries, life in southern Vietnam has revolved around water.
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...
[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...
[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.
[Photos] Then & Now: Images From Old and New Saigon
The southern hub has seen its fair share of transformations over the years. From French colonialism to the swinging 60s, the early days of Doi Moi to 21st-century Vietnam, Saigon’s urban landscape has...
The Legend of Vietnam’s Red Baron
Since the dawn of military aviation, pilots who racked up victory after victory have gone on to become national heroes, or in some cases, national folklore. Such is the case of Colonel Nguyen Tomb who...
One of Saigon’s Oldest Buildings Demolished to Make Way for Hilton Hotel
Another day, another historic Saigon building wiped off the map. This time, we said goodbye to one of the city’s oldest structures, the first Chambre de Commerce de Saïgon.
