in Hanoi

The Rickety Last Days of Hanoi's Tramway System in the 1990s

Vietnam residents are rightfully celebrating recent advances in public transit.

in Vietnam

How the National Lottery Reflects Vietnam's Socio-Economic Realities Through Time

For nearly a century, lottery tickets and their strings of lucky numbers have occupied a special role in Vietnamese society: both as a lifeline for dreams of better fortune and as a mirror reflecting the socio-economic realities of the times.

in Vietnam

The Vintage Charm of 1995 Vietnam on Kodachrome Film Slides

While editing a retrospective of my recent work from Vietnam in the summer of 2019, I discovered 50 yellow boxes of Kodachrome slides in my basement that were shot in 1995. The images were from my first trip to Vietnam.

in Saigon

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.

in Hanoi

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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Saigon

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.

in 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.

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in Asia

[Video] 1960s Phnom Penh: Pearl of Asia

While we spend a great deal of time at Saigoneer posting photos and writing stories about old Saigon, formerly known as the “Pearl of the Orient”, Cambodia’s capital once shared a similar moniker...

in Saigon

The Saigon-My Tho Line: Indochina’s First Railway

Inaugurated on July 20, 1885, the Saigon–Mỹ Tho line was the first railway line in French Indochina.

in Saigon

Marshal Joffre’s 1921 Visit to Saigon

French government photographers have left us a detailed photographic record of Great War hero Marshal Joffre’s December 1921 visit to Saigon.

in Vietnam

1969 My Tho Through the Eyes of an American Serviceman

In 1968, American soldier Lance Nix arrived in Vietnam on his first tour with the US military. While the country was torn apart elsewhere, Nix and his fellow soldiers in the MACV Team 66 stationed in ...

in Heritage

Saigon on the Silver Screen: The Lover, 1992

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...

in Saigon

The Story of Saigon's First Supermarket

Way back in 1967, Saigon opened the doors of its first-ever modern supermarket.

in Saigon

30 Photos of 1980s-1990s Saigon

In full swing just after the country’s 1986 đổi mới economic reform, Saigon's lively, optimistic energy shines through in these images from Japanese photographer Doi Kuro, who visi...

in Vietnam

Hoi An's Great Flood of 1964

Every year, Hoi An's annual floods blanket the riverside streets of the Old Town in a murky, blue-green water, making for plenty of tourist photo opportunities. By this point, local residents are used...

in Heritage

The Story of Saigon’s 'Jardin d’Espagne'

In 1927, after being abandoned for more than 60 years by its Spanish owners, the “Jardin d’Espagne” (today’s Lý Tự Trọng Park) seemed set to become the new home of the British Consulate General in Sai...

in Vietnam

[Photos] 25 Incredible Colorized Photos of 1950s Vietnam by Photographer Vo Anh Ninh

While black-and-white photos tap into their viewers' nostalgic side, a flash of color can add a bit of extra depth when done correctly, like in these vivid photos from award-winning Vietnamese photogr...

in Vietnam

Mapping the French 'Line of Pagodas'

At the start of the French conquest in 1859-1860, colonial forces converted four ancient temples into fortresses with the aim of protecting Saigon and Chợ Lớn from attack by Vietnamese royal troops. A...

in Saigon

[Photos] A Day at the Races: Phu Tho Racetrack in the 1960s

During the heyday of old Saigon, District 11's Phu Tho Racetrack was packed on a daily basis.

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Catinat-Ciné Mosaics

Over the past 12 months, a great deal of attention has been paid to the fate of the 1924 Moroccan mosaic staircase in the lobby of the Tax Trade Center. Yet that great work of art is not the only mosa...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Nostalgic Images of Daily Life in Old Saigon

During the first half of the 20th century, Saigon earned a reputation as the Paris of the East. With its wide, tree-lined boulevards and grand colonial buildings – not to mention a significantly small...

in Heritage

Pierre Coupeaud and the Great Cyclo Trial of February 1936

Banned from an ever-increasing number of city streets, the cyclo is rapidly becoming an endangered species. But spare a moment to appreciate this much-maligned form of transport, invented by Phnom Pen...

in Heritage

[Video] How 1949 Saigon Rang in the Lunar New Year

It's no secret that the Saigon of today is a world apart from the Saigon of old.

in Heritage

[Photos] 1960s Nha Trang Was the Essence of Cool

While there's a lot of talk about Saigon in the old days, Nha Trang also held its own as an ultra-cool beachside city. The coastal town was home to flashy cars and trendy cafes, hand-painted signs and...

in Saigon

[Photos] Kickin' It at the Country Club in Old Saigon

Plenty of people complain about how hard it is to get a good workout in today's Saigon, but a century ago it was equally challenging to get in a few good laps or work on your tennis game. Colonial Sai...

in Saigon

Icons of Old Saigon: The First Governor's Palace

It’s often assumed that the Norodom Palace (1873) was the first colonial governor's palace to be built in Saigon, but it was in fact preceded by a much humbler structure, the Hôtel des Amiraux-Gouvern...

in Vietnam

[Photos] British Photographer Captures Life in Early 1900s Vietnam

At the turn of the 20th century, Englishwoman Gabrielle Maud Vassal lived in Vietnam with her husband, French military doctor Joseph Jean Vassal. During her three-year stay in the country, Mrs. Vassal...