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

Reunification Palace Opens 2 New Rooms to Visitors

One of the city's most famous landmarks has opened two new rooms for visitors.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: Ernst Thälmann Secondary School

In the wake of last week’s announcement in Thanh Nien newspaper that Korean construction company Jimiro will build three 55-story office buildings, a 30-story five-star hotel and a 10-story commercial...

in Heritage

[Photos] 30 Images of 1975 Saigon

Over the weekend, Vietnam marked 41 years since the end of the American War. While Saigon has changed dramatically in those four decades, transforming into the economic heart of the country as well as...

Tim Doling

in Heritage

Saigon on the Silver Screen: The Quiet American, 1958 and 2002

Graham Greene’s acclaimed anti-war novel The Quiet American has been filmed twice, on both occasions using Saigon locations. While Phillip Noyce’s 2002 remake is a far more faithful adaptation of the ...

in Heritage

[Photos] An Ode to Nguyen Hue's Demolished Fountain

While Saigon's collective memory seems to be pretty short, it wasn't that long ago that the wide, low fountain intersecting Le Loi and Nguyen Hue streets still existed.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Saigon’s Old French Planter Villas

Despite the ongoing destruction of colonial buildings in Saigon, there’s still a small quarter of District 3 where it’s possible to identify villas which were once occupied by rich French rubber plant...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Check out Northern Vietnam's Stunning French Colonial High School

In northern Nam Dinh province, Nguyen Khuyen High School isn't your average teaching facility.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Saigon’s Favorite Churches: Huyen Sy Church

Widely regarded as one of the most beautiful churches in the city, the Église Huyện Sỹ in District 1 was constructed in 1902-1905 on the corner of Rue Frère Louis (now Nguyễn Trãi Street) and Rue Frèr...

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...

Tim Doling

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.

Tim Doling

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 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...

Tim Doling

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...

Tim Doling

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.

Tim Doling

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...