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 While this strange incident can be easily dismissed as another case of outdated superstitions, a closer look reveals it as a rare conjunction of astrology, power, and — given the source of the smoke — volcanism, all set against the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...
[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.
Khoi Pham in Vietnam
Street Cred: Han Mac Tu
Vietnam’s literary scene is filled with colorful characters and mystifying urban legends, but no other poet has received as much fanfare – or as much scrutiny – as Han Mac Tu, one of the country's mos...
[Photos] Saigon Loses Another Centenarian Villa
Yesterday morning, another turn-of-the-century colonial villa met its demise.
[Photos] Wander the Streets of 1989 Saigon
For those Saigoneers born in the era of Vin-products and high-rises, the old Saigon is an enigma. It seems like everyday we uncover a new album of old photos documenting Saigon xưa, fished out from so...
Street Cred: Hung Vuong
In the very beginning of Vietnamese history, dragon king Lac Long Quan and fairy Au Co got together and gave birth to 100 children. Their cohort became the first citizens of northern Vietnam, the...
Saigon's State Bank Building to Be Named a National Relic
In a rare win for the heritage buildings of Saigon, officials have announced their intention to add the city's State Bank Building to the list of national relics.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Saigon's Earliest Museums
One of the last museums to be set up in French Indochina, the Vietnam History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City was over 60 years in the making.
[Photos] Take a Tour of 1966 Saigon
In 1966, Flickr user Mikey Walters' father, a US serviceman, sent a series of photos to his wife documenting downtown Saigon for the folks at home.
Tim Doling in Heritage
How Lăng Cha Cả Went From Mausoleum to Roundabout
If you’re just off the plane and heading west into the city, it’s hard to avoid the busy six-way Lăng Cha Cả intersection south of Ho Chi Minh City’s Tân Sơn Nhất International Airport. But it’s even ...
Check out These Vintage Stamps From French Indochina
In the first half of the 20th century, Indochina's stamps served as a miniature window into the people and places of the former French colony.
Tim Doling in Vietnam
Take a Ride on the Langbian Cog Railway, Circa 1927
The Langbian Cog Railway was opened in stages between 1919 and 1932. The first 40 kilometers of the line from Tourcham (Tháp Chàm) to Krông Pha travelled through relatively flat terrain and required o...
