Brian Letwin in Heritage
Tàu Cánh Ngầm: The Curious Case of Saigon’s Lost Soviet Hydrofoils
Not long ago, hulking “creatures” glided atop the waters between Saigon and Vũng Tàu. Like the dinosaurs that came before them, they slowly disappeared, until all that was left were their skeletons.
Relive Your Memories of Saigon Water Park via These Photos by One of Its Makers
Although water parks involve a combination of two of the most tedious human experiences, standing in lines and prolonged direct sun exposure, the now-demolished Saigon Water Park was an icon of 2000s Saigon that remains a crucial cornerstone of many city dwellers' memories.
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.
The Tumultuous Tale of Three Ga Sài Gòn Locations, From 1885 Until Now
Travelers arriving by train in Hồ Chí Minh City sometimes express surprise that the main Saigon Railway Station is located in Hòa Hưng, some distance from the central business district. In fact, this is the third railway terminus in a city where each successive station has been built further away from the river.
A Brief History of the Vietnam Railways Building Before Its 110th Birthday
The iconic Bến Thành Market is not the only Saigon landmark that has endured for more than a century. The Vietnam Railways building at 138 Hàm Nghi, given its inauguration in 1914, is pushing the 110-year milestone in less than six months.
My Great-Great-Grandfathers Were in Indochina in the 1880s to Build the Railway
We often see archival images of old Hanoi, but these photos are different — they are personal. The following shots, which come from a collection of five photo albums, are the only surviving record of my two great-great-grandfathers’ presence in what was then Indochina.
From Saigon to Đà Lạt: A Tourist's Journey Through Vietnam in 1963
Old archives of images from 1960s Saigon are easy to come by, but how often does one get to have a peek into the past version of Đà Lạt.
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadliest railway accident in Vietnamese history.
[Video] Watch Vietnamese History Unfold in This 1896-1945 Video
For a 14-minute crash course in early 20th century Vietnamese history, look no further than the following video, posted to YouTube by user Duc Duong. Beginning as far back as 1896, its choppy black-an...
Date With the Wrecking Ball: Thu Thiem Parish Church and Lovers of the Holy Cross Convent
Two of Saigon’s oldest Roman Catholic institutions, located across the river in Thủ Thiêm, may soon be gone.
[Photos] Welcome to Hue Circa 1896
Few photographic records exist of Vietnam – or anywhere, for that matter – before the 20th century. Still, Flickr user and master of vintage Vietnamese photos manhhai managed to dig up a series o...
Icons of Old Saigon: The Gambetta Monument
This week, we trace the saga of colonial Saigon’s monuments to French republican statesman Léon Gambetta (April 2, 1838 – December 31, 1882), whose statue was commissioned twice by mistake and th...
[Photos] Take a Trip Back in Time to 1969 Can Tho
For decades, Can Tho has been the capital of the Mekong Delta, drawing people from across southwestern Vietnam to its sleepy, riverside town. But while the city is developing a more modern edge these ...
What Phu Quoc Was Like in 1907
A translation of Pierre Rev’s description of Phú Quốc island from his 1907 book, Dans le Golfe de Siam.
[Video] This Is What Saigon Looked Like in 1945
There's something wholly captivating about old footage of Saigon. In a city that seems to transform in the blink of an eye, it's rare to find evidence of the southern hub from long ago.
Date With The Wrecking Ball: The Customs Directorate Building
The Customs Directorate, one of the city’s best-loved colonial landmarks, is the latest in a series of government buildings to face the threat of redevelopment.
[Photos] One Photographer's Journey Through 1990 Vietnam
Life moves pretty fast in Vietnam. What's here today may be gone tomorrow and, two years from now, replaced with a skyscraper or a hotel or a high-end shopping complex. Everywhere you turn, it seems, ...
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Thái Văn Lung Street
One of the city's oldest thoroughfares, the street we know today as Thái Văn Lung bore the name Pasteur Street for over half a century.
[Photos] Here's What Hanoi Looked Like In 1905
During the French colonial period, Tonkin, or Đàng Ngoài, was the name given to northern Vietnam. Situated in and around the Red River Delta, the word 'Tonkin' is a corruption of Đông Kinh, the name o...
17 Photos That Capture the Lives of Indochina's Ethnic Minorities in 1944
While the vast majority of Vietnamese hail from one ethnic group – the Kinh – the country is home to 54 different ethnicities, each with their own culture, traditions, language and style of dress.
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Trần Hưng Đạo Boulevard
One of Saigon’s youngest major boulevards, Trần Hưng Đạo was built in 1911-1913 over former swamp land to provide a more direct route between the cities of Saigon and Chợ Lớn.
[Photos] Old Photos Of Dalat’s Lost Railway
In the early 20th century, when Dalat was still a nascent town, the Swiss-built LangBian cog railway was its connection the coast. Joining the Central Highlands town with Ninh Thuan province's Thap Ch...
Saigon’s Famous Streets And Squares: Hai Bà Trưng Street
One of Saigon’s longest and busiest streets, Hai Bà Trưng is a thoroughfare of great antiquity which dates back more than 200 years.
20 Photos Of 1960s Phu Nhuan
Everyone in Saigon knows the drill: what's a shoe store today might be a phở stall tomorrow. Hairdressers become restaurateurs, office buildings turn into hotels and your favourite bánh mì cart could ...
Icons Of Old Saigon: The Maison Centrale de Saigon
One of the most hated government buildings in colonial Saigon, the Maison Centrale de Saigon (Khám Lớn Sài Gòn), or Saigon Central Prison, was a truly grim institution where thousands of unfortunates ...
30 Old Pictures Of Thu Duc District: Former Weekend Getaway
Thu Duc isn't exactly a place you'd consider going on holiday. Today, the suburban district is home to industrial centers, dusty roads, busy residential neighborhoods and rumbling transport trucks, un...
Vintage Photos Capture Hanoi On The Brink Of A New Era
In 1986, Hanoi – much like the rest of Vietnam – was at the start of a new era. Thanks to the government's Doi Moi economic reforms, the country had moved from a centrally planned command economy...
Saigon’s Famous Streets and Squares: Pasteur Street
Known for most of the colonial period as Rue Pellerin, Pasteur Street has grown from ancient inner-city waterway to one of the city’s most desirable streets.
