in Vietnam

French Illustrated Encyclopedia Paints the Slices of Vietnam Life in the 1900s

"To effectively govern colonial peoples, the foremost requirement is a thorough understanding of the very people one rules over," so believed Paul Doumer, the second Governor-General of French Indochina, who spent his career imposing the imperial French government's agenda on studying the culture of their colonized subjects.

in Saigon

Portrait of a Jubilant Saigon on the Precipice of Tết in 1992

Tết in 1992 was an especially fortuitous time to be a foreign arrival to Saigon. 

in Vietnam

In 1992 Vietnam, the Streets Were Brimming With Love and Life

How has your life been transformed in the past 30 years? Changes might materialize overnight, but some tend to creep up on you at a glacial pace. Through this collection of images from 1992, mull over how Vietnam as a country has grown with every 12-month cycle.

in Vietnam

Vintage French Book Illustrations Depict a Quaint Indochina in 1903

In this rare collection of images from 1903 Indochina, life in the peninsula appears as if in a dream, with rows of colonial-style houses in between heritage trees and natural landscapes that weren’t interrupted by concrete.

Paul Christiansen

in Saigon

Did You Know That There's a Mummy on Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm Boulevard?

Why is there a mummy on display in Saigon?

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.

in Saigon

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.

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.

Back Heritage

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building Of The Week: The 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 honour the memory of Vietnames...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Take A Walk Through The Streets Of Old Hanoi

At the turn of the 20th century, people often referred to the Vietnamese capital as “the 36 streets of Hanoi.” Most of these 36 streets lie in today’s Old Quarter and still retain names that reflect t...

in Saigon

Icons Of Old Saigon: Shophouse Architecture

The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.

Brian Letwin

in Heritage

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Part 4

We’re back with another set of our “Then and Now” photos which contrast old images of Saigon with their present day counterparts. For a much larger collection, head over to the Saïgon-Chợ Lớn The...

in Saigon

Take A Walk Through Saigon’s 150-Year-Old Sewers

Before Saigon begins to demolish the 150-year-old French-built sewers that lie under the streets of District 1, it looks like the city is allowing select camera crews into the leaky, cockroach-infeste...

in Saigon

A Second Chance For Tân An Communal House

With so many old buildings being destroyed in the name of development, it's encouraging to learn that one of the city's oldest communal houses, the Đình Tân An at 26 Bis Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm in Đa Kao, h...

in Saigon

[Photos] How Saigonese Flew In 1965

These photos taken by American photographer, Bill Eppridge, in 1965 capture a day in the life at Tan Son Nhat Airport’s civilian terminal. The original airport, little more than a landing strip, was b...

in Saigon

The 'Leaning Cathedral' Of Saigon

Soon after its completion, Saigon’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral developed an embarrassing tilt.

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: 136 Ly Tu Trong

Owned during the colonial era by the Roman Catholic Church, the two-storey French villa at 136 Lý Tự Trọng in District 1 is one of just a handful of surviving French villas on that busy street.

in Heritage

[Photos] This Is What Saigon Looked Like 150 Years Ago

These rare photographs are the work of Émile Gsell, the first commercial photographer based in Saigon.

in Vietnam

A Train Ride From Saigon To Nha Trang (1952)

During his short time in Vietnam, Swiss photojournalist, Werner Bischof, captured rarely seen slices of life on a train from Saigon to Nha Trang in 1952.

in Saigon

Ancient Tombs of Saigon: Phan Tan Huynh Tomb

Hidden away at the end of an alley in Phu Nhuan is the forgotten tomb of Marshal Le Van Duyet’s deputy, Phan Tan Huynh.

in Saigon

Ancient Tombs of Saigon: The Lâm Tam Lang Tomb

Described by one local expert as “a rare surviving vestige of its era,” the tomb of Lâm Tam Lang and his wife in Tao Đàn Park is one of the city’s abiding mysteries.

in Saigon

15 Nostalgic Photos of Life in 1990s Saigon

When she arrived in Saigon in 1990, Catherine Karnow was introduced to local legends such as General Vo Nguyen Giap by her father, historian Stanley Karnow. Over the past 25 years, she has continued t...

in Saigon

In Search Of Saigon’s US Vestiges: Part 2

As the international media descends on the city for the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, travel companies report a growing demand from returning American veterans for tours which point out the ...

in Saigon

In Search Of Saigon’s US Vestiges – Part 1

As the international media descends on the city for the 40th anniversary of the fall of Saigon, travel companies report a growing demand from returning American veterans for tours which point out the ...

in Vietnam

[Photos] This Is What Life in Vietnam Looked Like 100 Years Ago

When photographer, Charles Peyrin, visited Vietnam in the 1920’s, he snapped dozens of candid shots that offer a rare glimpse into the daily life of locals and French colonists.

in Saigon

What Does The Future Hold For Petrus Ky’s Mausoleum And Memorial House?

Not yet recognised as a heritage site, the Mausoleum and Memorial House of Pétrus Ký, one of Việt Nam’s greatest intellects, has fallen into a state of disrepair.

in Vietnam

[Video] Public Transportation In Old(er) Hanoi

While the last streetcar disappeared from Saigon’s streets in 1959, Hanoi held on to theirs until 1989. By the time service ended, the city’s light rail system was completely dilapidated aft...

in Saigon

Date With The Wrecking Ball: 606 Trần Hưng Đạo

The grand old villa at 606 Trần Hưng Đạo, one of Chợ Quán’s few remaining heritage buildings, is currently threatened with redevelopment.