A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool
Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace ( Cung Văn hoá Lao động ) ...
What Leadership Means to Walter Power, Grand Ho Tram’s CEO
While Vietnam has resorts of every kind, one particular property’s dizzying array of offerings and guest profiles may make you wonder: “How does this all work?” The Grand Ho Tram works in large part due to the leadership of its CEO, Walter Power.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
In Bình Định, a Museum Retells Nguyễn Huệ's Glorious Life via Vivid Murals
About 45 kilometers from downtown Quy Nhơn stands the Quang Trung Museum (Bảo tàng Quang Trung), one of Vietnam’s finest museums.
Quy Nhơn's Rustic Coastal Charms in the 1960s via Vintage Photos
Saigoneer makes no attempts to hide our love for Quy Nhơn.
The Rich History Behind One of Hanoi's 2 Remaining Chinese Guild Halls
With the changing gears of history, at times even the oldest layers of a thousand-year-old town must evolve to house new meanings.
The History of Hanoi's Lost Tramway Network
When they first drew up plans for a citywide tramway network in 1894, it seemed as though the Hanoi authorities would follow Saigon’s example by opting for steam traction. Yet, by the time government approval was forthcoming in 1899, advances in technology made it possible to construct the entire system as a state-of-the-art, one-meter gauge electric tramway.
Wander Through the Streets of the Old Quarter in 1995 Hanoi
What do you miss most about the 1990s?
Tân Định Market, D1's Nearly 100-Year-Old Trading Hub
Originally known as the marché de Phu-Hoa, Tân Định Market at 1 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu in District 1 is one of the city’s most historic markets, but it was the opening of the stylish French market building of 1927 which brought it to worldwide attention.
Date With The Wrecking Ball: The Vietnam Railways Building
Featured earlier this year as a Saigoneer "Building of the Week," the 100-year-old Vietnam Railways Building at 136 Hàm Nghi is the latest of Hồ Chí Minh City's historic buildings to be threatened wit...
Travel Back In Time With These 15 Photos Of 1929 Saigon
1929 could be referred to as the beginning of Saigon’s Golden Age. Built on the backs of exploited Vietnamese laborers, the French had carved out what was then called the Pearl of the Orient, a Europe...
17 Sky-High Photos Of 2002 Saigon
These images, taken in 2002, provide not only a wonderful bird's eye view of Saigon, but also capture its transition into a modern city.
Date With The Wrecking Ball: The Nguyen Van Cua Imprimerie de l'Union Building
Located close to the Saigon Post Office, the unassuming two-storey white shophouse building at 49-57 Nguyễn Du was once the headquarters of one of the most successful colonial-era printing companies.
[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Part 2
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 Then & N...
50 Old Photos of Cần Thơ
Now the 4th largest city in Vietnam with 1.2 million people, Cần Thơ is the “capital of the West” and the central of hub of commerce in the Mekong Delta.
Icons of Old Saigon: André Pancrazi's Café de la Musique and Grand Hôtel des Nations
One of many French settlers of Corsican descent who made names for themselves in colonial Saigon, André Pancrazi is remembered as the proprietor of two old Saigon icons – the Café de la Musique and th...
[Photos] The Vietnamese Soldiers Of WWI
Whereas the story of World War I traditionally filters through the lens of the major European powers, colonial ties produced a transcontinental story with the militaries of France and Britain comprise...
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 93-95 Đồng Khởi
One of the most elegant old colonial buildings in the centre of the city, 93-95 Đồng Khởi – originally 93-95 rue Catinat – is believed to have been constructed in the period 1900-1910.
24 Late 19th Century Photos Of Vietnam
These 24 photos taken between 1880 and 1898 show Vietnam just as France was settling into their role as colonial occupier.
20 Beautiful Old Maps of Hanoi
Unlike Saigon, Hanoi has been a major urban center for over a millennia, so while the oldest maps of Saigon date back to around 1790, those of the capital go back far further.
40 Striking Photos of War Seen From the Perspective of the North
Photos of U.S. troops in rice paddies, anti-war protests and skies full of Iroquois helicopters have become ubiquitous images of the American War, incubated by countless blockbuster films, documentari...
Date With The Wrecking Ball: Cercle des Officiers
Last week it was announced that yet another old French civic building, featured earlier this year in Saigoneer as an “Old Saigon Building of the Week,” will soon be demolished.
20 Photos of Saigon From the Early 1990s
By the early 1990s, Saigon had yet to emerge from its post-war cocoon. Having lost its colonial sheen and cosmopolitan character, it would be another few yeas before the effects of the Doi Moi reforms...
The Mysterious Tunnels That Lie Beneath Saigon
While the tunnels under Independence Palace and the Ho Chi Minh City Museum are open to tourists, new research shows that they are part of a more extensive tunnel network that lies under the streets o...
[Photos] Abandoned Nam Dinh Church Being Swallowed by the Sea
Nam Định Province is full of beautiful churches, but while many remain in good condition, the Heart Church, located on Xương Điền beach, has seen better times. With each passing day, the now aban...
30 Color Photos Of Peaceful 1956 Saigon
1956 was the calm before the storm of violent conflict that would characterize the next 2 decades and transform Saigon into a militarized city, plagued by bombings and overcrowded by war refugees.
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 128 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai
In the early 20th century, the colonial villa at 128 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai (the former rue Chasseloup-Laubat) was home to one of Saigon’s best-known Corsican families, the Canavaggios.
26 Old Photos Of Hanoi’s Majestic Long Biên Bridge
Described by one writer as “a misshapen but essential component of Hà Nội’s heritage,” the Long Biên Bridge has seen better days. These 17 photos show the beloved Bridge during its golden years.
Icons Of Old Saigon: The Hotel de L’univers
Contrary to what many tourist websites would have us believe, the Grand Hôtel Continental was not Saigon’s first up-market hotel.
