in Saigon

Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor

The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.

in Vietnam

From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam

How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress. 

in Vietnam

From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'

In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians. 

in Vietnam

How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?

In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.

in Hanoi

Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White

In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer. I walked the streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.

in Hanoi

A Rare Album by Photographer Bruno Barbey Brings Us Back to Tết in 1994 Hanoi

What do you remember most about the 1990s? Do you remember the fashion, the old-timey technology, or the lack of traffic? And if you were just a wee child, do these memories stay with you?

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

The First Asian in Space Was Vietnamese. He’s Still Alive Today.

Most Vietnamese schoolkids grew up learning about Phạm Tuân as the first Vietnamese in space, but few know that he was also the first Asian person to clinch the honor.

Back Heritage

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Date With The Wrecking Ball: Ba Son Shipyard

According to a recent article in Thanh Niên newspaper, the Ba Son Shipyard – Saigon’s oldest and most important maritime heritage site, recognised by the Ministry of Culture and Information in 1993 as...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 32 Hàm Nghi

Notwithstanding its 1939 makeover, the flat iron building at the corner of Hàm Nghi and Hồ Tùng Mậu street is still one of the city’s most attractive colonial relics.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Former Grall Hospital

One of the oldest hospitals in Asia, the Children’s Hospital 2 (Bệnh viện Nhi đồng 2) at 14 Lý Tự Trọng began life as a French military hospital.

in Vietnam

These 25 Pictures Show What Life Was Like in 1990 Hanoi

These photos, taken just as the effects of “Đổi Mới” reforms were kicking in, show a Hanoi transitioning from an impoverished capital city into one embarking on a path towards the free market.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building Of The Week: The Municipal Theatre

Built by the French at the mid-point of historic rue Catinat, the Municipal Theatre is one of Saigon's most iconic landmarks.

in Heritage

[Photos] Inside The Pages Of “Saigon Roundup”

Saigon Roundup was a weekly, English-language digest and advertising magazine published by International Publicity Agent during the 1960s. While its pages may not hold particularly stellar examples of...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Icons Of Old Saigon: The Canal Bonard

Though now little more than a rat-infested sewer, the former canal Bonard was once a busy waterway which made an immense contribution to the economic prosperity of Chợ Lớn. As work begins to restore t...

in Vietnam

[Video] Rare Footage Of 1945-1954 Hanoi

This six-minute compilation of footage offers a rare view of life on the streets of Hanoi prior to 1954.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Icons Of Old Saigon: The Église Sainte-Marie-Immaculée

The Sun Wah Tower at 115 Nguyễn Huệ stands on the site of Saigon’s first Roman Catholic cathedral.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: Saigon Hospital

The Saigon Hospital at 125 Lê Lợi was originally built in the late 1930s as the Polyclinique Dejean de la Bâtie. The French named it after French doctor Théodose Déjean de la Bâtie, who devoted his li...

in Saigon

28 Old Pictures of Tet in Saigon

Whether street vendor or office worker in Saigon, Tết traditions, such as gathering with family, praying to the kitchen gods, giving crisp banknotes as lì xì and washing down bánh chưng with beer...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Icons Of Old Saigon: The Electricity Building

The recently-rebuilt EVN Hồ Chí Minh City Power Company building at 72 Hai Bà Trưng stands on the site of Saigon’s very first electricity station.

in Vietnam

43 Nostalgic Old Postcards Of Vietnam

Old postcards are telling cultural artifacts that allow us to catch a glimpse of what people in the past deemed worthy of showing to friends and loved ones on their travels.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building Of The Week: The Grand Hotel

One of the city’s most historic hotels, the Grand is better known as the former Saigon-Palace, one of the leading hotels of the 1930s.

in Heritage

[Video] Take A Motorbike Trip Through The Streets Of 1991 Saigon

What better way to see how Saigon has changed over the past 25 years than on the back of a motorbike?

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Part 3

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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Icons of Old Saigon: The Casino de Saigon

Founded by French businessman Léopold Bernard, the Casino de Saigon was the city’s earliest cinema.

in Heritage

[Video] Travel Back In Time To 1940 Saigon

In 1940, Saigon was at its colonial height. While in May of that year, the Nazis began their invasion of France, the Vichy regime in Saigon retained the status quo in the city, one which would only be...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Icons Of Old Saigon: Établissements Bainier Auto Hall

While foreign visitors still flock to the famous Rex Hotel, few have heard of the Établissements Bainier Auto Hall which preceded it, a building once feted as the greatest automobile dealership in Asi...

in Vietnam

Drone Video Reveals The True Epicness Of Hanoi’s Long Biên Bridge

The Long Biên Bridge is one of Vietnam’s most iconic structures for a reason. Not only is it an amazing feat of engineering, but it’s huge, categorically huge.