Linh Phạm

in Hanoi

Street Cred: Pháo Đài Láng, Home of Ông Voi and Where the War Began

More often than not, a country’s independence is won with guns. The location where the first shots were fired for Vietnam is memorialized to this day.

in Vietnam

Buôn Ma Thuột's Thriving Elephant Culture in 1957

In the not-too-distant past, elephants were an important part of highland lifestyles, including use in cultural activities, agriculture.

in Vietnam

A Collection of Scenes in 1964 Saigon, Bến Tre, Biên Hòa on Film

In 1964, Saigon’s Phù Đổng Roundabout didn’t feature the towering bronze statue of folk hero Thánh Gióng. Instead of the congestion hot spot the intersection is known as today, it was actually spacious and airy, with nary a shop or bubble tea parlor in sight.

in Vietnam

Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels

In our  previous article on Vietnam’s southern citadels , we covered a mix of ancient structures and those constructe...

in Vietnam

Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam

Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.

in Vietnam

10 Rare Illustrations Offer Glimpses Into Life in Tonkin in 1923

What’s your typical Sunday routine? If your answer includes grabbing some noodles on the street, getting your earwax removed and mustache shaved, and maybe smoking some opium to take the edge off, congratulations, you might be living in 1923 Tonkin.

Tim Doling

in Vietnam

Revisit 1990s Saigon in 'L’Amant,' the Film Adaptation of Marguerite Duras' Famous Novel

When filming the movie adaptation of Marguerite Duras’ 1984 autobiographical novel The Lover, French director Jean-Jacques Annaud made extensive use of Saigon locations. Here’s a run-down of the local landmarks to watch out for when you view the movie.

in Vietnam

Vibrant Watercolor Paintings Take Us Back to Northern Vietnam in 1890

Way before colored photography appeared, generations of our ancestors had to rely on the finesse of painters to create visuals records of their everyday routines. This collection of watercolor paintings from the 1890s is a particularly vivid example of that, depicting lively scenes of Vietnam two centuries ago that are full of humor and personality.

Back Heritage

in Vietnam

21 Rare Images Of Hanoi’s Street Markets Taken Between 1991 and 1993

From 1990 to 1993, German photographer Hans-Peter Grumpe traveled across Vietnam, taking about 1,600 photos in 20 provinces around the country. One of his stops was in a developing Hanoi whe...

in Vietnam

[Video] Take A Road Trip Across 1945 Vietnam

While road trips have become an extremely popular activity for foreigners living in or visiting Vietnam in recent years, it was also a common activity for these demographics in the period preceding th...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building Of The Week: The “Y” Bridge

Built by the French during the latter years of the colonial era, Chợ Lớn’s “Y” Bridge became the focus of several important battles during the two Indochina Wars.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

2014: A Turning Point For Conserving Saigon's Historical Buildings?

In the future, 2014 may be remembered as a watershed year in which a popular urban conservation movement emerged to champion the cause of Hồ Chí Minh City’s fast-disappearing built heritage.

in Saigon

40 Nostalgic Photos Of 1961 Saigon From Life Magazine

When Life Magazine photographer, John Dominis, traveled to Saigon in 1961, he spent most of his trip photographing daily life in the city. With his camera, he captured downtown Saigon’s busy streets, ...

in Saigon

12 Old Pictures of Christmas in Saigon

The brightly lit Christmas decorations of downtown Saigon seem to getting more elaborate each year. In the 1960s, though still a popular holiday in the South, Christmas was decidedly analog. The diffe...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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.

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

[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...

in Vietnam

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.

in Saigon

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...

Lee Starnes

in Vietnam

[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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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.

in Vietnam

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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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...