From D4's Village Past to Now, History Keeps Wanting to Widen Nguyễn Tất Thành Street
A century before today's bulldozers, colonial planners were already wrestling with the same congested waterfront corridor — and the same promises of transformation.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Vietnam Sound Library Races to Capture Saigon's Sounds Before They Disappear
Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! Thwunk! The vendor’s cleaver struck the heavy wooden chopping board again and again after slicing through duck meat. Centimeters away, a microphone hovered, capturing each strike.
Vua Versus Volcano: How the 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa Upset the Nguyễn Dynasty
On September 9, 1883, ominous smoke hung over Huế. The sun was blue-green, and throughout the day, people on the streets had no shadows. As their legitimacy relied on maintaining the Mandate of Heaven, the Nguyễn royal court was alarmed. Three high-ranking mandarins rushed to advise the Emperor to change his ways to regain Heaven’s favor. While this strange incident can be easily dismissed as another case of outdated superstitions, a closer look reveals it as a rare conjunction of astrology, power, and — given the source of the smoke — volcanism, all set against the backdrop of France’s rapid incursion into Vietnam.
1992 Vietnam Through the Lens of French Photographer Raymond Depardon
After his Saigon trip in 1972 , famed French photographer Raymond Depardon returned in 1992 to traverse the length of Viet...
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Nhà Thờ Đức Bà Narrowly Escaped Being the 'Leaning Cathedral of Saigon'
Soon after its completion, Saigon’s iconic Notre Dame Cathedral developed an embarrassing tilt.
Family-Friendly Summer Vacations Made Easy at Crowne Plaza Phu Quoc Starbay
The ripening of sweet jackfruit, mangosteen and mangos; hammocks swinging gently in patches of cool shade; and evenings that stretch on with the comfort of knowing there is no alarm clock waiting the next morning: summer arrives as opportunity. When school holidays begin, families scramble to adjust schedules and secure care and activities, creating the potential to carve out some time for a vacation to savor fresh air, explore thrills, and simply bond as a family in a beautiful destination.
Tim Doling in Vietnam
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.
Tim Doling in Saigon
How Bách Tùng Diệp Became a Saigon Park From Earmarked Consulate Land
In 1927, after being abandoned for more than 60 years by its Spanish owners, the “Jardin d’Espagne” — known today as Bách Tùng Diệp or Lý Tự Trọng Park — seemed set to become the new home of the British Consulate General in Saigon… but it was not to be.
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.
[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?
[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.
[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...
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.
24 Aerial Photos Of Old Đà Lạt
Blessed with a cool climate and rolling hills flanked with pine trees, Đà Lạt, the brainchild of Alexandre Yersin, was founded as a sleepy French vacation town where development and nature struck a de...
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...
[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.
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, ...
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...
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.
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.
[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...
