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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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.
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.
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...
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.
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...
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.
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.
Tim Doling in Saigon
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.
Tim Doling in Saigon
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.
[Photos] The Streets of 1970 Saigon Captured by Jerry Bosworth
Saigon has come a long way from 1970 when it was truly feeling the effects of war. During this time, much of the government’s funds were going towards military equipment, leaving little for infrastruc...
[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Part 1
We’re back with a new series of “Then and Now” photos of Saigon featuring the Continental Hotel, the city’s former opium refinery and a few other iconic places you may recognize.
Tim Doling in Saigon
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: 39 Trần Quốc Thảo
One of District 3’s grandest old colonial mansions, the Quận ủy (District council) building at 39 Trần Quốc Thảo (the former rue Eyriaud-des-Vergnes) was once the plush managerial residence of the Lyo...
[Photos] The People of 1880 Indochina
When French photographers Hippolyte Arnoux and Emile Gssel (who would eventually become the first commercial photographer in Saigon) traveled to Indochina in 1880, they visually documented not only it...
Hue Citadel’s 'Colosseum': Where Tigers and Elephants Battled to the Death
A unique, yet rarely visited monument in Huế’s ancient citadel is Hổ Quyền Arena, a stadium where tigers and elephants once fought till their last breath for the royal family’s entertainment.
