Journeying Through Đà Lạt and the Central Highlands in 1992
Đà Lạt has always been a highly sought-after traveling destination, like how it was originally designed as a resort town for French officials. These days, however, the hilly Lâm Đồng town has urbanized so quickly that at times it’s hard to believe that here once lived a tree-carpeted enclave.
Rare Film Shots Depict a Fast-Growing Saigon in 1996
Change was in the air in 1996, and the streets purred with development.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
Revisiting the Coats of Arms of Vietnam's Major Cities Under French Rule
Did you know that several Vietnamese cities have coats of arms?
Live Music, Sports, Art and Activities Fill District VUI with Summer Fun
Vietnam’s south-central coast is blessed with warm sunshine, cool waves, and relaxed vibes all year round, creating a perpetual vacation atmosphere. With school breaks and summer holidays, there is no better time to explore the tropical regions at the nexus of forest and sea.
How the 1st Quốc Ngữ Newspaper Shaped the Foundation of Vietnam's Modern Journalism
Stopping at the intersection of Saigon’s Trần Hưng Đạo and Trần Bình Trọng streets, the tranquil mausoleum of scholar Trương Vĩnh Ký remains hidden amid the daily commotion. Few realize that the visionary resting here, along with his associates and their contributions, laid the foundation for Vietnam's modern journalism with the launch of Gia Định Báo (Gia Định Newspaper).
Hidden in the Heart of D5, an Architectural Vestige of 1970s Vietnam-Korea History
For years now, the verdant pine green pavilion in the heart of Hòa Bình Park in District 5 has been a familiar landmark for denizens of Chợ Lớn.
Postcard-Ready Vintage Album Highlights a Lonesome Hanoi in the 1920s
Looking at past albums of our cities today, I’m always stricken by a bewildering vastness — every street, every square, every building seemed to have been constructed in a ghost town, serving lonesome phantoms and nonchalant horse-drawn wagons.
French Illustrated Encyclopedia Paints the Slices of Vietnam Life in the 1900s
"To effectively govern colonial peoples, the foremost requirement is a thorough understanding of the very people one rules over," so believed Paul Doumer, the second Governor-General of French Indochina, who spent his career imposing the imperial French government's agenda on studying the culture of their colonized subjects.
45 Photos Of 1961 Saigon From LIFE Magazine
Over the past 53 years, Saigon has undergone tremendous growth. With the addition of gleaming skyscrapers and dense packs of residential buildings, the city has lost much of its colonial luster and is...
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: Former Foyer du Soldat et du Marin
Originally founded in the 1890s by General Théophile Pennequin (1849-1916), Commandant supérieur des troupes de l'Indo-Chine, the Foyer du Soldat et du Marin (Soldiers and Sailors Club) was initially ...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
20 Pictures of Cho Lon From Before You Were Born
Cho Lon is one of Saigon’s oldest and most interesting neighborhoods. Spanning much of Districts 5 and 6, this predominantly Chinese area has been an integral part of Saigon’s economy since its establ...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
16 Old Pictures Of The Saigon Zoo (Thảo Cầm Viên)
Established in 1869, the Saigon Zoo (Thảo Cầm Viên) is the 8th oldest in the world.
Palais Norodom: A Palace Without Purpose
Though now nearly half a century old, the current Reunification Palace was conceived as a modern replacement for the Norodom Palace, a much grander French building which had stood on the same site bef...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
These 11 Wonderful Old Maps Show The Evolution Of Saigon And Cho Lon
Saigon has seen tremendous growth since its humble beginnings as a small Khmer seaport. Vietnamese settlers arrived in the 17th century, eventually solidifying their control over the area with th...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
16 Rare Photos Of Saigon And Cho Lon From 1866
After capturing Saigon in 1859, the French quickly got to work on building structures and infrastructure in the city, especially along the banks of the Saigon River.
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
[Video] Hanoi In April 1975
Shot the same month North Vietnamese troops captured Saigon, this video captures life in Hanoi not long before reunification and years after the last American bombs fell on the city.
18 Stunning Photos Of Vietnam In 1989
Vietnam’s economy began to open up in 1986 with the adoption of Đổi Mới, starting a meteoric rise in quality of life compared to the preceding years of rationing and an inefficient planning. While the...
Old Saigon Building Of The Week: The Second Chambre de Commerce Building
Originally founded on 3 November 1867 in temporary accommodation in the compound of the Direction de l’Intérieur, the Chambre de commerce de Saïgon (Saigon Chamber of Commerce) moved into 11 place Rig...
Lệ Hải: Saigon’s Gangster Queen
Before 1975, Saigon’s underground was controlled by gangs and mob bosses. Yet all those criminal minds were vulnerable to the intoxicating smile of one woman, Lệ Hải, whose name fittingly translates t...
17 Photos Of Royal Life During The Nguyễn Dynasty
It’s been more than two centuries since Gia Long unified Vietnam and became the first emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty. Lasting 143 years, Vietnam’s last dynasty ended in 1945 when Bảo Đại abdicated the ...
The Story Of Saigon’s Soap Millionaire
80 years ago, if you asked a Saigon resident to name a soap brand, you would get only one response - Cô Ba. The brand’s popularity extended throughout Indochina and its success made its owner, Trương ...
5 of Saigon’s Oldest Buildings
As the French began to heavily influence Vietnam, first indirectly with missionaries and later with full-scale colonization, large public buildings began to pop up in the country’s cities, no more so ...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
15 Old Photos Of Hanoi's Streetcars
While the last streetcar disappeared from Saigon’s streets in 1959, Hanoi held on to theirs until 1989. By the time service ended, the city’s light rail system was completely dilapidated after years o...
Saint-Saëns In Saigon
One of the great figures of western classical music, French composer, conductor, organist and pianist Camille Saint-Saëns is remembered for a range of works, including The Carnival of the Animals, Dan...
Street Cred: Nguyen Van Linh
Driving around Saigon, it’s easy to lose sight of the city as it appeared 25 years ago. So many buildings have been leveled into dust and in their place, stand shiny new high-rises shimmering of glass...
12 Pictures Of 1962 Saigon
The 60s always seem to conjure up nostalgia in the minds of those who lived through the dramatic changes to Saigon over the past 50 years.
10 Old Photos Of Carriages In Saigon
Before motorized transportation was the norm in Saigon, horse-drawn carts were used to move both goods and people.
New Facebook Group Compares Past And Present Saigon
Saigoneer and Historic Vietnam are excited to announce the launch of our new Facebook group: Saigon & Cho Lon, Then and Now.
