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.
Brian Letwin in Saigon
[Photos] Old Time Saigon Street Eats
Part of what makes up Saigon’s special and gritty character is the amount of activity on its streets and sidewalks which are full of vendors who sell everything from soup to fruit. Not only are these ...
A Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Catinat Building
According to a recent article in Dân Trí newspaper, the Catinat building at the corner of Đồng Khởi and Lý Tự Trọng Streets sits on a so-called “gold land” block which has been earmarked for rede...
Street Cred: Hai Ba Trung
When tyrants take your husband away and execute him for protesting high taxes, you tend to take stuff like that personally. That’s how Trung Trac took it when the Chinese killed her husband almost two...
[Photos] Old School Vietnamese Education
An elephant in Biology class? Now that would have made me actually pay attention in school. Apparently Vietnamese education used to be a lot more hands-on back in the day compared to our current world...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: Former Institution Tabert (1890)
With its prime location in one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s numerous “đất vàng” (gold land) areas, many wonder how long the former Institution Tabert, now the Trần Đại Nghĩa Specialist High School at 53 Nguy...
Street Cred: Path of Poets
If Saigon was a battlefront and its street signs served as territorial markers, then it’s clear that the revolutionaries and martyrs have won. Everywhere you look, the names of fallen heroes lead the ...
13 Old Photos of Hue
While most of the old photos we show here are from Saigon and Hanoi, we wanted to give a shout-out to the Hue, Vietnam’s capital until 1945.
27 Rare Photos Of Hanoi From 120 Years Ago
To mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam, the National Library of Vietnam has released a collection of more than 200 photos taken by Governor General of Ind...
Old Saigon Building of the Week: Former Nestlé Headquarters
The Swiss company Nestlé, founded in 1905 following the merger of Farine Lactée Henri Nestlé (1866) and the Anglo-Swiss Milk Company (1866), established its first trading office in Saigon in 1912.
Street Cred: Ham Nghi
“Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.” This quote from Shakespeare’s Henry IV basically sums up the political climate of Vietnam in 1883. In that year alone, four different men played the part of ...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
When the Japanese Occupied Vietnam: Part 2
Read When the Japanese Occupied Vietnam – Part I here. Japanese occupation breathed new life into a Vietnamese independence movement that had seen little success after the failed Yen Bai Mutiny (1930...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
[Photos] Saigon Past and Present
Saigon is a city in constant flux. One minute a crumbling old building is there and the next week it’s a parking lot. Fortunately, there are a few buildings, such as the Saigon Post Office, the Opera ...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
When the Japanese Occupied Vietnam: Part 1
When foreign occupation is discussed in Vietnam, the bulk of the conversation focuses on the Chinese and the French, rightfully so. However, while short-lived, the Japanese occupation of the country n...
[Photos] Changes Over Time: Saigon's Canals (2002 - 2014) Part II
Due to the popularity of our previous piece which illustrated the physical changes along Saigon’s canals, we’ve managed to cobble together a new set of photos.
Bót Catinat: Saigon's "Gold Land"
Located on a prime site in one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s numerous “đất vàng” (gold land) areas and already earmarked for redevelopment, the headquarters of the Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism at...
Street Cred: Yersin
If you’ve been following this column, then you’ve probably noticed the pattern of folks getting famous for taking a stance and sticking up for Vietnam. By now, you should know that Vietnamese people a...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Fun With Old Maps: Saigon (1895)
While not the oldest map of Saigon we’ve come across, this 1895 map, “Plan des environs de Saïgon” shows not only downtown, but the surrounding countryside. Even after 36 years of French occupation, t...
Dung Ha: Vietnam’s Lesbian Mob Boss
Among the infamous women of Vietnam’s criminal underworld, Dung Ha was one of the most notorious. Though her reign was short, it was characterized by wealth, power and love affairs that still draw cur...
Brian Letwin in Vietnam
17 Rare Photos of Vietnam Taken 120 Years Ago
To mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between France and Vietnam, the National Library of Vietnam has released a collection of more than 200 photos taken by Governor General of Ind...
Street Cred: Phan Xích Long
Like a page straight out of Bizzaro World, fast food franchises have a heightened social status here in Vietnam.
