Tim Doling

in Saigon

The Story of Quách Đàm, the Man Who Shaped Modern Chợ Lớn — Part 1

Hải Thượng Lãn Ông Boulevard (the former quai Gaudot) in central Chợ Lớn preserves several elegant old colonial shophouse buildings, but perhaps the most interesting of all is the one at No. 45, once the modest headquarters of Cantonese millionaire and philanthropist Quách Đàm. This is Part 1 of our miniseries on the origin story behind Chợ Lớn. Read Part 2 here.

in Vietnam

Visit a Serene Đà Nẵng in 1991 During a Time Before the Tourism Boom

As a special municipality of Vietnam, Đà Nẵng is considered by many as one of the most livable cities in the country, with lower costs, delicious local cuisine, and a languid, wholesome pace of life. This, in conjunction with readily available modern services, has turned the coastal metropolis into a magnet luring young professionals away from the chaos of Saigon and Hanoi, and attracting snowbird tourists from Russia, China and South Korea seeking tropical warmth.

Linh Phạm

in Hanoi

A Personal History of Hồ Tây: Romance, Colonial Rule and Subsidy-Era Fishing Heists

My father-in-law has spent decades visiting Hồ Tây (West Lake). His personal story both contrasts and reflects Vietnam's history as a whole and, as a result, offers a profound insight into the importance of Hanoi's largest lake. 

Tim Doling

in Saigon

A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool

Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace ( Cung Văn hoá Lao động ) ...

Khôi Phạm

in Vietnam

6 Saigon Streets That Were Named After Lesser-Known Female Historical Figures

Any place is a great learning opportunity if you know where to look. A brisk walk in Saigon can be amazing fodder for history aficionados to exercise their brain muscles — just look at street titles and the amazing people they were named after.

in Vietnam

How Did Vietnam Start Celebrating International Women's Day on March 8?

In the hyper-commercialized world we now live in, it might be impossible to associate anything but overpriced flower bouquets and corporate sponsorships with International Women’s Day (IWD), but the widely celebrated occasion actually has a rich history of over 100 years of the women’s rights movement.

in Saigon

A Collection of Illusory Saigon Nightscapes From 1938 by Eli Lotar

A rare glimpse into colonial Saigon after sunset.

Back Heritage

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.

in Vietnam

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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Vietnam

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 ...

in Saigon

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 ...

in Saigon

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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.

in Saigon

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.

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 ...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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...

in Saigon

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...

in Vietnam

[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...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

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...

in Vietnam

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 ...