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

in Saigon

The Saigon Monorail That Could Have Been (1966)

Saigon has been without an urban railway since the last streetcars were removed from its streets in 1957. With explosive population growth over the past 20 years, city planners commissioned a US$154 b...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: 14 Cách Mạng Tháng 8

The art deco style building at 14 Cách mạng Tháng 8 was inaugurated in 1937 as the headquarters of the Cercle Indochinois at 14 rue Verdun.

in Vietnam

Slideshow: 15 Pictures of Vietnamese Children During Wartime

Vietnam Net recently published a set of photos from German photographer, Bill Thomas Hardt who documented the horrors of the American War.

in Saigon

Slideshow: How Saigon Changed From 1955 – 2005

In 2005, the French Consulate in Saigon commissioned a publication called Saigon 1955 – Ho Chi Minh City. As the title suggests, the book compares well-known Saigon locations from photo...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: Cercle des Officiers Building

The grand colonial old pile at 47 Lê Duẩn, right opposite the Diamond Plaza, is one of the oldest surviving buildings in the city.

in Saigon

Looking Back at Graham Greene's Saigon

Graham Greene’s The Quiet American is a must-read if one seeks to get a better picture of what Saigon was like in 50s or if you just enjoy a good novel (or both!). Saigoneer historian, Tim Doling rece...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: Liên Thành Fish Sauce Company HQ

Now one of the few surviving heritage buildings in District 4, the ornate colonial edifice at 243 Bến Vân Đồn was constructed in 1922 as the second Saigon office of the famous Phan Thiết-based fish sa...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: 141 Võ Văn Tần

The colonial villa at 141 Võ Văn Tần, next door to the Estar office building, is the house where acclaimed French writer Marguerite Duras (1914-1996) spent her last year in Sài Gòn.

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Art Deco Buildings in Saigon

Art deco is by far our favorite architectural style, one which luckily, Saigon has in spades. However, with each passing day, these buildings are being torn down to make way for modern structures whic...

in Saigon

10 Old Pictures of Workers in Saigon

As Vietnam's economy has become increasingly intertwined with the global free market over the past decade, some elements of Saigon's pre-war, western-oriented economy have reappeared - Factories aroun...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: French Masonic Lodge Le Réveil de L'orient

Saigon got its first French masonic lodge in the 1870s, when the Société civile le Réveil de l'Orient set up the Hôtel de la Loge Maçonnique Le Réveil de l'orient (Awakening of the East) at 17 rue d’E...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: Former Chambre de Commerce

Over the years, Mê Linh square – known immediately after the French arrived as the Rond-point and later as place Rigault de Genouilly – has lost many of its old buildings, including the imposing Commi...

in Vietnam

10 Sketches of Indochina From the 19th Century

Though already in existence, cameras were not the main tool used by the French to make visual records of their holdings in Indochina during the 19th century. In their infancy during this time, th...

in Saigon

The History of The Nguyễn Văn Hảo Building, Saigon's Art Deco Flatiron

The Nguyễn Văn Hảo building is perhaps Saigon's best example of art deco flatirons. Standing just across from Ben Thanh market, many of us pass it each day with no knowledge of its history. We've agai...

Tim Doling

in Saigon

Saigon's Cầu Mống and the Remnants of Gustave Eiffel's Work in Vietnam

Many people will be familiar with the spurious claims that French civil engineer and architect Gustave Eiffel (1832-1923) was responsible for two of Vietnam’s most iconic buildings, the Long Biên Brid...

Brian Letwin

in Saigon

Nguyen Hue Street (1871)

Nguyen Hue Street, one of Saigon’s oldest thoroughfares, has undergone numerous transformations over its history. With the craziness of the holidays and accompanying sea of motorbikes, it's hard to im...

in Saigon

Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Cyclo Drivers

Even though Saigon has gone through many changes over the last century, there are certain characteristics of the city that have endured. Before the age of the motorbike, cyclos were one of the most c...

in Saigon

The History of Saigon's Streetcars

We’ve posted images of Saigon’s old streetcars in the past but were unable to find much information written about them. Thankfully, Saigon historian, Tim Doling, recently published a piece about their...

in Saigon

Massive Old Map of Saigon (1968)

Since most of the old maps we dig up are limited in scope, focusing on the city center, we were excited to come across this comprehensive map of Saigon from 1968.

in Vietnam

Images of Vietnam in 1992

We may post a lot about Saigon's pre-war past but, for a number of reasons, images from the 1980s and 1990s are hard to come by. Fortunately, VNExpress just published a collection of photos taken by ...