in Vietnam

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.

in Saigon

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?

in Vietnam

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).

in Saigon

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.

in Hanoi

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.

in Vietnam

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.

Back Heritage

in Vietnam

Chợ Âm Phủ and the Embattled History Behind Hanoi's Book Street

19/12 Street was once a mass burial ground for those who died in the National Resistance against France in 1946. The event shaped the history of the city and the relationship that thrived for 71 years...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Da Lat's Charming Green Landscapes as Seen in 1969

The mountain escape was a thriving farming area long before the recent boom in organic produce. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] An Enchanting Hue and Da Nang in 1967 Captured by Winfield Parks

Travel back to a time when drones were just airplanes.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Peek Back at Saigon's Enduring Street Vendors in 1950

Where else can you buy whatever you need without having to step inside a building?

in Asia

[Photos] A Dynamic Bangkok in 1984 via the Lens of Photographer Doi Kuro

Before the days of mega-malls and the Skytrain, Bangkok was still plenty busy.

in Asia

Vintage Illustrations From 1931 Showcase Native Birds of Indochina

Somebody definitely paid attention in art class.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Amble Around Downtown Tay Ninh in These Photos From 1965

Just a short car ride from Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh remains among the favorite spiritual destinations of worshipers in the region to visit for a weekend getaway.

in Hanoi

[Photos] A Game of Trade: Hanoi’s First International Trade Fair Complex

Hanoi has had many names in its life time; among the lesser-known ones is Ke Cho, which literally means "the market people."

in Saigon

[Photos] 10 Black-and-White Images of Saigon in 1970

A trip to Saigon in 1970 by photographer Jerry Bosworth yielded a small cache of black-and-white images that vividly depict a city in flux.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Long Xuyen, an Enterprising Mekong Delta Trading Hub in the 1920s

Founded on the banks of the Hau River, Long Xuyen began as a trading post and has prospered into one of the Mekong Delta’s major cities today.

in Hanoi

[Photos] Black-and-White Photos Depict a Spirited Hanoi in 1973

The capital in 1973 provided many examples of normalcy amidst upheaval. 

in Saigon

[Photos] Rare Aerial Photos Depict the Urban Contours of Saigon in 1950

In the French photo book titled Indochine – Couverture. Saigon-Cholon – Photographie Aerienne 1950, a fascinating set of aerial images showcases the urban layout of Saigon in 1950.

in Saigon

[Photos] The Frenetic Energy of 1960s Chợ Lớn

Comic books and bread, cigarettes and rickshaw rides: Saigon has always reveled in the exchange of goods and services for money. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] Fly Over Vietnam in the 1930s via These Rare Black-and-White Shots

What if you had a time machine and traveled 90 years into the past with a drone?

in Vietnam

[Photos] Immerse in the Small-Town Charm of 1960s Vinh Long

Thanks to its tangled snarl of canals, estuaries, streams and rivers, one associates the Mekong Delta with boats.

in Vietnam

[Photos] The Arduous Pilgrimage to Chùa Hương Over 30 Years Ago

Every year, with the arrival of spring comes a grand journey.

in Vietnam

These Rare Paintings Depict Life in Vietnam in the 17th and 18th Centuries

Now we can envision Vietnam well before the advent of photography.

in Saigon

[Photos] 20 Photos of Life in Vietnam in 1966–1967

Motorbikes and buffalo carts, marching bands and xích lô.

in Vietnam

Last Surviving Imperial Maid of Nguyen Dynasty Passes Away at 102

An important historical figure of the Nguyen Dynasty has left us this week.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Sepia-Toned Tour of 1902 Saigon

Long before Saigon became a maelstrom of motorbikes zipping past bubble tea shops, convenience stores, and cellphone sellers, it was a sleepy town where sampan boats cluttered placid canals, locals sn...