Tim Doling in Saigon
From WWI Monument to Ancestor Temple: The Story of Saigon's Hùng King Temple
The Hùng King Temple at 2 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm was originally built in 1927–1929 under the name Temple du Souvenir Annamite (Annamite Temple of remembrance), primarily to honor the memory of Vietnamese soldiers who died while fighting in World War I.
Tim Doling in Saigon
A Brief History of the Saigon-Mỹ Tho Line, Indochina’s First Railway
Inaugurated on July 20, 1885, the Saigon–Mỹ Tho line was the first railway line in French Indochina.
Wilbur's Vietnam: 1960s Saigon Through the Lens of a Famed National Geographic Editor
The 1960s witnessed an unprecedented influx of foreigners into Saigon and Vietnam. From soldiers to teachers to just intrepid shutterbugs, the visits of these camera-clutching characters resulted in a wealth of old photos taken in the city from the early 60s all the way until 1975.
From North to South, a French Photographer's Glimpses of 1992 Vietnam
How much of Vietnam have you explored? For many of us with a busy life and working schedule, one or two trips a year might be as much as our time and money can afford, and even so, at times, visiting a location only involves staying at an all-inclusive resort to recuperate from work stress.
From Quảng Nam to Gwangju: Confronting the Bloody History of South Korea's 'Vietnam'
In her novel Human Acts, the renowned South Korean author and Nobel Prize recipient Han Kang writes about the May 18 Democratization Movement, also known as the Gwangju Uprising. That month, student-led demonstrations broke out in the city of Gwangju following army general Chun Doo-hwan’s coup d'état, and his military government responded with a violent crackdown and an indiscriminate massacre of civilians.
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.
Life on the Streets of 1978 Hanoi in Black and White
In August 1978, I visited Hanoi as part of an educational tour organized by a professor from La Trobe University in Melbourne. I was a high school history teacher at the time and an avid photographer. I walked the streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.
A Rare Album by Photographer Bruno Barbey Brings Us Back to Tết in 1994 Hanoi
What do you remember most about the 1990s? Do you remember the fashion, the old-timey technology, or the lack of traffic? And if you were just a wee child, do these memories stay with you?
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.
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.
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.
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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.
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 ...
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Rue Kitchener (Nguyen Thai Hoc Street)
When Saigon was still a sleepy French backwater, the city's streets were full of 1 and 2 story colonial buildings, lined with lush, green tress.
10 Old Pictures of People in Saigon
We often look to old buildings in order reconnect with the past since they are clear and static reference points. Though useful, another important window into the past is the day-to-day lives of peopl...
