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streets of Hanoi and took many photographs of everyday life in the city, and until now, these photographs have remained unpublished.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?
Khôi Phạm in Vietnam
The First Asian in Space Was Vietnamese. He’s Still Alive Today.
Most Vietnamese schoolkids grew up learning about Phạm Tuân as the first Vietnamese in space, but few know that he was also the first Asian person to clinch the honor.
The Year of the Horse Gallops into The Grand Ho Tram
Inspired by the spirit of the horse, The Grand Ho Tram encourages you to have a year of success, confidence, and new horizons. Traditional Tết performances and activities alongside special feasts and opportunities for revelry will usher in a year of remarkable achievements and memorable moments.
My Great-Great-Grandfathers Were in Indochina in the 1880s to Build the Railway
We often see archival images of old Hanoi, but these photos are different — they are personal. The following shots, which come from a collection of five photo albums, are the only surviving record of my two great-great-grandfathers’ presence in what was then Indochina.
Paul Christiansen in Vietnam
An Indie Archival Project Dreams of Time Travel. How? Lots and Lots of Vietnam Maps.
Its entrances flanked by ATMs and adverts for international airlines, the Sun Wah Tower on Nguyễn Huệ today appears to be another nondescript testament to the global economy and Vietnam’s enthusiastic place within it. However, on those same grounds only 150 years ago, a guillotine was set up to decapitate people on order of the colonial authorities at the Justice de paix.
Marc Dinh in Vietnam
A Brake Failure and 200 Victims: Remembering Vietnam's Deadliest Rail Accident
About 55 kilometers from Saigon, in the small commune of Tây Hoà rests the 17/03/1982 Railway Cemetery. It currently houses 85 unidentified graves of victims of the Train 183 Disaster, the deadliest railway accident in Vietnamese history.
10 Old Pictures of the Saigon Zoo (Thảo Cầm Viên)
Established in 1869, the Saigon Zoo (Thảo Cầm Viên) is the 8th oldest zoo in the world. The zoo and botanical garden were commissioned by Admiral Pierre de la Grandière, Commander of French forces in...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
10 Old Pictures (and History) of the Saigon Opera House
The Saigon Opera House (aka the Municipal Theatre) is one of Saigon’s oldest buildings and one of the city’s best examples of classical French architecture. Constructed at the turn of the 20th century...
This is What Saigon Looked Like in 1881
When this picture was drawn in 1881 by a ship captain known as Favre, the French were 22 years into their occupation of Saigon. In this short time, the city took on a decidedly colonial feel both in t...
10 Old Pictures of Advertisements in Saigon
Before 1975, large advertisements were commonplace in Saigon. But after the American War and the fall of capitalism in the South, ads were considered a vestige of the old order and were heavily regula...
9 Old Pictures of Saigon Street Vendors
The buildings and streets of Saigon can change in the blink of an eye. Gone are the streetcars, French street names and ox-drawn carts. As the economy continues to develop, the old Saigon is being rep...
Fun with Old Saigon Maps (1790)
Even before the French formally occupied Saigon in 1859, they were active players in Vietnamese politics as early as the 17th century. Their influence can be seen in this 1790 map in the form of the m...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Looking Up (1966)
This striking image was taken from above Saigon's streets in 1966. It's images like this that make one wonder where their subjects are today.
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Umbrella for a Sunny Day (1966)
Just a beautiful picture captured on Saigon's streets in 1966.
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Colorful Old Map of Saigon
Though we can't pinpoint the exact date for this map, we're sure it's from before 1954. This was the year when the French ceded control of Saigon and south Vietnam in accordance with the Geneva Accord...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Video: Saigon in 1945
1945 was a tumultuous year for Vietnam. After the Japanese were defeated by the Allies in 1945, Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnamese independence from France, unaware that Allied leaders had agreed at the ...
The Story of Saigon's Floating Hotel
There was a time, not too long ago, when Saigon wasn’t full of tourists and backpackers. In the late 1980s, Vietnam had just opened its doors to the west and was rushing to renovate its decrepit colon...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Cho Lon Opium Den
Have you ever been stuck in Saigon traffic and wished that you were on comfy couch in Cho Lon, chilling with some Chinese guys 'chasing the dragon' instead? Yeah, probably not (but for those who answe...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: How to Arrive at Your Wedding in Style
The tradition of covering your wedding car with flowers and regalia is not new in Vietnam. Today, most couples who can afford it, opt for a middle-of-the-line Toyota or Kia while those with deep pock...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Before Bridges and Tunnels
Think it's inconvenient having a car in present-day Saigon? As many of the French living in Saigon during the first half of the last century were fairly well off, they often brought with them the com...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Cho Lon Streetcars
From Cho Lon to Ben Thanh Market, streetcars were once a common sight on Saigon's main thoroughfares. While their tracks have long disappeared, their memory lives on in old photographs like the one a...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
10 Old Pictures of Saigon 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...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Water Delivery!
In the days before indoor plumbing and bottled water were the norm, like most of the world, Saigonese relied on wells to provide water (and in many areas still do). During the early 20th century, wat...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: Colonial Corner
Just as it is today, Dong Khoi St. (formerly Rue Cantinat under the French and Tu Do from 1954 - 1975) has long been of Saigon's busiest and most important boulevards. Due to it's history, the street...
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Old Saigon Picture of the Day: City of Bikes
A slower mode of transportation for a slower time.
Brian Letwin in Saigon
Chợ Bà Chiểu - Past & Present
Chợ Bà Chiểu, located on Bach Dang St., has been the central market for Binh Thanh District since 1942. While it's been upgraded and expanded numerous times, most recently in 1987, you can still...
