Canals used to serve as the Saigon's main commercial highway, connecting the city to the Saigon river and in turn the web of rivers that traverse Vietnam.
Before the construction of large urban markets, trade was conducted on rivers and canals, allowing farmers and fisherman to easily offload and sell their wares.
Over the last 50 years the role of canals has changed significantly - roads have been built, the canals have been dredged, walled and polluted. Life no longer takes place on the water but beside it.
Related Articles:
- 26 Incredibly Realistic 3D Renderings of 1930s Hanoi
- 20 Pictures of Saigon from Before You Were Born
- 25 Old Photos of Bicycles in Vietnam
As Saigon undergoes slow but steady beautification, many canals have been cleaned, lined with trees and some have even lost their industrial stench.
Check out the slideshow below for pictures of Saigon's canals when they were they city's economic lifeblood.
