BackHeritage » Saigon

in Saigon

Ancient Tombs of Saigon: The Mass Grave Under Dan Chu Roundabout

Saigoneers living in the vicinity of District 10’s Dan Chu Square may be aghast to discover that their homes could be sitting on the city’s largest mass burial site.

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: Bui Vien, the First Vietnamese in America...or Was He?

In today’s Saigon, Bui Vien Street is commonly known as the city’s backpacker paradise, not to mention one of its many nightlife hotspots. It’s unclear whether urban planners in the southern hub had o...

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Cercle Sportif Saigonnais

Local conservation groups have expressed concern about a plan approved by the Ho Chi Minh City Labor Culture Palace to demolish the much-loved 1925 Cercle Sportif Saigonnais and replace it with a stat...

in Saigon

The Story Behind Cho Ba Chieu

Ba Chieu is an old, bustling local market with nostalgic charm. Built in 1942 in what is today’s Binh Thanh District, Ba Chieu Market has remained largely the same despite Saigon's rapid urbanization ...

in Saigon

HCMC Begins $2m Restoration of 200-Year-Old Pagoda

A 200-year-old pagoda in District 11 is getting a long-overdue makeover after Ho Chi Minh City authorities recently greenlit a renovation project.

in Saigon

Street Cred: Hai Thuong Lan Ong, the Father of Traditional Vietnamese Medicine

Hai Thuong Lan Ong is one of the most influential figures in the history of traditional Vietnamese medicine.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon’s 81-Year-Old Downtown Mosque, 1958-1979

As high-rises go up and Saigon’s historical buildings come down, more than a few of District 1’s landmarks have disappeared. The Jamia Al-Musulman Mosque, however, remains in the heart of the city, ru...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: Ho Xuan Huong, a Woman Ahead of Her Time

Despite being one of Vietnam’s most prominent classical poets, Ho Xuan Huong’s existence remains an enigma to this day.

in Saigon

[Photos] Saigon Then & Now: Ben Thanh Market

The southern hub has seen its fair share of transformations over the years. From French colonialism to the swinging 60s, the early days of Đổi Mới to 21st-century Vietnam, Saigon’s urban lan...

in Saigon

[Photos] A Day at the Saigon Zoo: 1967

For generations of Saigoneers, a visit to the city’s Zoological and Botanical Garden is an important milestone of their childhood. However, in the following collection of photos, we get a glimpse of t...

in Saigon

After Demolition Begins, City Officials Order Renovation of Century-Old Villa

After its owner caught the public's attention by demolishing portions of the building, one of Saigon’s few remaining century-old villas might finally get the renovation it deserves.

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Street Cred: The Badass Tale of Co Giang

If there’s one thing you need to know about Vietnamese women in history, it’s that they were badasses. From waging wars to avenge their husbands to throwing a grenade at enemy lines, countless Vi...

in Saigon

[Photos] Inside a 1949 Saigon Opium Detox Clinic

In 1949, LIFE ran a photo essay depicting life in Saigon. The images featured candid, picturesque snapshots of life during the city's bygone cosmopolitan era. But among the lively slice-of-life p...

in Saigon

[Video] Meet Saigon's 'Man of Love Letters'

In the latest installment of Sai Gon Vi Vu’s documentary series Saigon’s Gentlemen, we follow the life story of Duong Van Ngo, the last remaining public letter-writer at Saigon's Central Post Office.

in Saigon

One of Saigon’s Oldest Buildings Demolished to Make Way for Hilton Hotel

Another day, another historic Saigon building wiped off the map. This time, we said goodbye to one of the city’s oldest structures, the first Chambre de Commerce de Saïgon.

in Saigon

Gateway to Nowhere: The Yellow 'Gia Dinh Gate,' 1913

It’s claimed by several tourism websites that a gateway from one of the ancient Gia Dinh citadels has survived and may be viewed on the Dinh Tien Hoang-Phan Dang Luu intersection in Binh Thanh Distric...

in Saigon

Saigon's State Bank Building to Be Named a National Relic

In a rare win for the heritage buildings of Saigon, officials have announced their intention to add the city's State Bank Building to the list of national relics.

in Saigon

Saigon's Earliest Museums

One of the last museums to be set up in French Indochina, the Vietnam History Museum in Ho Chi Minh City was over 60 years in the making.

in Saigon

Street Cred: Ngo Quyen

Northern Vietnam's Bach Dang River may be overshadowed by the buzzing tourist attractions of Ha Long Bay, however this historic river has played an instrumental role in Vietnamese history for centurie...

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: Ernst Thälmann Secondary School

In the wake of last week’s announcement in Thanh Nien newspaper that Korean construction company Jimiro will build three 55-story office buildings, a 30-story five-star hotel and a 10-story commercial...