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in Saigon

With Unchecked Destruction, Saigon's Heritage Shophouse Architecture Is in Danger

The colonial shophouse, one of Saigon’s most iconic forms of architecture, is in imminent danger of extinction.

in Vietnam

Back in Time to the 1990s, When Vintage Renault Goélette Roamed Vietnam

A sturdy, stately vehicle roamed Vietnam's city streets and rural roads not too long ago.

in Vietnam

Century-Old Historic Villa in Đồng Nai Faces Demolition Due to Road Project

It’s yet another case of new infrastructure versus old heritage building — one of Vietnam’s most common urban planning clashes in recent years.

in Vietnam

A Visual Timeline of Hội An's Historic Chùa Cầu Through the Eras

With the recent makeover of Hội An's Chùa Cầu sparking divisive chatter, it's a great time to gaze at the iconic Japanese bridge through the decades.

in Vietnam

Chùa Cầu's Makeover Draws Ire of Netizens for Looking 'Too New'

Hội An's 400-year-old bridge, best known as Chùa Cầu, was finally uncovered recently after more than a year and a half of renovations, leaving many unimpressed.

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 visio...

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 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 Indochi...

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 deadli...

in Saigon

A Brief History of Cung Văn Hóa Lao Động and Saigon's First Swimming Pool

Once a fashionable rendezvous for the elite of colonial society, the Labour Culture Palace (Cung Văn hoá Lao động) at 55B Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai is today one of Hồ Chí Minh City’s most popular spor...

Paul Christiansen

in Vietnam

In Bình Định, a Museum Retells Nguyễn Huệ's Glorious Life via Vivid Murals

About 45 kilometers from downtown Quy Nhơn stands the Quang Trung Museum (Bảo tàng Quang Trung), one of Vietnam’s finest museums.

Paul Christiansen

in Travel

An Awe-Inspiring Bird's-Eye View of Bình Định's Chăm Towers

What if memories were not collections of chemicals and electrical impulses stored in the fleshy recesses of a mind, but physical objects made of brick and stone?

in Hanoi

The Rich History Behind One of Hanoi's 2 Remaining Chinese Guild Halls

With the changing gears of history, at times even the oldest layers of a thousand-year-old town must evolve to house new meanings.

in Saigon

Tân Định Market, D1's Nearly 100-Year-Old Trading Hub

Originally known as the marché de Phu-Hoa, Tân Định Market at 1 Nguyễn Hữu Cầu in District 1 is one of the city’s most historic markets, but it was the opening of the stylish French market building of...

in Saigon

From Swampland to Heartland: The History of Bến Thành Market

From the very first discussions in 1868 regarding a new marketplace for Saigon, it was not until 1914, that Bến Thành Market became a reality. The birth of the market was like a dream come true, one t...

in Hanoi

Once Home to Hanoi's Greatest Tailors, Làng Cựu Is Fading Into History

Làng Cựu, a village about 40 kilometers south of Hanoi, houses nearly 50 mansions that showcase the best of French and Sino-Vietnamese architecture from the turn of the century. It was built with the ...

in Saigon

Exploring Chợ Quán Asylum, Saigon’s Oldest Prisoner-of-War Camp

In a secluded corner of Saigon’s Bệnh viện Nhiệt đới, or Hospital for Tropical Diseases, a prison continues its century-long existence hidden from public memory and discourse.

in Vietnam

Mang Thít, Vĩnh Long's 'Kingdom of Brick Kilns,' Is on Its Last Legs

Along the rivers and canals of Mang Thít, clouds of smoke from the Mekong Delta’s last brick kilns languidly stream into the air.

in Saigon

Saigon Designates 6 Areas With Architectural Heritage to Be Conserved

Is six enough?

in Vietnam

Hanoi Demolishes Colonial-Era Factory to Make Room for Office Complex

A French-built factory at 61 Trần Phú, Hanoi is being destroyed to make way for a multi-purpose building.   

in Vietnam

Huế Plans to Relocate 100-Year-Old French Mansion to Make Room for Hotel

To make room for new developments, Huế authorities are mulling options to uproot and relocate a century-old villa.

in Vietnam

[Photos] Inside a Vaccination Point in Vietnam Nearly 100 Years Ago

A century ago, the colonial government was active in inoculating Vietnamese citizens against a variety of diseases.

in Architecture

Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc Propels the Architecture Discourse Into the Age of Social Media

Architecture Excursions - Tản Mạn Kiến Trúc is a grassroots media project founded by a group of young Vietnamese who share a simple goal: to shed light on Vietnam’s vast and often undiscussed architec...

in Vietnam

[Photos] Glimpses of Saigon, Dong Ha and Hue in 1967

Time for a trip to 1967 Vietnam.

in Vietnam

Xòe, a Thái Dance Tradition, Is Recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage

Xòe, a distinctive performance art by members of the Thái ethnic minority, was the latest Vietnamese cultural tradition inscribed by UNESCO as an officially recognized Intangible Cultural Heritage.

in Saigon

[Photos] A Shopping Trip in Ben Thanh Market in 1938

Dried fish? Pomelo? A chicken? Heels? Plates? Perhaps a fizzy soft drink or simple meal on the street? What is on your shopping list when you go to Ben Thanh Market?

in Saigon

An Early View of a Barely Developed Saigon in the 1860s

Dropping a modern Saigoneer into the 1860s version of the city would be a wildly disorienting experience.

in Saigon

D3 Heritage Mansion to Reopen as Dining Destination in 2022

One of Saigon's great remaining heritage buildings is nearing its public debut.

in Architecture

Do Hanoi's Derelict Factories Have Cultural Values? Experts Believe So.

On October 21, Livable Hanoi (Vì Một Hà Nội Đáng Sống) is hosting a webinar to discuss the idea of repurposing Hanoi’s industrial factories into creative and cultural spaces.

in Saigon

What Happened to the Saigon Tax Center's Moroccan Mosaic Staircase?

Exactly five years ago this week, construction workers began tearing apart the Saigon Tax Center building to make way for a new development project.

in Asia

[Photos] Travel to a Bustling Singapore in 1979 Through Doi Kuro's Lens

While some Southeast Asian cities were completely unrecognizable from their current self in 1979, Singapore at that time was already on its way to becoming the region's most developed location.

in Architecture

Architect Association Urges Hanoi to Preserve Decades-Old Cung Thiếu Nhi

With the commencement of a new youth center in outer Hanoi, many can’t help but wonder about the fate of the existing structure on Ly Thai To Street.

Linh Pham

in Culture

Bình Dân Học Vụ, Vietnam's Revolution Against the Enemy of Illiteracy

O tròn như quả trứng gà / ô thì đội mũ, ơ là thêm râu.

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 Architecture

Architecture College to Renovate Da Lat's Abandoned Franciscan Mission

Recently, the University of Architecture HCMC (UAHCMC) announced plans to renovate Da Lat’s abandoned Franciscan mission. Due to the popularity of the complex among locals and tourists, the building’s...

in Travel

[Photos] A Stroll Through Eclectic Chợ Lớn

Until fairly recently, Chợ Lớn was its own city, long inhabited by người Hoa who carved out an economic hub along the banks of the Saigon River over 200 years ago.

in Vietnam

Tourism Ministry to Pursue World Heritage Status for Cat Ba

It would be Vietnam's ninth UNESCO World Heritage Site.

in Saigon

Ho Chi Minh City Hall Receives Recognition as National Architectural Monument

The Ho Chi Minh City Hall has been one of the metropolis’ most recognizable landmarks since the period of French rule.

in Saigon

The Mystical Origins of Saigon's Notorious Octagonal Prison, Khám Chí Hòa

Chi Hoa Prison (Khám Chí Hòa) is a seven-hectare facility located in Saigon's District 10.

in Saigon

[Photos] Amble Along the Familiar Streets of District 1 in 1969

Was Saigon more colorful in the past?

in Saigon

HCMC Fine Arts Museum Is Sinking Due to Nearby Skyscraper Construction

Saigon’s Fine Arts Museum is facing some serious structural problems that could pose a threat to passersby and visitors.

in Saigon

Saigon to Apply for UNESCO World Heritage Status for Cu Chi Tunnels

The Ministry of Defense, which manages the area, needs to approve the plan first.

in Vietnam

[Photos] On the Road in Quang Ngai in 1967

Is nostalgia always a positive emotion? 

in Vietnam

Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels

Let's get historical. 

in Vietnam

[Photos] Rare Black-and-White Images Showcase Vung Tau's Calm in the 1960s

Towns are never settled, their characters forever suffering wanderlust.

in Music & Arts

An Artist’s Role in Debate at Vo Tran Chau’s Solo Exhibition on Heritage

Located at The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre in District 2, “Leaf Picking in the Ancient Forest” is artist Vo Tran Chau’s largest solo exhibition to date, and is currently on view from February 14 ...

in Vietnam

Unearthed: Tracing the Past Citadels of Southern Vietnam

Although the forces of modernization encourage constant progress and leaving behind the pre-modern past, the trails of yesterday never fail to leave our presence.

in Saigon

[Photos] Cho Lon's First-Ever Post Office, as Seen in the 1920s

Located at the junction of Hai Thuong Lan Ong, Chau Van Liem and Cha Va Bridge in today’s Saigon, the post office of District 5 is a well-known landmark in the mind of denizens living in the area. Not...

in Vietnam

[Illustrations] Everyday Life in 1923 Northern Vietnam Through 10 Rare Sketches

It was a simpler time in Vietnam 100 years ago — just people going about their life without a single phone in sight.

in Saigon

Thu Thiem Church, Convent Classified as City-Level Heritage Sites by Saigon

After years of precarious existence in the face of constant development in the Thu Thiem Peninsula, the two Roman Catholic institutions have finally achieved protected status.

in Hanoi

[Photos] Monochrome Images Capture the Calmness of the Capital in 1939

The following monochrome images, taken by an unknown French photographer in 1939, capture peaceful moments in corners of the capital, from the city center to outlying villages. 

in Architecture

More Than Just an Identity, Saigon's Modernist Architecture Reflects Past Optimism for a New Era

The last 30 years have seen unprecedented economic development in Ho Chi Minh City. Since Doi Moi relaxed foreign investment laws back in 1986, the city has welcomed change with open arms and increasi...

Khoi Pham

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Glitz and Glam of Tự Do Nightclub

While today’s Dong Khoi Street is peppered with tourist-centric shops and restaurants, just half a century ago, the downtown street was the nightlife hotspot for Saigon’s cool kids to congregate.

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: The Former Secretariat du Gouvernement Building, 59-61 Ly Tu Trong

The project to build a new City Administration Centre behind the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee involves the destruction of several heritage buildings. The art deco office and apartment block at ...

in Society

[Video] A Tour of Saigon's 100-Year-Old Hẻm, Hao Si Phuong

What better way to learn about Saigon’s Chinese-Vietnamese heritage than to pay a visit to one of the city’s oldest residential enclaves?

in Saigon

Old Saigon Building of the Week: The Three-Legged Bridge of Cho Lon

Saigoneers born after the 1990s might be familiar with the term dân chơi cầu Ba Cẳng, or “the daredevils of Ba Cang Bridge”. However, not many are aware of its starting point, which originated from a ...

in Saigon

Date With the Wrecking Ball: Thu Thiem Parish Church and Lovers of the Holy Cross Convent

Two of Saigon’s oldest Roman Catholic institutions, located across the river in Thủ Thiêm, may soon be gone.

in Saigon

The Saigon Tax Trade Center Mosaic Staircase: A Forgotten Moroccan Masterpiece

When the Hồ Chí Minh City authorities announced in 2014 that the Saigon Tax Trade Centre was to be demolished and replaced with a 43-storey tower block, many voices were raised in opposition to the de...

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...