Vua Versus Volcano: How the 1883 Eruption of Krakatoa Upset the Nguyễn Dynasty
On September 9, 1883, ominous smoke hung over Huế. The sun was blue-green, and throughout the day, people on the streets had no shadows. As their legitimacy relied on maintaining the Mandate of Heaven...
Tâm Lê in Saigon
Street Cred: Phan Đình Phùng, My Great-Great-Great-Great-Great-Grandfather
An unassuming street named Phan Đình Phùng runs through Saigon’s Phú Nhuận District. It is named after a Vietnamese revolutionary who led rebel armies against French colonial forces in the 1880s ...
Vauban Architecture: The Foundation of Central and Northern Vietnam's Citadels
In our previous article on Vietnam’s southern citadels, we covered a mix of ancient structures and those constructed just before the dawn of French colonization of Indochina. In particular, we fo...
Nguyen-Era Mandarin Cap Purchased at Auction in Spain for EUR600,000
You could buy approximately 35,000 modern baseball caps for the same price.
Hue to Spend $20m to Restore 5 Historical Sites From Nguyen Dynasty
Five sites in the ancient capital will be restored at a total cost of over VND460 billion (nearly US$20.2 million) over the next five years.
Paul Christiansen in Natural Selection
Voi: From Hai Bà Trưng's Fearsome Companions to Tourism Servants
Does art need a purpose?
Last Surviving Imperial Maid of Nguyen Dynasty Passes Away at 102
An important historical figure of the Nguyen Dynasty has left us this week.
