Saigoneer makes no attempts to hide our love for Quy Nhơn.

The Bình Định Province capital seemingly has it all: mountains for hiking, pristine coastlines, a unique food scene and fascinating history that includes the rise of Nguyễn Huệ and his brothers, as well as the life of Hàn Mặc Tử. It is thus a special pleasure to marvel at the city when it was even less-developed and still had many scenes to get our ventricles throbbing.

Boats on the beach.

These photos taken in 1965 by American Tom Robinson reveal a Quy Nhơn of red dirt roads and working fishing boats, farmers going about their daily affairs, and a growing collection of western architecture spurred on by the increasing presence of foreign residents.

Classic handwriting signage lining the main road.

The collection presented by Flickr user manhhai reveals that before it straddled the line between tourism destination and an essential provincial capital, Quy Nhơn existed in the quaint nexus between an urban center and agricultural outpost. Take a peek at the photos below:

Locals on the beach staying safe from the sun. 

Fertile farm land on the outskirts of the city.

General commotion downtown on the unpaved streets.

An old van loaded up for transport.

Vendors pausing en-route.

Preparing for a journey beyond the city.

A one-way street with no traffic lanes.

Rickshaw drivers enjoying some mid-day shade.

Looks a bit different, but the commerce is generally the same 50-some years later.

Before all the resorts, large buildings were few and far between in Quy Nhon.

An elderly couple unwraps their purchase on the street.

Kids goofing for the camera.

Lunch time!

A pretty warm, comfy scene.

An average day in the city.

Freshly caught fish for sale.

Toodling about.

Not an insignificant amount of cattle.

[Photos via Flickr user manhhai]